24. Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter 24
C hay was different.
Rieka couldn’t pinpoint it, but he was hiding something. Or maybe it was all the unwanted stares she was receiving from the other guests, and she was projecting it onto him. Despite the luxury of the ball, the walls were closing in around her, and her every move was being scrutinized,
It was partly because she was Dante’s guest. And partly because she was an outsider who didn’t belong in this world. Everyone knew it.
The rage and lust that had washed over her earlier in the day was back a hundredfold. She didn’t know where it came from. The emotions continued to build on each other until she was suffocating from it and desperately trying to anchor herself to the present. The ‘noise’ was softer next to Dante, as if he could act like a buffer. She cast a glance at him.
Dante appeared unfazed, like he belonged at the gala, but then this was his world. Not hers. She wanted to get as far away as possible. She tensed as they entered the crowd.
Atlanteans moved out of their way. Rieka hadn’t worked out if it was respect for Dante or not wanting to be in her presence. Dante placed his hand protectively on her lower back as he guided them toward the exhibit. A subtle touch, but one that was unlikely to go unnoticed by the other guests.
When she entered the ball, she had caught sight of Dante and just stopped walking and stared until Talik not so gently moved her.
Dressed completely in black, Dante looked like a Greek statue come to life. The neon green of his eyes glittered like cold jewels in the bright light. “Is it too much?”
Yes. But she wouldn’t say it out loud. “No. It’s just a lot to take in,” Rieka answered. The pinch of the bracelet was getting worse. She glanced down. Nothing out of the ordinary. She must be imagining things.
Dante stared at her as if he didn’t believe her. But he did not force her to discuss the matter. Good. She didn’t know what her response would be in a public arena.
They stopped in front of a large glass cabinet, the panes extended from ceiling to floor. Dante stood behind her, towering over her. His body warmth surrounded her as his sheer presence drowned out everyone else. The light caught his silver cufflinks. The only color he wore. He was one of the few guests who had not draped himself in jewels and evidence of his wealth. She had noticed the way the men and women looked at him—lust tinged with fear or envy at his position. Even by Atlantean standards, he stood out. An underlying tinge of power permeated Dante’s every move. At first, she’d thought it was a clever ploy to intimidate her and other humans, but she now realized it was a part of who he was. His civility was only a veneer, but not something he attempted to hide behind.
She dragged her gaze away from Dante. All thoughts of Chay and the other guests disappeared as she peered at the artifacts through the glass. Beautiful masterpieces, some were even from the collection she had been admiring the day before. The pieces had all been placed on black cloth to emphasize their beauty and uniqueness. It was clear they had been selected for their aesthetic qualities, and not for the role they played in Atlantean history, but even she was impressed by them.
Rieka took a step back, and her body brushed up against Dante; an electric shock surged through her at the contact. Her heart quickened as his fingers brushed her arms. She shouldn’t be so sensitive to his touch, but it was all she could concentrate on. The ancient treasure didn’t hold the same appeal as he did, especially as he lightly traced an innocuous path along her arm. The barest touch from Dante made her crave him even more. It made her wonder how his wicked lips would feel on her bare skin.
A distinguished gentleman with a shock of white hair glared at her; his light brown eyes glinted with undisguised lust. Rieka shifted, immediately wanting to retreat into Dante’s embrace. The onslaught of emotions was becoming more unbearable the longer she stayed. Lust was quickly followed by disgust as the Atlantean across from her no doubt realized her hybrid status. Contempt flashed across his features. Rieka returned a don’t fuck with me smile.
If this was a taste of the heightened senses Atlanteans normally felt, she wanted nothing to do with it. In a blink of an eye, it had turned her entire world upside down. Her heart raced as she tightened her grip on her glass.
She instinctively moved to stand even closer to Dante, calming down instantly as he placed his hands on her. He was quickly becoming her calm before the storm. It was not an emotion she should get used to—future Rieka could worry about that. The artifacts gleamed prettily through the glass, but they had lost their luster for her. Especially when it occurred to her that she was just like the artifacts surrounded by an invisible cage.
Dante lowered his head; his warm breath caressed the back of her neck. For a moment, they were the only two in the room. Everything else fell away, and all she could hear was silence. And she felt only Dante’s touch.
“Do you want to leave?” Dante whispered.
Rieka shook her head. Sheer stubbornness meant that she refused to cower to the old Atlantean order. She was technically an invited guest—just as much as any of them. “No.”
“Are you positive?”
Fuck no. But she had never run away from a challenge, and there was something intoxicating about having the undivided attention of Dante in a public forum. The Atlanteans had an unofficial hierarchy outside of their Houses, and Dante Delacroix was at the top of the pyramid.
“I want to show you the gardens,” Dante said.
Rieka nodded, grateful to be away from the party, even for a moment. Waves of emotions continued to slam into her like an onslaught. It was taking all her control not to scream. “Shouldn’t you be out there networking or whatever billionaires do?”
“Do I look like I need to network?”
No. The Atlanteans seemed to gravitate toward him, wanting to catch his attention.
