Chapter 29 The Bonfire #2
The burning pile of logs, some massive enough to look like old-growth trees, emitted enough heat to wipe out the freezing air and wind.
The air inside the circle of firelight remained so still, I realized there must be further spells holding in the heat, and keeping the smoke and wind out.
I watched as the flames continued to change colors, twisting into orange, gold, white, then back to violet, indigo, green, purple, and cerulean.
I glimpsed more faces as I looked around, a little startled at the sheer number of them.
Were they all royals, of one kind or another?
I wondered if they all went to Malcroix, too, and decided a number of them must not, but likely came either from Bonescastle or via carriage for the holiday weekend.
I kept a smile on my face, walking behind Bones, my strides long in the short skirt so I could keep up with his.
I wore a light cloak with a hood over my shoulders for the cold, but it remained open in front, showing a low-cut silken top that clung to my upper body and waist. My hair was blonde and straight now, and only came to my shoulders, and I had light freckles and blonde eyebrows, which changed my face a surprising amount, all on their own.
My nose was slightly turned up, my cheeks plumper, my neck longer, and my eyes, now smaller than my real eyes, were brown with gold flecks instead of green.
I’d been a little astonished at how different I looked, just from his little tweaks.
He even changed my teeth slightly, making them a little smaller, and made my lips smaller, too, possibly because he’d already used up some of that matter in my cheeks.
I asked my sun primal to change the monocerus for the night, and it gave me a large raven, brown and gold, like my changed eyes.
I also wore my mother’s crystal, but Bones transformed that, as well.
Instead of a bronze necklace with a green stone, it now looked like a gold bracelet with gold charms.
Surprisingly, he hadn’t changed my body much, other than to remove a few moles and add more freckles to my arms and chest. I was grateful he kept the body changes relatively cosmetic, as I hadn’t been looking forward to trying to walk with legs shaped differently than mine, or manage arms or hands that were markedly different.
He did make my skin tone different, making me slightly paler.
He didn’t bother to warn me beforehand of any of the changes he made, or explain why he made the choices he did.
It was strange, walking in among the royals, without the usual hostile looks.
They smiled at me instead, even as they looked me over.
“We saved you a seat,” Norrick Voltaire said, his eyes on my chest as he smirked. He glanced at Scarpen “Scar” Maskey, who chortled from where he sat on the couch next to him, a witch curled up by the armrest on his other side.
Finally bothering to meet my eyes, Norrick winked at me, as if that would make up for his leering and laughter.
His curly blond hair had been cut recently, nearly shorn on the back and sides.
He’d slicked back the longer bit on top with some kind of gel, which somehow made his face appear even more doughy.
Scar looked like he’d trimmed his black goatee as well, along with his shoulder-length black hair. His eyes looked sharper in the firelight than Voltaire’s. He’d always struck me as smarter, too, but Voltaire was clearly the leader of the three, apart from Bones himself.
Like Bones, they both wore expensive-looking suits.
“You didn’t mention whether you were bringing anyone, so we only saved one,” he added, winking at me again. “You might have to share with your new friend here.”
I noticed another witch sat sandwiched onto the couches between the two of them, a tall, thin glass clasped in her hand, filled with something pink and frothy-looking.
The one with Voltaire smirked at me knowingly, glancing at my chest before looking at her friend, who also wore a barely-there slip and heels nearly as high as mine.
Both of them were even blonder than Bones had made me, and looked vaguely familiar from that crowd.
Norrick already had his hand shoved most of the way to the crotch under the short dress of his date, but no one seemed to give it much more than a glance.
“It’s there, if you want it,” Norrick said, smirking at me again as he noticed where my eyes had gone.
He jerked his head towards the only open seat, at the same time his hand traveled higher under his date’s skirt.
His primal, which looked like some kind of wild boar, seemed to be staring up the skirt of his date, as well.
He’d motioned Bones towards an armchair, not another couch.
Bones didn’t hesitate.
He dumped his topcoat on a pile on a nearby table, then took the last step forward and plunked himself down in the plush red fabric. He met my gaze with a smirk before tugging on my fingers to join him.
“When haven’t I brought a date to this, in your recollection?” he asked Voltaire, giving a faint scoff. “I didn’t realize I’d have to state the obvious.”
“Fair.” Voltaire was back to staring at my chest. “But I’ve noticed you’ve had fewer witches out with us of late.
