12. Chapter Twelve Midnight Masquerade
Chapter Twelve: Midnight Masquerade
Maverick
Verve pulsed with a life of its own, a haven for the supernatural at Halloween time. A tapestry of rioting lights jerked and swayed with dancers in tandem with the throbbing bass. The aroma of exotic perfumes, alcohol, sex and excitement permeated the building.
Stone, Lux, and I sat in a large circular booth across the floor from the entrance, nestled in a dark corner. The velvet cushions were worn, providing a sense of comfort amidst the chaos. Cross, a mage dressed down in jeans and a black T-shirt, held his usual aura of calm authority, and Zara, a rare, laid-back and friendly fae, had joined us tonight, too. Our table was already cluttered with half-empty glasses, napkins and a few cell phones.
We watched the eclectic mix of patrons with interest. Witches in flowing gowns, vampires with sharp suits and sharper smiles, shifters in their human forms but with a predatory gleam in their eyes, and other unidentifiable supernatural beings filled the space. It was possible there were other seraphim like Stone, Lux, and I. Unlikely, but possible.
A dude walking past with black hair—dressed like a vampire but without the vampire aura—had the skittishness I’d expect. Most seraphim never got used to life on the run. If they hadn’t been caught by a hunter in the first two weeks past their month-long allowance, they were doing well.
Most wouldn’t try.
“This place is ripe for hunters tonight. I hope the wards hold,” muttered Stone, his eyes scanning the room for signs of trouble.
Cross, twirling a small vial of shimmering liquid between his fingers, leaned in. “I’ve reinforced it myself. It should hold.”
Zara, lounging gracefully with her legs crossed, gave a lazy grin. “Relax, Stone. Enjoy the night. If they break through, we’ll handle it.”
Lux nodded, his eyes scanning past the entrance for the eightieth time. “Just stay vigilant. We can’t afford any slip-ups.”
I took a swig of my drink, the burn of the whiskey settling into my bones, slammed the glass on the tabletop and leaned in with a huge grin. The atmosphere was really riling me up. I had to let some of this energy out somehow. “Get that stick out of your ass, man… then shove it back in. Pull it out nice and slow… You might enjoy the motion.” I winked. He glared at me, but we both knew he would like it. “Relax! Even if they come, we’ve been through worse.”
“You three should lay low after tonight. Hunters will be everywhere for the rest of Halloween,” Cross reminded us.
I swatted at the air. “Pssshh! Fucking mosquitos. I’ve got plans, and they better not fuck them up.” They all looked at me, faces blank. Waiting. I shrugged. “The Devil’s Delirium. ”
Cross laughed, his attention darting between the three of us in question. “Who’s joining Devil’s Delirium?”
I raised my chin so they’d know I was serious. “I am.”
Stone flew forward, leaning on his elbows, leveling a dark glare at me. “What are you fucking talking about, asshole?”
“You must be joking,” said Lux with a shake of his head.
I sat back further, extending an arm over the back of the booth. “Would I fuck with you?”
The answer was yes. But not this time. Stone was still frozen in position, hands in tight fists on the table under his chin. “Why Mav? What the fuck could possibly possess you?”
“I don’t know. A growing feeling I need to be there.”
He scoffed and sat back but didn’t lose any of the tightness in his jaw, neck, or shoulders. “A growing insanity is more like it. You can’t.”
I raised an eyebrow at him. “The fuck I can’t. I can and I will.”
Lux cut in, trying to reason with me. “Mav, it’s a fight to the death. One winner. The risk is inconceivable for us.”
If we exposed ourselves by entering and winning things like Devil’s Delirium year after year, the hunters would surely find us. But I’d never entered it before, and I didn’t intend to win. I’d just phase out when I got the info I wanted.
It was probably the resistance group, Lords of Light, that’d prompted me to think about Gustav Valorsyn and his Halloween deathmatch. What intel had they gathered about Valorsyn? He’d challenged the last supernatural boss of Crimson City five years ago, a complete unknown. He rose out of the streets penniless and angry, won, clamped down on magic, created the Devil’s Delirium, and now was the most powerful, loaded supernatural in the county. That was all I knew .
But my time with the Lords of Light triggered a cascade of questions that wouldn’t stop itching.
Shoving my fist right into the chest of Valorsyn’s baby to rip out its heart and see what made it beat was my first step toward finding out.
