Chapter 33
33
“ A re you ready?” I ask Devlin as we stand outside the entrance to the ball.
He’s wearing a black tux with a silky white tie. His hair is combed back, and his eyes sparkle with love, as I imagine mine do.
I didn’t bother telling him what happened with Storm. It would have only angered Devlin, and I didn’t see a reason to do that. Why tarnish happiness with a vague threat?
He offers his arm, and I release my hold on the skirt of the midnight-blue gown that I’m wearing. It’s got sheer shoulder straps that are thick, and they reach down to a bodice that has a low V. The full skirt is covered in rhinestones that are meant to represent stars. It’s the most beautiful gown I’ve ever worn, and when the town tailor, Daisy, had it delivered to the house today, I was shocked and also elated. So elated that I called her immediately and thanked her for the lovely surprise.
She told me that Devlin had ordered it. Of course he had. He has great taste. Don’t worry, I’ve already thanked him.
“Are you ready?” Devlin asks.
“I asked you first.”
He pretends to think about it. “Maybe we should go back to my place, pop in a movie, cuddle up with Hands between us.”
I toss back my head and laugh. “Hands does seem like a good cuddler.”
“You have no idea.”
I laugh again as he squeezes my wrist and wraps my arm under his. “Come on. Let’s make the entrance of the year.”
My face hurts I’m grinning so hard as the doors open and we’re announced. We timed our entrance to make sure that most of the guests have already arrived.
“Mr. Devlin Ross and Miss Blair Thornrose.”
Every set of eyes focuses on us. There’s surprise on many people’s faces. Some envy—of course you’re going to get that when Devlin’s involved. Most of the town has assumed, and rightly so, that he would never settle down.
Not that he is settling down, but you know what I mean.
This is the first time I’ve stepped into a ball with a man, and the feeling is powerful. Being with him makes a strong statement to the supernatural community—Blair Thornrose is officially taken.
He escorts me into the room, and I feel like a lightbulb, like I’ve been turned on, my wattage at one hundred thousand. It’s an amazing feeling, and one that I won’t soon forget.
I smile at the guests, ignoring the jealousy popping in their eyes. There is some surprise and even a little happiness for me, though that comes from my own family.
Devlin walks me to the center of the room as the music flares to life. I feel heat smear my cheeks.
“Now what’s got you blushing?”
I shrug. “Nothing. Everything. I don’t know. All of it.”
He grins, dimple shining. “Drink it up, Blair. This is your moment. All of this is yours. No one can take it away from you.” He pauses and looks around. “This is what you’ve wanted, isn’t it? Your whole family proud, society marveling at you, not looking at you as if you’re different from them, but that you’re one of them.” He pulls me closer and presses his lips to the top of my head. “You are one of them. You’re more than one of the people looking for a pound of flesh.”
As he sweeps me into a dance, I realize that he’s right. I am more than the gossipmongers and haters. I’ve survived them, outlasted them, and now here I am. I’ve arrived.
Devlin has claimed me publicly, and it’s not something that he would do carelessly. He knows the stakes.
We dance for so long that my feet begin to hurt. But I don’t want to stop. I want to keep on moving, continue being held by this man that I love. I want to drink up this moment as long as I can, being as happy as I can.
When the music finally stops, the dance floor begins to thin out, and I move to leave.
“Hold on a second, Blair.”
I turn to see that Devlin has dropped to one knee.
Oh, oh, oh.
My heart flutters. My pulse is pounding in my ears. I gaze over at my dad, who’s smiling. Oh, that weasel! They’re in on this.
A hush moves over the crowd like a lazy wave, and Devlin pulls a red velvet box from his pocket. He opens it and inside sits a ring.
Devlin’s staring up at me like I’m his north star, the one point in the sky that he knows will always be there for him.
“Blair Thornrose, I have spent a good part of my life denying how much I love you, but not anymore. I don’t want to waste another moment without you by my side.” He pauses, inhales deeply. “Will you marry me?”
My eyes are blurry because tears are spilling down my cheeks. I’m overcome with joy and love. My chest feels like it’s going to explode. “Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.”
He slips a gorgeous ring on my finger. At least, I think it’s gorgeous. Not sure because I can’t see it properly through the tears blurring my vision. Devlin rises. He takes me by the waist and kisses me. We hug and the room erupts in applause.
