CHAPTER SIXTEEN
The harvest celebration was held on the night of the October full moon.
A celebration of the last great harvest before winter lays the land to sleep.
It was the one ball I looked forward to.
The moon was always as round and orange as the pumpkins adorning the ballroom.
It hung low over the open fields. When I was a child, I would run towards it hoping I could leap right into it like a golden pond.
It always seemed so close, but the harvest moon was a trickster.
No matter how much I ran, how close I got, it was always just out of reach.
“Quit fidgeting,” Elsie grumbled as she tugged against the laces of my corset.
“Oh, I’m sorry, are my attempts at breathing getting in your way?” I grumbled right back.
“You can breathe just fine.”
“Yes, I suppose if I remain perfectly still, I could manage to get a breath.”
“I didn’t have much sway over your mother this time. This is what she chose. It’s the first ball where the Society’s secondhand will be on your arm. You two must make a good impression.” I caught the slight roll of her eyes, and I smiled.
The gown was the warm color of wheat, like the yellow gold of the harvest moon itself.
The corset pushed my breasts up so high they nearly met my chin.
It was sleeveless except for the dainty little straps of silk that fell off my shoulders and draped down my upper arms. It fit snug to my body, pooling slightly around my feet with a short train.
And it was entirely covered in shimmering, golden crystals.
She styled my hair into large, glamorous curls that rested atop my collarbone and cascaded down my back.
As I opened my bedroom door, I jumped. My heart nearly leapt out of my chest. Sebastian stood right outside, as still as a statue.
It didn’t even appear as if he were about to knock.
His usual blank face softened a touch with amusement as I clutched my chest. He was clad in a black suit, the only color on his silk cravat, which was the exact color of my gown.
How did he even know what I was going to wear?
“Sebastian, what are you doing?”
“I figured it’d only be appropriate to escort my lady to the ball.
” Though his words seemed kind, they were laced with an edge, like he knew he was doing something wrong, and he enjoyed it.
“Why? Do you not want me in your bedroom?” He cocked his head, and my stomach warmed.
His eyes roamed over my room behind me, until they came back to me and landed firmly atop the swells rising from my corset.
And I suddenly remembered his mouth ... on me.
We hadn’t talked about it or acknowledged it since it happened.
I didn’t know if I was even ready to acknowledge it.
I swatted my hand across his chest. “Sebastian,” I scolded. His eyes met mine again, and his smirk darkened. I rolled my eyes, shoving past him. He came up beside me as silent as a ghost, and I jumped again as he laced his arm around mine, making me hold on to him.
We walked in silence to the ballroom.
The guests had arrived a short while ago.
I rarely ever made it to balls on time. Though the harvest celebration was my favorite, it was hard to push through the ocean of eyes that followed me.
You would think they would have been used to me by now, they would have tired of my colorless appearance and the shadow of my demon.
But the rumors only continued to evolve.
The ballroom was gilded in harvest moon gold.
Grand garlands of red and yellow leaves were draped around the room.
More leaves were scattered across tabletops, along with centerpieces of pinecones and pumpkins.
And the lavish display of food was a full harvest, indeed.
My stomach grumbled, but I didn’t know how I’d possibly be able to fit anything within this corset.
I could barely take a full breath. As William, one of our staff, walked by with a golden tray of champagne, I snatched one up, gulping half of it down. I felt Sebastian’s eyes on me.
“It calms the nerves,” I mumbled.
“Are you nervous?”
As we made our way through the room, people turned, gawked, eyes widened or narrowed, disapproving stares, nervous stares, and so on. Couldn’t these people keep anything to themselves? Sebastian tracked my eyes, seeing what made me finish the last of my champagne and swap it out for another glass.
He leaned into me, murmuring in my ear for only me to hear.
“Humans are quite odd. In my world, your unique appearance would be something to behold. People would be fighting to be allowed into your presence.” My eyes slid over to him and then back to the room.
