The one family he had left was his exiled uncle. Had he decided to pardon him? Knowing Karwyn, showing mercy was never an option.
“What are you talking about?” she asked.
A satisfied grin stretched Karwyn’s lips. “You will find out soon enough.”
Her gaze went back to where Karwyn still held her arm. His grip was a constant reminder that she needed to keep her secret hidden at all times. Yanking her arm back, she tried to shake Karwyn off.
Karwyn let out a dry laugh. “I do not care about your thoughts anymore. I will no longer waste my power on your drunken rambles.”
Relief tamed her anger. “Can I go now?” she asked.
Karwyn pushed his wavy golden hair from his face. “Yes. Try not to make a fool of yourself.”
Ignoring his snarky comment, Amira disappeared into the dark corridor. Her encounter with Karwyn had stirred up painful memories, but soon enough, she would get what she needed to shush them.
Climbing up the now familiar stairs, she held onto the railing, the faint music from the party above drifting towards her. As she stepped into the party room, Amira didn’t let herself be impressed by the incredible design. Long gone was her naïve excitement. Too much had changed since her first time at one of Rhay’s parties.
She used to be a sheltered girl, unhappy with her engagement but still hopeful of a better life. Now she was only looking for her next fix. And nothing would stand in her way.
Chapter5
Lora
Lora tugged on her long olive dress as she hurried after Rhay along the bleak stone corridor. The satin dress he’d given her wasn’t the easiest to walk in. If it wasn’t for the slit up her leg, she wouldn’t be able to move at all. She’d considered rejecting Rhay’s choice of dress, but she had no energy for meaningless arguments. And she wanted to befriend him. As Karwyn’s friend and advisor, he might be the key out of her predicament.
So she’d gone along with the fancy dress and overly dramatic makeup. At least with the moss-green eyeshadow, thick eyeliner, glitter on her cheeks, and pulled-up hair, Lora could pretend she was someone else entirely. It wasn’t lost on her that she would be entering this party asfae.It had always felt like pretending, but now she had to fully play into it. Her life and her mum’s depended on it.
“Ready, love?” Rhay asked, stopping in front of a silver door.
“Ready as I’ll ever be,” Lora replied, brushing back a loose strand of dark blonde hair that had escaped her braided bun.
Rhay didn’t hesitate, opening the heavy door and stepping into the darkly lit room. Lora forced herself to follow, taking in the breathtaking silver lanterns spread across the space. Everywhere she looked there was a sparkle of remarkable silver. Even the walls and heavy drapes spread throughout the hall were covered with silver satin. It would’ve been amazing were it not for the crowd of fae milling about.
A stunning girl with dark brown locks hanging loose over her glittering royal blue dress seemed to be walking towards them, but then she stopped. The girl’s amethyst eyes were trained on Rhay. When Lora glanced to her side, she found Rhay staring right back. Making her second attempt, the girl lifted the hem of her dress as if to take a step forward, but halted as Lora felt Rhay’s arm hooking around her own.
“How about a drink, love?” Rhay asked, low enough for only her to hear. Lora’s gaze flicked to the girl standing rooted in place. Whatever was going on, it wasn’t Lora’s business.
By Rhay’s side, she headed towards the bar. Rhay called for two vodka indigos and handed Lora one of the silver glasses. “Have you learned to hold your liquor, little Adelway?” he teased.
She frowned at his new nickname. “Don’t call me that.” Rhay tilted his head, a wave of glitter falling from his styled hair. “I’m not little.” And she wasn’t an Adelway. She’d never be.
“All right, love. But you didn’t answer my question.” He raised his glass.
“I can handle it just fine,” she lied, taking in the indigo-coloured drink. The last time she had drunk, the night had ended with her lying on the floor next to Eyden, watching the stars. Watching the beginning of ruin.
“So you won’t throw yourself at me this time?” Rhay asked with a cheeky smile. “Too bad.” Lora glared at him. “To the sky, then,” Rhay cheered, clinking his glass with hers and taking a big sip.
Lora echoed his words less enthusiastically and swallowed a few drops. She remembered her last encounter with Rhay. She’d only gotten away because Eyden had dragged her out. She recalled how furious she’d been until she had seen the crystal in his hands and all reason had gone out the window. She’d thrown her arms around him, cherishing the feeling of his hands on her lower back. Her mind trailed off to a different time Eyden’s hands were on her for an entirely different reason and in far more interesting places.
“You know, if you still have that crystal you and that boyfriend of yours stole, I’ll gladly take it back as your apology,” Rhay said, signalling the bartender for another round.
Taking another sip, Lora masked the flare of anxiety slithering through her. Of course, he’d remember Eyden. Who wouldn’t?
She swallowed the sweet liquor and put on her practised smile. “I wanted to use it to heal my mother,” she said, letting the corners of her mouth drop. She paused, noting Rhay’s curiosity had turned empathetic. “But he stole it right from under my nose and took off.”
Rhay’s gaze softened. “I’m more than happy to help you forget all about that bastard.” He handed her another drink even though hers was still almost full. “To fucking hell with him,” he shouted, raising his glass. She lifted her glass, a small smile tugging at her lips. His voice turned playful. “He doesn’t know what he’s missing.”
Someone loudly cleared their throat, encouraging them to turn around. Lora’s gaze collided with the fae woman from earlier. Up close, she was still beautiful, but now Lora could see her amethyst eyes were tinged in red. The heavy bags under her eyes shone through the layer of makeup the fae must have applied to try and cover it. The woman squinted at her as if trying to solve a puzzle.
