We see the city for the first time at night as we walk for what feels like an hour, both of us happy to just take it all in. People just walking about the parks, both Nexus and Vian, and children join them all. It’s so strange to see it and to think of how divided we have all been, yet it can work, like this city. This is proof. I know showing the Vian king this city wouldn’t suddenly change his mind on the war, but it has to mean something.
We walk towards the main part of the city and find a shopping centre. I frown at Alek as I realise we don’t have any money or a way to get it. “How are we paying for stuff? I guess that’s out… We can just keep walking around.”
“I sorted that out already.” He holds up a black bank card from his pocket with his name on it. “I asked one of the rangers for it. I wired money onto it from my accounts and got it sent to the door earlier. I know your aunt left cards for us to use, but I want to have some independence.”
I shake my head. “So organised.”
He flicks my nose, and I laugh. “Says the girl who carries giant bags of millions and does dodgy trades in the black market.”
“Fair enough.” I shake my head at him. We head inside a boutique that is crammed with clothes. The men’s are on one side, the women’s on the other.
Alek nudges me. “Go and choose something, get into it in the changing rooms, and I’ll pay for it. We can leave our things here, and I’ll get someone to gather them in the morning.”
Wow, he’s definitely talking my language now. “Telling me to go shopping alone is dangerous, just so you know. Dangerous for that card, I mean.”
I grin at him before he can back out, and rush to the women’s section. I look at all the dresses for a while, admiring the many different brands and styles, before my hand stops on one of them. It’s a shimmering dark purple colour, and it’s my size. Stars are woven into the material effortlessly, beautifully, and it looks tight, almost like a bodycon dress. I want to make Aleksander look at me tonight, and this is the dress for that. I want him to look at me, snap, and break the tension that hovers between us.
I take it into the changing rooms and try it on, running my hand through my hair when I’m done before looking in the mirror. The dress wraps tightly around my breasts and just comes up to the middle of my thighs. It’s very revealing, but I actually really like it. I like the tiny stars, how you can’t really see them unless I’m moving in the light. I find a pair of high-heeledboots, black, that go up to my mid-calf and put them on before taking the labels off them both and grabbing my pile of clothes and boots.
Alek is already at the counter, and my mouth dries when I see him. A crisp, ironed black silk shirt, with several buttons undone, clings to his tight and toned body. His hair’s still curly and wavy in that almost perfect way, and the shirt’s tucked into tight trousers that I really, really like. Especially around his ass. He turns to look at me, and his expression tells me everything. He likes what I’m wearing too. Aleksander actually stutters. “Gwenieve.”
The cheeks of the woman behind the counter are bright red, and she looks down as I answer. “Aleksander.”
He clears his throat and drags his eyes away. “We’ll pay for it all.” I place my clothes next to his on the counter. “Can we leave these here? Someone will claim them tomorrow.”
“Of course.” She takes the card from him. “Any nice plans for the evening?”
His eyes are on me still, still absorbing my outfit from head to toe, but he manages to answer her. “Tell you the truth, we are new to the city. Where would be the best club to go dancing and drink until we can’t feel our feet?”
“Oh, down the road, there’s one called the Dazzler. It’s, well, with stars on your dress, you’ll definitely like it,” she suggests.
Aleksander touches my arm, and I shiver. “We’ll do that, then.”
“I can call you a taxi to take you straight there if you wish. I’ll put it on the card too?” she offers. Aleksander leaves her a very decent tip before we head outside, and the cold air is only just enough to chill the heat burning in my veins. After a few minutes, we get in the car and it takes us ten minutes down the road, to just outside a nightclub that looks busy, people moving in and out, bodyguards standing at the door, and a heavy thumpof the music comes through the floorboards. Alek thanks the driver before getting out and taking my hand.
I’m glad he doesn’t let go. “Don’t tell anyone, but I really do like coming to clubs like this, to lose myself in the music and forget the world.”
“You like music?” I softly ask.
“Always have,” he admits. “I often write my own. I haven’t in a long time, but I hope when it’s quiet, I can write something for you.”
“I’d love to hear anything you write,” I gently reply. “Truthfully, I’ve never had the opportunity to come to many clubs like this. When I was on the run, this would have been risky. Too many people and cameras, and the risk of Vian or Nexus being there.”
“It can be your first time I’m bringing you to a club and showing you how to dance with your mate. Our first date.” We walk up the steps.
I can’t help the joke. “I thought the black market was our first date. This is our second.” He laughs. “Wait, you dance?”
“Look at us getting to know each other,” he teases, and I shake my head at him.
We walk into the club together; the bouncer barely even looks our way before we are inside. We go down a thin corridor and up one set of stairs to a big, thick black door with two silver stars on each of them. Alek holds the door open for me, and the heat and the noise of the music slam into me as I step in. My eyes widen.
It’s a massive club, and it’s full of people. There are bars all over the top floors, with stools filled with Nexus and Vian overlooking the dance floor. A thousand starlights hang from the ceiling, and the floor itself is one giant silver star where people dance, the floor shimmering as it reacts to their movements.
Alek links our fingers. “Dancing or drinks first?”
“Drink,” I shout over the music to him. It doesn’t take long to find a few empty seats at one of the many bars, and Aleksander orders whatever’s the most popular for me, and a beer for him. It turns out the most popular is the Starfall drink, which is a deep purple swirling drink with black stars dotting up and down it. I don’t know what it is, but it’s good and strong. Alek downs his entire bottle of beer within a few minutes as I sip on my cocktail, and he orders a second one.
“It’s been a few stressful weeks.” He lets out a long sigh. “But we are together. I am thanking whatever God is not ruthlessly forcing you into the Rite.”