“I much prefer to spend my time escorting you.”
Rieka couldn’t help it, but she beamed in response.
“This spectacle is for show,” Dante explained as he nodded toward the masses of elegantly dressed Atlanteans. “They all play a part and pretend that it is not already choreographed.”
The crowd in front of them surged as the orchestra resumed. The harrowing sounds of the string quartet was slowly replaced by a more upbeat song. A handful of women dressed in vibrant, colorful ball gowns that barely covered their bodies floated to the dance floor. The music started slowly, as Atlanteans moved toward each other. Their bodies swayed in pairs and more as they danced to the music. Their subtle graceful movements would make any dancer envious. Flashes of pale pink, bloodred, and dark blue twirled in front of her. The dance floor looked like it belonged in a fantasy movie.
“This way.” Dante guided her toward one of the empty enclaves, half-hidden by the darkness.
The surrounding people parted as they approached. Surprise turned into envy as they noticed her. She squared her shoulders and gave them a million-dollar smile as she walked between them. Until they were alone on the small balcony.
Rieka took a breath as she leaned against the stone banister. The fresh air caressed her skin. Out here, she felt a hundred times lighter. Away from the emotional and sensory onslaught. Dante stood behind her, close enough that if she leaned back, she would be against him. The thought was both intoxicating and sobering. She couldn’t afford to rely on him. Not when she didn’t really know what he wanted.
Pretty pale lights twinkled in the darkness. Stars studded every part of the night sky. They had stepped into another world. The music continued softly in the background but was loud enough to sway to the soft beat. A large green maze dominated the view, and if she squinted, she could see the tip of an impressive copper water fountain. If she were truly an Atlantean, she would be able to see the garden in all its beauty, despite it being night. “The garden?”
“Is far more spectacular in the daylight,” Dante admitted as he surveyed the view beneath him. “It is quieter here.”
Rieka closed her mouth before she said something stupid. A small shiver went through her.
“Rieka.”
The way he said her name almost undid her. She closed her eyes as she leaned back against Dante. And she let out a sigh.
Dante chuckled. The sound vibrated through her.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?”
She didn’t know what Dante was referring to—too focused on how his hand felt against her lower back. It should have been an innocent caress. But even through the layers of her dress, it burned into her and sent her pulse racing. She wanted more.
Wetness pooled between her thighs as he traced the lilies on her inner arm. Her breath hitched.
Dante stiffened behind her as he pulled her closer to him, shielding her from the newcomer.
“Dante. As always, your taste is impeccable.”
Rieka blinked at the voice, too distracted to recognize it at first.
“Kai,” Dante acknowledged. He moved, blocking the Atlantean’s view of Rieka.
Rieka froze. Lord Kai of House Mestor. The individual who had been responsible for ensuring Rieka was tormented nonstop for two years after the official announcement of the forgery. Visceral memories she had thought forgotten slammed into her. Her pendant was ice cold.
Kai had bankrolled the zealots who had hounded her. It had only been five years, three months, and six days since she had identified the forgery belonging to House Mestor. She had turned Kai and his family into a laughingstock. And he had done everything in his power to ensure that she was punished for it. Funding the zealots and advertising her work and home addresses had just been the tip of it.
“Are you going to introduce me to your companion?”
Rieka shook her head silently as she tried to mold herself to the banister.
“No.” Dante took a couple of steps forward as he skillfully redirected Kai away from Rieka and back into the main room.
Left alone, Rieka inhaled sharply. The faint scent of lavender tickled her nose. She was at the Jimourt for a specific reason, and Dante had almost made her forget. Vandana’s tomb was here. She knew it as sure as she knew that Lilian Sinha had not been entirely truthful about their family history.
Eleven chimes echoed through the ballroom. One hour until she would have access to the statue.
The crowd in front of her surged as the beat of the music picked up. More Atlanteans had joined the dance floor. Beautiful bodies covered in gold and unimaginable wealth surrounded her. A stark reminder that she didn’t belong. Nor did she want to.
Her arm tingled. A jolt of electricity ran through her as the bracelet glittered in the light. She blinked. The bracelet was still only highly polished bronze. She must be imagining things. Quietly, she walked through the crowd. Each step she took was like a dagger to her senses. Like someone had turned the faucet on and allowed the emotions to slam into her. They blended into each other until she couldn’t tell what they were. For a moment, she wanted to run back to the balcony—to Dante and the quiet—but she wouldn’t. She needed to be away from the crowd. Rieka pushed through the growing throng of bodies, as she ignored the stares and whispers that followed her.
She accidentally brushed up against an older female Atlantean. Her skin burned at the contact as a wave of pure hatred washed over her. Rieka almost stumbled.
The woman with burning red hair snarled at her. “Ga’toh.”
The derogatory Atlantean term for hybrid.
It was only ever used for those who were considered at the bottom of the food chain. Rieka flinched. In a room full of people, she didn’t think she had ever felt so out of place or alone. She didn’t need this bullshit. Changing her direction, she strode toward the large metal doors that would lead her to freedom. To the statue.