Deborah gave him a silly grin.
I frowned. Her too?
First Connor. Now Deborah. Why did everyone around me insist on being attracted to the most dangerous partners they could find?
Yes, I knew I was being hypocritical. Liam wasn’t exactly safe either. The man had a body count behind him that numbered in the hundreds. Possibly the thousands. Even I could admit, he was a scary SOB. The first few years of our acquaintance had been filled with me finding ways to avoid being in the same room with him.
Nathan made an exasperated sound and stalked toward the exit.
“Where are you going? We’re not done dancing,” I yelled after him.
“My mood is ruined. Time to move on and see where the evening takes us.” He pointed at the yard drinks we all held. “And I want to procure one of those before we go any further.”
While Nathan wandered off in search of beverages, Deborah grabbed my hand and towed me in her wake. “Follow me—there’s a place I want to show you.”
I went along with her but not without one last look in Connor’s direction. We needed to have another conversation about Drake soon. Somehow, I got the feeling there was more going on between them than a simple quest for a companion.
Still sucking on his straw, Connor met my eyes calmly.
Sensing Anton’s attention on me, I didn’t give voice to any of the things I wanted to say. This wasn’t the venue for the conversation we needed to have. Instead, I allowed my companion to drag me through the dance floor toward the darkened exit.
nine
We burst out ofthe club and into the main thoroughfare, the noise quickly falling away to be replaced by the babble of running water and the low drone of conversation.
Nathan was already standing in front of the bar cart selling yard drinks, procuring one for himself.
Deborah tugged me in the opposite direction. “You’re going to love this.”
We tramped along the thoroughfare, our surroundings morphing from drywall and plaster to something much closer to nature. Trees sprouted where the walls had once been. Deadly looking plants flourished at their feet. The ceiling fell away, giving way to what looked like the night sky. If that sky was on another world and ripped from the mind of an artistic genius.
Swaths of blues and purples danced along the black of night, their shades so deep, dark and luscious that I doubted anyone without superior night vision would be able to discern them.Stars twinkled in the night’s depths, reminding me more of fireflies than actual stars due to the way they flickered.
Ephemeral clouds floated by, concealing and revealing the world above.
As impressive as the night sky was, it was nothing compared to what lay before us. Brooks and ponds divided the space, creating small island grottos. Each with a different theme.
Bridges, like those you might imagine in a fairytale, traversed the streams. Small boats skimmed the waters, heading for larger pools.
Deborah tugged on my hand again. “Over here.”
She led me across a bridge, past the lush fauna of a grotto, until we reached another pool. Deborah crouched at the water’s edge. “Watch.”
She dipped her fingers into the liquid, trailing them from side to side. Everywhere she touched changed color. Pink and fuchsia spread on the current.
Caroline joined us. “Whoa.”
“Pretty cool, right?” Deborah removed her hand with a shake before rising. “A little discovery I made during my last visit. Deeper in, people go skinny dipping.”
There was a loud slurp as Nathan took a large pull of the drink hanging from around his neck. “I wouldn’t recommend that.”
“Why’s that?” Caroline challenged.
Nathan looked down at us from where he leaned against the bridge’s railing. He jerked his head at the water. “Take a look.”
Deborah, Caroline and I looked down at the pond.
Not so much as a ripple disturbed the surface. It was as calm as glass. Its blue green color almost opaque. Because of that, it took a second to spot the problem.
