“Someone has a high opinion of himself.”
“Possibly.”
Lora laughed despite herself. “Well, your outfit is definitely eye-catching.”
His grin grew. “Glad you think so. Tonight, I’m a human pop star, here to melt the hearts of my fans.”
“And who are those fans?” Lora asked even though she could predict his answer.
He leaned in closer. “I’m hoping you’ll be my number one.”
“We’ll see about that.” She risked a glance in Eyden’s direction. He looked up in time to meet her eyes and Lora quickly turned back to the fae whose name she didn’t know. “So, you enjoy this music?”
“Oh, I love it. The human world provides such great entertainment. Have you ever watched their films?”
She had to suppress a laugh. “Not really.”
“What a shame. You most definitely should. I could show you some things.” His smirk really did make him devilishly handsome, even though she hated to admit it. “What’s your name, love?” he asked.
She considered lying, but no one knew her here anyway. “Lora. And you are?”
“I have many names. You can call me…Blue.”
“Why Blue?”
He shrugged. “It’s my favourite colour.”
Lora nodded, pretending that that explained everything. “Mine too, actually.” Finally, a truth she could tell without having to consider possible disastrous consequences.
“We already have so much in common,” Blue said, finishing his drink in one gulp. “What’s your poison?”
An alcoholic fae drink? That most definitely sounded disastrous to Lora’s ears. “Oh, I’m good. But thanks.” She put on another smile.
He seemed to consider offering again, then turned to the bar and ordered a single vodka indio. As soon as he got his drink, Blue downed the whole glass and signalled the bartender for another one.
He took a few sips before he asked, “What do you like to do for fun, love?”
Be anywhere but here,she thought. “Oh, you know, go to parties. That kind of thing.” Then she quickly added, “When I get the chance. I’m quite busy helping out my father. He’s a trader.”
“I appreciate a good trader.”
“Do you trade things yourself?” Lora asked attentively.
“Not exactly, but I buy things. Lots of things. It’s quite hard work to put together breathtaking outfits like this.” He gestured at himself.
She actually could imagine it would be, except he was obviously very wealthy so who was he kidding. He probably had servants who could fetch him anything he wanted. “What’s the most interesting thing you’ve bought?” Lora asked.
He seemed to ponder the question, maybe going through a long list of purchases. He took a sip of his drink that turned into finishing the whole glass. “Choosing between my outstanding outfits is like choosing a favourite child. Harder, actually. Clothes don’t act out,” he joked.
Lora forced a smile. It wasn’t the answer she was looking for. “Do you ever trade anything else besides clothes?”
“Sure, but what’s more important than fashion? Well, maybe good alcohol…” he trailed off as he stared into his empty glass.
“Have you done any trades for crystals? My father sometimes does. I find it fascinating how many there are and each one is useful for something else.” Crystals were a conundrum of sorts. Fae used them, especially healers. But so did witches, which—according to history books—gave crystals a bad reputation. Fae still used them, but they were hypocrites, after all.
Blue traced the rim of his glass. “Mhmm, I did get a gem today. A rare crystal. It’s pretty amazing.”
Now things were getting interesting. Lora forced herself to push down her excitement. “How so?” she asked, trying not to sound too eager.
