“Stairs?” Keltyr chuckled. “You're in Ruva, one of the most advanced cities on Varr. We only use stairs if there's an emergency.”
“What? How do you get to the upper floors?”
Keltyr went to one of the steel doors, and that's when I saw that it had no handle. It did, however, have buttons beside it—one with an arrow pointing up and another with an arrow pointing down. Kel pushed the up arrow button, and it glowed. Then something dinged, and the steel door slid sideways.
I jerked back as a small compartment was revealed. “What the fuck?”
“It's called a lift,” Keltyr said as he pulled me into the compartment with him. “Look, these buttons correspond to the floors in the building. The Midnight Horn is on the thirty-sixth floor.”
He pushed a button marked 36, and it lit up. Another ding sounded and the steel panel slid shut. Then the compartment shuddered.
“What the fuck?!” I asked again, this time in a shriek, and I gripped Kel's arm with one hand while I braced myself against the wall with the other.
Keltyr laughed and pulled me in close. “It's powered by Air Magic. The box is raised to the selected floor by a great gust of air, then a panel slides out below it to hold it in place. The same happens but in reverse when you want to go down.”
“Are you saying we're being jettisoned up hundreds of feet in a steel box by wind?” I winced as the sensation of moving upward sent my belly down to my feet.
“It's perfectly safe, Ember. The shaft contains the movement of the box, and magic ensures the proper timing of everything. Even if something were to fail, there are gigantic springs at the bottom of the shaft to cushion our fall.”
“Cushion our fall?!”
“We'll be fine. Don't worry.”
The box stopped smoothly, and the door slid open. A new scene was revealed, that of a busy restaurant. Kel led me out of the Air-powered death trap and over a plush carpet to a lectern, similar to the one that Varraen woman had stood at when she denied me entrance to the restaurant Rath had taken me to. When I noticed how nicely the man standing at the lectern was dressed, I worried this would be a repeat of that experience. Kel and I were wearing simple clothes, and I immediately felt out of place. But the host looked over at us with a wide smile and stepped around the wooden pedestal to greet us without a hint of disdain or even a glance at our apparel.
“Welcome to the Midnight Horn,” he said. Then his stare fell upon our Wraith Lord pendants. “Oh, dear Goddess! You're him! You're Ember, the human Wraith Lord, aren't you?”
Well, wasn't this a change from my last attempt at dining out? I grinned and nodded. “Yeah, that's me. And this is my friend, Wraith Lord Keltyr. He's from Ruva, so he brought me here for our . . . uh—”
“First date,” Kel finished with a grin at me. “This is my favorite restaurant.”
“We are honored to be so favored by a Wraith Lord. Welcome home, Lord Keltyr. And thank you for bringing Lord Ember with you. It's a great honor to serve you both.” He bowed, his cream-colored horns shining in the lantern light. “I have the perfect table for you. Please, follow me.”
The host stopped at his lectern to draw a couple of leather folders out from a shelf within it, then smiled at us over his shoulder, and waved forward. We followed him through an archway and into the vast room beyond. At once, the murmur of voices enveloped me along with delicious aromas that had me breathing deeply. But it was the restaurant itself that held me in thrall. My stare shot from side to side, the up, and down. Everywhere I looked, there was something beautiful to behold.
The place glittered. It gleamed. The Dhon certainly liked shiny things. Round, glass tables filled the center of the room while larger, rectangular tables lined the walls. A glorious parquet floor with intricate designs of multicolored wood could be seen through the clear tabletops, and the curving legs flowed down like water. The flow of glass was so delicate that it almost gave the illusion that everything atop the tables was floating. Only the shine of the glass gave it away. Above, silver lanterns in the shape of birds glided, shedding light on the plates of pretty food. Yes, even the food was beautiful, laid upon porcelain dishes in pleasing arrangements as if they were pieces of art. I'd never seen anything like it.
The host led us across the room and up a set of steps at the far side. Grand glass doors opened on a balcony with smaller, square, glass tables set along its railing. A few couples dined there, but most of the tables were empty. We were led to the center of the outward curve of the balcony, to the table with the best view of the city. Above us, the night sky looked strange, sort of hazy and paler than it should be, seen through a halo cast by the city lights. That was a little disappointing, but the city itself seemed to be strewn with stars.
As Keltyr held out a chair for me, I stood there, gaping at the expanse of glittering columns. A veritable stronghold of steel, yet all that glass gave it a delicate feel, a fragility that made the metal elegant. It struck me odd that the refined Varraen would live in a forest of trees, while the Dhon, with their ram horns and tails, preferred a forest of metal and light. They were both beautiful in their own ways.
“Ember?” Kel prompted.
“Oh! Sorry.” I looked apologetically from the host to Keltyr. “I've never seen anything like this—a city so bright it blocks out the stars. Steel and glass. A perfect blend of masculinity and femininity. It's just so beautiful.”
Both Kel and the host beamed at me as I slid onto the chair.
“Yes, it is.” Keltyr went across the square table from me and took his seat. When our host handed him one of the leather folders, Kel said, “This is perfect. Thank you.”
“It's my pleasure to provide you both with the best experience possible.” The man handed me the other folder. “Eline will be by shortly to take your drink orders. I hope you have a lovely evening but should you want for anything, tell Eline to fetch me, and I will see to it personally.” He hesitated, then added, “I was once saved by some of your brethren and it is a great honor for me to see to your comfort tonight.” He placed a hand over his heart and bowed deeply to us. “Thank you for your service to our world, Wraith Lords.”
“You're very welcome,” Keltyr said. “Your appreciation means a lot to us.”
The other diners glanced over as the host smiled and left. I just sat there, holding that leather binder and staring at Kel. He looked different there, in that beautiful place where he had grown into manhood. Softer but also stronger. It's hard to describe. The light from outdoor lanterns gleamed off his dark hair, turning the chocolate strands to jet black. Those silken waves flowed around his ebony ram horns to fall just past his ears, creating a sharp contrast in texture that my fingertips ached to feel. I had a strange urge to grab those horns, and that thought led to a naughty one. Before I could get lost in lust, I moved on to his eyes, the color of the deep sea, but they only made my heart race so I tore my gaze away from him entirely and put it firmly on the folder.
“What is this?” I asked as I opened it.
“The menu,” Kel said. “My favorite is the lamb.”
