“Yes and no,” she responds and steps closer to me. “Sentinels of this rank only come out for the best of the best, and it’s exciting when we all get together like this.”
I try not to cringe at the wordexciting. If this kind of shit is what licks her pickle, who am I to judge? A hand traces up the outside of my arm, and I step back to find Para tracing my runes.
“Your markings are quite extraordinary,” she tells me, and I work to keep a scowl off my face.
Maybe it’s not rude to touch other Sentinels’ runes here?
“So what do you do here?” I ask, dodging her comment.
“I’m a hunter.”
This piques my interest, and I smile. “What do you hunt?”
“Anything that’s in season. It’s all prey to me,” she purrs.
Marn pops back up, and I’ve never been so relieved to see her. I’m obviously missing something here with this Para chick, and I’m ready to move on. Marn politely excuses me, but as we pull away, Para catches my hand. She tries to pull me toward her, a determined look in her eyes. I tense, ready for some kind of attack. She leans in toward me, and I lean back.
“Um...what the hell are you doing?” I question.
“I, I was just going to kiss you,” she tells me, her voice raspy and her eyes filled with heat. I step back, confused.
“Why?” I ask awkwardly.
“To see if the sparks fly,” she replies, like that should somehow be obvious to me.
“I have Chosen,” I tell her, and I look across the ballroom, like I’m sending an SOS and need them to come rescue me from chicks who fuck up their signals.
Para follows my gaze and gives an incredulous snort. “You’re Vinna of theFirstnow,” she tells me, stepping closer. “You have the world in your hands with a title like that, and all I know is I’d love to have my hands all over you.”
Para tries to push up against me. I step back, removing my hand from her grip. My forearm grazes her breasts as I pull away, and she gives an exaggerated moan that has me seriously judging her acting skills.
“Like I said, I have Chosen. I’m not interested.”
I move away, and Para reaches out for me again.
I turn back to her. “Touch me again, and you won’t like what happens to you,” I warn her.
She throws her hands up in surrender but blows me a kiss before she walks away.
Fucking hell.
I’m silently reeling over what just happened. When I look up to see who Marn and Tok are parading me in front of now, I’m taken aback to find Ory.
“Oh,” I chirp with recognition.
“Oh, yourself,” he parrots back.
“What are you doing here?” I ask as Tok and Marn dart away.
“I was invited,” he snarks.
I roll my eyes and scan the room for my Chosen again.
“So how’s your first First party going?” Ory asks me casually.
“Fucking sucks,” I confess and then slam my lips closed. “Shit, don’t tell Tok and Marn I said that. I don’t want to hurt their feelings.”
Ory scrutinizes me with his bright purple gaze for a moment. He dips his chin and then starts to scan the room like he’s looking for someone cooler to talk to.