I wipe tears from my eyes as he murmurs into my hair, “I love you so much, Bee.”
“I love you. ”
He hands me a glass of champagne from a waiter, and we both drink in celebration as people clap.
As the applause begins to quiet, one very loud person clapping fills the ballroom. “Bravo! Bravo! A grand performance.”
The crowd parts for Storm Grayson, who slowly applauds as he swaggers toward us. “Bravo, Devlin. I see that you’ve stolen from me again, but this time it wasn’t an invention. This time it was a person.”
Devlin tenses. He stares at Storm for a beat before saying in a voice shining with all pleasantries imaginable, “And here I thought you were congratulating us.”
The crowd laughs nervously.
Storm’s eyes harden. “Not at all.”
Devlin’s smile vanishes and his voice drips with warning. “You’d do best to turn around and walk out that door, Grayson. You do not know the can of worms you’re about to open.”
“Oh, don’t I?” The crowds’ gaze is latched on to Storm as he opens his arms and declares loudly, “Don’t I know? First you steal the Spell Book of Unlimited Pages from me.”
My mouth falls. What is he talking about? Devlin would never steal from anyone. He’s honest. He may have been a player in the past, but he is honest.
Devlin spits out, “Stop talking and leave.”
“Why should I?” It’s the invitation of someone who’s either too stupid to know who they’re dealing with, or they’re overconfident in their own talents.
Storm takes an intimidating step forward. “Years ago, you had that creepy set of hands sneak into my home and take the plans. Oh yes, he did. For all of you who don’t know,” he plays to the crowd’s open astonishment, “Devlin Ross is a thief. But I just happen to be smarter than him, and I got the book out first.”
“That is a lie.”
“The truth,” Storm shouts, spinning around with his hands in the air so that his audience can worship him before he comes to a stop facing us.
These are serious allegations, and Storm is obviously jealous and humiliated that I chose Devlin over him. But even so, to accuse Devlin of stealing—this threatens my brand-new fiancé’s freedom.
Devlin’s jaw flexes. “Take it back.”
“No. It’s all true. I did release the book first.”
“Not that. What you said about Hands.”
Storm tosses his head back and laughs. “About the creepy little creature you keep? Never.” He steps closer and drops his voice. “Tell me, Devlin—is it true what they say the creature does to you at night?”
Devlin drops his empty glass of champagne, and it shatters to the floor. Storm smirks, and Devlin looks like he wants to kill him.
“Devlin, it’s not worth it.” I tug his sleeve. “Everyone knows that you would never do anything like that.”
My fiancé’s voice is ground rocks. “Take. It. Back.”
“No,” Storm says flatly. “I won’t take any of it back. You think that you’re better than me. Well, you’re not. You even think that throwing me a bone here and there is something that I’ll take. Well it isn’t. It’s about time the world knew the truth—that Devlin Ross is a thief and a liar.” He cocks his head at me. “But that wasn’t enough for you, was it? You had to steal Blair from me too, didn’t you?”
“I was never yours to steal,” I spit.
He leans forward sloppily, and the heavy scent of whiskey wafts up my nose. Storm’s drunk. That explains this.
“Weren’t you mine? Or was that a game? Do you play with all men’s hearts? Tell them that you like them, seem to have the same goals, and then jump into bed with another man?”
People gasp in shock. Murmurs scatter across the room. People are staring at me accusingly. It wasn’t like that, I want to say. Devlin needed me for his invention.
Devlin speaks through clenched teeth. “Leave now, Storm, before you say anything else that you’ll regret.”
He scoffs. “You think that I want to be with a woman who works in a bookstore and has no ambition? Do you actually think I’d care if I won her or not? There are millions of women who want to be with me. Millions. Losing someone as pathetic as her isn’t worth one thought. But between us, I just regret that I didn’t screw her first .”
There’s a split second where this could go in any direction, and then Devlin punches Storm right in the face.
He stumbles back and covers his nose. The crowd takes a step back. Blood drips through Storm’s fingers, splashing onto the marble floor. He pulls his hand away and wipes his sleeve across his face, smearing blood onto his cheek.
“Not broken this time,” he says victoriously about his nose. “But you are, Devlin. You’re done for. I’m bringing formal charges of assault against you. I’m also charging you with stealing the Spell Book of Unlimited Pages.”