“Relax, I’m not going to win,” I said with a dismissive wave of my hand.
Lux raised his eyebrows. Zara smirked. She wasn’t stuck up, but she still had all the expressions down pat.
I explained. “They don’t keep anyone’s details except the winner. Everyone gets a number, and that’s only to make sure they know they’ve admitted enough contestants. I’ll phase out as soon as I figure out what’s pulling me in there.”
“Probably certain death by hunters, dickwad,” said Stone.
I twisted my lips, pantomiming a pensive mood. “Doubtful.” I didn’t think they could get me, but if they were luring me there, I wanted to know why. If we wanted to continue to evade them, we had to stay up to date with their tactics. Tactics that were evolving over the past few weeks. Shoving our heads in the sand was the best way to finally get captured. I wouldn’t allow that.
The door opened, and a chilly breeze swept in, momentarily silencing the club’s hum. A demon with a fierce expression stepped in, his eyes taking everything in before he relaxed and moved to the bar. Only the toughest demons hung out in the mortal realm. The harsh damage banishment did to them as their bodies regenerated in Hell was a long recovery process. Contrary to vicious religious rumors, they usually didn’t bother anyone. They were tourists or immigrants just trying to integrate into a foreign land.
But humans had an innate fear of demons, so the guy standing next to him at the bar trembled with anxiety. He probably had no idea why .
“Poor bastard,” Zara remarked, her tone dripping with sympathy. “He’s not staying long. Can feel the fear rolling off him.”
“It’s delicious,” I said, watching the man with pity and a tinge of mockery. “He shouldn’t have drifted in here.”
Our conversation paused as a group of fae entered, their ethereal beauty and haughty expressions drawing attention. Unlike Zara, most fae were snooty and stuck up, always thinking they were superior supernaturals. Zara rolled her eyes at them, making us chuckle.
Then I saw her.
She stood out like a beacon in the darkness of the club, glowing in a way no one around her seemed to notice. Her thick, dark hair cascading in waves over her shoulders shimmered under the lights. Her presence was magnetic, pulling me toward her—which was shady, but I couldn’t fight it.
“Do you see that?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
Lux followed my gaze and frowned. “What? The skeleton girl in the catsuit?”
I nodded. “The one that’s glowing.” My voice was tinged with derision. Who else would I be talking about in the vicinity of the gorgeous glowing woman?
Cross raised an eyebrow. “Glowing? Like, literally radiating light?”
I nodded again, transfixed. “Yeah. Look. Can’t you see it?”
Stone’s grasp on his glass tightened. “Careful, Maverick. Could be a trick.”
“You think everything’s a trick,” I mumbled. Ignoring his warning, I stood and made my way toward her, weaving through the crowd. As I approached, the glow intensified, and my heartbeat matched the pulsing bass. She looked up, her eyes meeting mine, and for a moment, everything else faded away .
On the dance floor, the music enveloped us, and we moved in sync, her body fitting perfectly against mine when I was close, beckoning me back when I was not.
I asked for her name, but she didn’t answer. She just blinked up at me, frozen and tight like I was Death coming to steal her away.
I could be persuaded to play that part if she wanted.
Despite the connection, she remained silent, guarded, which only added to her mystery. But I kept my eyes on her, building up that silent rapport, so when I finally struck, she’d be my ripe little peach.
Before I could, a familiar face appeared at the edge of the floor, panic etched in his features. It was one of our contacts, Elias, his eyes wide with urgency. “Hunters. They’re on their way in.”
I groaned. “Well, just fuck my whole life, man. I had plans.”
Elias wasn’t moved. I glanced back at the table full of my friends, and he followed my gaze. Together, we motioned subtly for them to follow us out. Stone noticed first, of course. He stood abruptly, signaling to the rest of the table it was time to leave.
We navigated the crowd swiftly, urgency in every step, though it wouldn’t have shown on any of us. We were used to playing it cool. As we reached the exit, I glanced back at the beautiful skeleton-faced woman, the fusion of curiosity and panic in her eyes.
There was something about her, and it wasn’t only that she was glowing.
I was going to find out who she was and what she wanted.
Then I’d give it to her, and take what I wanted.
If I was lucky, we’d both want the same things; each other, raw, sweaty, writhing and screaming.