Chapter 20 #2
“I took a good guess. Alright, let’s get out of here,” Arche said. “Hearing those voices gave me a bad feeling. I don’t want to risk the whole operation by lingering.”
Tabitha patted Arche’s face. “I’m proud of you.”
They turned to leave, and Arche crooked a half-smile at her over his shoulder as he opened the quartz door. Three sentinels barred their path, and at their front was Electra.
“Third, what are you doing in the Asterism apartments?” she asked, her tone coy as her gaze dug into the soil of Arche’s eyes, excavating the truth.
Before Tabitha could speak, Arche changed. Even with his back to her, the shift in his demeanor was noticeable.
“Electra, well, this is a pleasant surprise. When I sought to deepen my own reserves, I didn’t think my hunt would turn out this prize,” Arche’s voice was smooth as honey.
“You know I’m always on the menu for the highest bidder,” Electra replied, tossing her long red hair over a pale shoulder. Her dress was a crimson velvet, enveloping her generous curves.
Venomous hag.
Tabitha subtly kicked the back of Arche’s booted heel.
“Your services are no longer needed. You can go,” Arche said to her. Tabitha tucked her chin, but a sentinel grabbed her before she could hurry away. Electra quirked a dark red brow at Arche.
He sighed dramatically, dropping the sack of crystals destined for common class stars to the ground, their plan utterly ruined.
“So you’re the one who has been stealing from us Asters. I didn’t know you had it in you,” Electra remarked.
“What can I say? I promised some pretties to the courtesans.”
Electra chittered. “Oh, Arche, what am I going to do with you?”
Arche slid the sack of crystals over to her with his boot. “Save me a dance?”
Electra bit her lip, sank to the floor, and pulled open the sack. “Let her go,” she said to her sentinels without taking her eyes off the crystals. Arche shot Tabitha a look, his eyes flaring subtly, and she took her leave.
Electra crooned to Arche, “Now about that dance.”
On her way out of the earth elemental quarters without a crystal cache to aid the separatists, Tabitha fished out her selenite and immediately sent out as many mental messages as she could to the first wave of common class stars.
Discovered. Regroup.
Again and again, she sent the message, beseeching the Fates that it wasn’t too late.
Aela twirled in the center of the dance floor, her teal dress flaring wide around her.
With her arms stretched toward the painted clouds above, she summoned the lightning coursing in her veins.
Harmless sparks crackled into the air, and the collective gasps of the attendees at the ball echoed through the grand room.
Aela slashed her arms down, the violet-white light skittering across the floor.
Celestials jumped and squealed as her lightning bit at their heels.
Tarek made his way toward her, a reprimand plain on his face. At once, Aela pulled her lightning back into herself and folded her hands neatly in front of her. Tarek’s coarse palm smoothed hair away from her face and kissed her cheek.
“That’s better,” he whispered.
Tarek led her back to yet another selenite throne he had in the palace.
There he plopped down and nodded to the place beside it for Aela to stand.
Musicians near the main doors picked up their instruments once more and played a melody that ushered in a septet of celestial dancers.
Flowers in the colors of the Aurora Sisters cloaked their bodies.
The dancers’ skin shimmered beneath the glowing starlight orbs floating around the room, and the wide aqua and magenta petals they wore concealed just enough to leave something to the imagination.
Vines crawled over their skin in whorls and flourished small leaves and flowers as they danced.
Four males and three females twirled around each other in dazzling choreography, spinning and dipping before thin silk curtains descended from the ceiling.
“It’s a wonder their petals stay put,” Aela murmured.
“What’s that, precious?” Tarek asked.
“Nothing,” Aela said, giving him a sweet smile.
The male dancers effortlessly hoisted the females to reach the silks.
The music synchronized with their movements as the females climbed and wrapped their lithe bodies in the fabric, twisting their legs and rolling before suddenly uncoiling.
As the females plunged one after another toward the floor, the male dancers rushed to the silks, and the room took a collective breath.
Applause erupted from the attendees when the females expertly caught themselves before crashing to the ground, the males’ rush to help them part of the act. After the dancers concluded their performance and the ball attendees sang their praises, Tarek stood before them.
“What a marvelous show. Please allow me to refill your reserves as a token of my gratitude.”
He nodded to a pair of sentinels beside his throne, and they disappeared for a moment before reemerging with a selenite charging bowl.
Within the shallow bowl lay six glowing selenite wands.
The dancers looked among themselves, unsure.
Tarek took the bowl and walked down the line of dancers, extending the selenite to them, skipping over the female at the center.
She was an exquisite beauty and clearly the lead darling of their group.
Tarek passed the bowl back to a sentinel and extended his hand to her.
She flushed and curtsied, placing her delicate hand within his grasp.
The crowd applauded again, and Tarek brought her to sit atop his lap as he took his throne.
As the ball wore on and Tarek became increasingly inebriated and infatuated with the darling dancer, Aela was left to fend for herself.
She didn’t dare leave to check on Arche and Tabitha.
She had to trust that they were adhering to their part of the plan.
Once it was clear her presence was no longer needed, she made her way toward the exit.