He starts to walk off, but Devlin says, “Wait just a second.”
“Go to hell.”
Inky black power floods Devlin’s eyes for the briefest of seconds before vanishing. I suck in a breath. Why is he using my magic? How will this make anything better?
Storm stops dead in his tracks. He takes a labored step, his foot scraping against the marble. Stops again, like he’s having to will himself to walk. He moves forward, and his foot lifts like a hinge, spinning him to face us.
As he plants that foot firmly on the floor, his body lunges forward, stopping just before he collapses on the marble. Then he straightens like a marionette being pulled to life by a puppet master.
A moan erupts from his mouth as it slowly yawns opens. He’s fighting it. It’s obvious to me. Everyone else may think that he’s suffering from some sort of episode—bloody nose, stuttered movements, but I know the truth.
He’s in Devlin’s hold just like Chatty Cathy was in mine all those years ago. My heart rams against my chest. This will not end well. It can’t.
“Do you have something to say?” Devlin calmly asks him.
“M-m-m-m I-I-I’m s-s-sorry, B-Blair.”
He’s definitely fighting it. I’ve never seen anything like this. It’s almost admirable, really, how much of a fight Storm is putting up.
“What else?” Devlin coaxes.
My eyes flare in disbelief. That’s not all? It’s bad enough that Devlin’s using my power to nudge Storm into saying things against his will. What else is there?
A lifetime of hatred brews in Storm’s silvery eyes as he glares flaming arrows at Devlin. He knows that Devlin’s controlling this and he’s pissed.
“I”—his mouth opens slowly like someone’s prying it with a crowbar. “I s-stole the Sp-Spell Book fr-from Devlin. He had the i-i-idea first.”
Storm’s face is crimson, steering toward plum. Veins are popping on both temples and in his neck. I’ll hand it to him, he’s really trying hard, here. But the power of the nudge is too great.
“D-Devlin w-was easy to steal from. All I h-had to do was p-pay off one of his employees and they gave me the information th-that I was looking for, and what a b-b-brilliant idea it was.”
“Devlin,” I murmur. “Stop. They’ll know it’s you doing this.”
“Not until he’s done,” he says grimly.
But my stomach’s a knot of nerves. These people, they’re going to know that Devlin’s using magic, and they’re going to hate him just like they’ve always hated me.
Storm continues, the words coming faster. “D-Devlin knew what I’d d-done, and he didn’t t-t-turn me in. He didn’t file a lawsuit. He just let it g-g-go.”
“And what about Hands?” Devlin coaches.
“Hands?” Storm’s face contorts as if he’s in pain. He probably is because sometimes telling the truth hurts. “There’s n-n-nothing going on b-between the two of you. I t-t-tried to convert the creature. W-wanted it on my side, but it wouldn’t come.”
I squeeze Devlin’s hand, willing him to stop this. Hoping that this is the end.
But it’s not.
“And a few weeks ago?” he prods Storm.
Storm lifts his chin. Blood is dripping down his mouth and making a small puddle on the floor, but he’s forgotten all about that. The only thing he can focus on is the nudge.
“I-I-I had someone try to br-break into Devlin’s house to steal his most recent invention—something that’s supposed to change the w-w-world. But Hands got in the w-way.”
People are appalled by this, and they’re shrinking away from Storm as if he’s carrying the plague.
“Anything else?” Devlin asks.
Storm shakes his head, but his nostrils are flared and he’s breathing in and out hard. He’s furious. When this wears off, it won’t be good.
“So you won’t be suing me?” Devlin says in his smooth, velvet voice.
“N-no.”
“No, what?”
“I-I w-w-won’t sue.”
“That’s what I thought.”
“Devlin,” I whisper.
“I’m done.”
Storm turns around and makes his way toward the door. I suspect that Devlin’s forcing him out, but Storm moves quickly. Even so, a couple of men follow, I assume to make sure that he doesn’t come back.
“Well, that was exciting,” Devlin says to the guests. “Time to forget about that nastiness and celebrate. Let’s all raise a glass to our engagement.”
I’m about to exhale in relief when Cathy steps into the center of the room.
“Stop!” She’s wearing a pink gown with skintight sleeves and a mermaid skirt. She marches over and points to me. “She did this! Blair Thornrose made Storm say all those lies. She influenced him into it. That woman made him do something against his will, and she should be punished!”