“Dammit,” she said before putting her hand over her mouth. Her brother would have told her to watch her language and pinched her hand hard enough to bruise for a few seconds.
A group of young fae dressed in a similar fashion to Amira came out of one of the rooms, laughing; they didn’t even seem to notice her as they moved past her.
Now was her chance. Without saying anything, she followed them. She heard them laugh about the latest gossip. Amira was relieved to hear that it wasn’t about her. A woman named Varsha had, according to the loud fae in front of her, gone to Rhay’s last party with only paint on her body. Amira’s cheeks turned red when she heard another one of the gossipy fae describe the situation in vivid detail.
Eventually, they led her to a flight of steep stairs hidden in a dark room. As the obscurity settled around her, Amira wondered if following them was the right decision. Would she be able to find her way back to her room?
Yet, she still followed them up the stairs. At first, she counted the steps, a childish reflex she never grew out of. But when she reached a hundred, she stopped. They kept climbing and climbing until they reached a plain cedar door. One of the fae swung open the door and Amira almost let out a gasp.
The room was set in what looked like a former observatory. A dark and silky tapestry covered the walls and all the furniture was black and smooth. The tables were filled with elegant delicacies and shiny bottles of indigo wine. All the guests were dressed in expensive clothes, perfectly tailored to their bodies.
The ceiling surprised her the most—or rather the absence of one. A dark sky spotted with stars overlooked the partygoers, the moonlight coating their perfect skin. Looking up at the night, Amira almost let out another gasp, but she didn’t want to show people her profound inexperience with this type of party.
The fae she had followed disappeared from her view and she was left alone on the threshold. She took a step in and the door closed behind her. Amira turned around and was surprised to find that the once solid wood frame seemed to be disappearing into darkness. She rushed to it but when her hand reached the handle, she could only feel the cold stones of the wall. She was trapped. A sense of panic overwhelmed her for a second but then she felt a gentle, oddly calming hand on her arm.
“Leaving so soon, princess?” Rhay smiled at her and she was able to return it when she looked at him.
“No, it’s just that I’m not—I didn’t expect…”
He let out a delicate laugh. “You’re more sheltered than I expected.”
Amira frowned, ready to respond with a witty comment.
“Don’t worry, no one will be judging you here. What happens at my parties, stays at my parties.” He locked Amira’s fingers in his. “I’ll be your depraved guide this evening. First order of business, let’s get a drink.”
She followed him as he made his way through the partygoers. Everyone seemed to know Rhay. They tried to strike up a conversation, so their walk towards the bar took longer than Amira expected. A man with tousled dark hair and striking deep emerald eyes stared at them for longer than was comfortable before disappearing into the crowd.
After Rhay had greeted what appeared to be an unlimited number of guests, he poured a glass of indigo wine and gave it to Amira.
“To the sky,” he cheered. But Amira’s eyes were too focused on the shiny liquid. She gazed at the luscious indigo colour. Slightly tilting the glass, she saw sprinkles of rich violet appear. Rhay’s eyes followed hers. “I guess you were raised to see beauty everywhere.”
“My father used to say that, in order to honour Bellrasae, you should always find one beautiful thing in everything you encounter.” She closed her eyes for a second just to catch a glimpse of her father and her in the royal temple, admiring the astonishingly divine murals of the creation of Allamyst. The legend said that Bellrasae himself, the God of Beauty and the patron of Allamyst, had painted those murals as a gift to his worshippers. Amira wasn’t sure if it was true, but she knew that she would never be able to witness anything more ravishing.
Feeling the burning gaze of Rhay on her skin, she opened her eyes.
“So what’s beautiful about me, princess?” he asked with a wicked grin.
Her cheeks burned. As Rhay had said, she’d lived a pretty sheltered life; being praised for your beauty was common but she, as a princess, was never expected to do the same. She tried to escape Rhay’s intense gaze, but no matter where she looked, she could still feel it imprinted on her skin. She had to get over herself.
Raising her eyes, she held Rhay’s gaze. “I’m sure you’re already aware of how beautiful you are. You don’t need me to tell you.”
He drew his face closer to Amira’s. She could feel his breath caressing her face. His eyes were not completely focused and she figured that he had been drinking for quite some time now.
“Maybe I want to hearyousay it, princess,” Rhay said.
Amira stopped breathing. What game was he playing? She felt like everyone was watching them. Completely frozen, she waited for Rhay to break the tension.
He let out a laugh and pulled away, raising his glass. “To the sky!” he cheered, joined by other voices around him.
Rhay took a big sip of wine, tinting his tongue blue. Amira did the same, trying to keep her hand from shaking. She could feel the beverage slowly coating her throat, making its way to her blood and raising her heartbeat. A floating sensation took over her body. It was quite pleasant. She looked at Rhay and her vision blurred. For a second, she thought someone else was standing before her.
Banishing the thought, Amira downed her drink and immediately requested another one. The stars above her seemed to encourage her to let loose.
Rhay introduced her to so many different fae that she lost track of the names. But she didn’t care, she babbled with everyone, exchanging laughs and witty banter. She danced too, on her own and with groups of fae. Moving along to the strange music, she smiled at Rhay. His appreciative look made her feel powerful.
She knew that if she had any powers, she would have shown everyone her magic. Some fae were actually showcasing their abilities and the room was filled with elemental figures. Roses made of purple fire and droplets of water shining like diamonds caressed the air while flower petals cascaded from the sky. Amira twirled underneath the explosion of magic, her lips stretched into a wide smile.
Once or twice, a sense of realisation would overcome her festive mood. She would wonder about Karwyn. After seeing him in the corridor, she had imagined that he would have arrived at the party before her. But now she had been at the party for what seemed like hours and she had never seen him. Where had he gone? She was about to ask Rhay when he grabbed her hand and brought her into another lively dance.