None at all for the last few outings, if memory serves.
” He nodded towards me. “Where’s this one from, then?
She’s hot, even by your standards. You find her in London?
Because I think I would’ve noticed those tits, if I’d seen her at school. ”
I fought not to look at Voltaire after he said it, but felt myself stiffen.
Bones warned me they’d be crude. He said they saw it as their birthright to be utter pricks to witches, not only the hybrid ones. But I hadn’t expected them to talk about me like I wasn’t there, or describe me to my face like Bones had acquired a new dog.
Bones tugged on my fingers again, a little more insistently, and I smiled at him coyly.
I walked right up to him that time, and slid sensually into his lap, angling my legs to one side so they hung over his thighs.
I felt him jump a little when I did it, especially when I pushed my way deeper into his lap, and curled my arms around his neck.
I sat sideways partly for the short skirt, and partly so I wouldn’t be blocking his view of the fire, or of his friends.
My fingers slid into his hair at the nape of his neck.
I leaned down, kissing his ear lightly, and he jumped again.
“Don’t I get a drink?” I pouted.
He looked up at me, one eyebrow quirked.
I stroked his face and jaw lightly with my fingers, and saw his eyes flinch.
Calm down, I thought at him. You’d think I was murdering you.
Your acting is better than I remembered, he muttered back.
My jaw tensed. Pretend I’m someone else.
He didn’t answer, but his eyes shifted towards one of the squat beings I’d seen roaming between the couches and chairs. He motioned the being closer with a flick of his fingers.
“Bring us a Dragonfire and a pink fizzle,” he said, once the being reached us.
“Damn.” A different voice rose from behind me, and I turned my head, without really pulling my face away from Bones.
Nicolai “Pants” Panzen stood there, a pint of beer in each hand.
He was staring unflinchingly at my arse, which was slightly tilted in his direction, but the instant I turned my upper body, his eyes rose to my tits.
His grey rhinoceros primal stood planted by his feet, stomping its foot as it stared at me, too.
“Should’ve known you’d show the rest of us up,” Pants said, leering at me. “Where in the gods did you find this little sex kitten?”
Bones rolled his eyes. “Must you all act like you’ve never seen a witch before? It’s embarrassing to have you leering like it’s your first set of tits.”
“Well, to be fair, you’ve deprived us lately, Bones,” another voice said.
My eyes shifted to Pants’s right, but I didn’t know the mage who stood there.
Whoever he was, Elysia Warrington clung to his arm, looking at little drunk where she was half-pressed into his side.
The mage was tall, dark-haired, handsome, and looked vaguely familiar, like the witches sitting with Voltaire and Scar.
I was pretty sure he was older, as I hadn’t seen him in the dining halls at Grathrock or Valarian, but I’d definitely noticed him at one royals table or another.
Warrington looked me over with a drunken curl of her lip.
“Who’s this bitch?” she asked, slurring a little.
Even her primal, a pink-colored faery with a fierce-looking face, looked tipsy where it fluttered around her head.
Bones tsk’d her, wrapping a hand around my thigh. “Manners, Elysia.”
She rolled her eyes and huffed at him. “You really are unbelievable,” she said. “Did you pay for her outright this time, Bones? Or just show her your primal?”
“Probably showed her his bank balance,” Pants snorted.
The mage with Warrington, if he noticed his date’s irritation, ignored it.
“Where did you find this little morsel?” he asked, his eyes flickering off me to smirk at Bones. “She’s absolutely stunning.”
Bones’s other hand slid around to my arse, and that time, I jumped.
“Wouldn’t you like to know?” he sneered at the other mage.
“You want a drink, Bonesy?” a different voice asked. “Doesn’t look like your witch is going to fetch you one. Too busy grinding on your cock, from the looks of it.”
“She’s not grinding yet,” Bones drawled. “I’ll let you know when she is. And I already ordered us drinks.”
I’d tensed a little, but not from that.
Should I have gotten you one? I asked him. A drink?
No. His hand tightened on my arse, pulling me closer. That’s what the goblins are for. Relax, Shadow. They’re just taking the piss. I warned you they’d do that, you being fresh meat. He gave me a bare glance. And tell me if I cross any lines.
I relaxed slightly in his arms. You do the same.
I practically felt him roll his eyes.