I wondered if that included him. He leaned in closer, his lips grazing my ear, making me shiver. “Stare back.”
I took another gulp of my champagne and locked eyes with a sneering woman, whose name I could not remember.
I channeled Sebastian’s unnerving blank face and stared unrelenting.
The lines of her scowl softened, and her eyebrows upturned in confusion.
I held her eyes. How does it feel? Her eyes quickly dropped to the floor, and she turned around.
A small bit of pride bloomed within me, although I wondered if fighting back would really help my case or only prove my disagreeable existence.
Sebastian tugged me closer. I looked up to his eyes.
For the first time, I realized they weren’t exactly black.
There was a line that bordered the iris which was certainly black, but the inside was a smoky gray, like angry storm clouds.
“That’s it, killer.” His silken words snaked around me.
“They only have as much power as you give them. Take it away.”
I smiled up to him, the champagne quickly taking hold.
“Ah, Sebastian.” Father appeared out of nowhere, or perhaps the second glass I just finished dulled my senses.
“Thank you for escorting Charlotte.” His eyes landed on me and then paused a moment, taking in my smile which was certainly out of character for me.
And as I swayed slightly his brow furrowed.
Everything became a little lighter. “I’ll have to steal him from you for just a moment.
” He turned to Sebastian. “There’s some people I’d like you to meet. ”
Sebastian nodded once and turned to me, taking my hand.
He pressed a kiss to the back, slowly and softly.
He held my eyes the entire time, an intensity lingered there.
Waiting. Poised to strike. Along with something well hidden that slipped through the cracks.
Worry? Or was it more disapproving? He flipped my hand over, bringing my palm up to his velvety lips.
Somehow this kiss felt far more intimate.
My stomach dropped, and heat pooled deep within me as tingles fled across my skin.
I knew I was losing control of my body as my muscles began to melt, the champagne spreading through me like a warm embrace.
And I lost control of my face, which likely appeared as if I was gaping up at him, mouth hanging slightly open like an imbecile.
He smirked, amusement warming his eyes, and I had the sudden urge to slap him. His expression darkened as if he knew. His head cocked to the side ever so slightly, daring me. He released my hand, and it fell limp at my side. As he left with my father, I reached for my third glass.
The champagne was working a little too well, and if I was going to make it through the rest of the night, I had to put something in my stomach.
I was grazing, sampling bits of food as I made my way down the table.
As I paused, taking in all the options, I heard snickering and hushed whispers right behind me.
“... it only makes sense,” one woman said. “After all who have fled her.”
Another woman replied, “Yes, it’s true. I heard from Sir Huntington’s daughter, Bridgette, that her father hired him just to be with his daughter.
He made him secondhand too so it would be more impressive.
She ran off any qualified suitors, so they had to resort to paying someone who can’t leave.
” She let out a huffed laugh as if she couldn’t believe it.
“He’s so handsome too. What a poor man to be stuck with ... that.”
Another woman piped up, “It won’t be long before she curses him too.”
Fury sparked within me, a fire I could only tamp down, smother and pretend it never existed along with all the rest. No matter who I married or what right I did, it would always be wrong to them.
My life was a story, and they were the writers.
And there was a part of me that believed it.
Father did arrange for us to court. Though I had seen what Sebastian was capable of, and he far surpassed the skill of the Society.
That’s what Father saw in him, a soldier.
But maybe he wanted to kill two birds with one stone.
Maybe Sebastian was right. I was giving them power. But I did not know how to get it back.
I had to catch myself. We were not really courting, though that was how it appeared. We were simply working together. It wouldn’t matter if Father paid him or not. None of this was real.
“What’s the matter, gray? You look like you’ve seen a ghost. Too soon?”
I glared up at James, elbowing him deep in the ribs. His smug smirk didn’t even falter.
“But really, are you okay?” His expression turned serious.
I picked up my fourth glass and shrugged. “Same old thing.”
“Who?” His tone darkened.
I didn’t mean to, but I glanced behind my shoulder before I could think better of it.