CHAPTERSIX
We spent the entire day at Snake’s apartment, mostly listening to Dash and Snake tell stories about their troubled youth, then Dash, Gage, and Snake played video games for three hours while Indigo and I contemplated plucking our eyes out. I called Drea and updated her on everything, telling her about our plan for the evening and that Harley was a master Shade with portal making skills. When nighttime finally rolled around, I was grateful to get out of the testosterone-fest and go looking for my sister.
Snake had a nice black van, with the same logo from his tattoo painted on the side, that held all of his DJ equipment. Gage sat shotgun while Indigo, Dash, and I squeezed between the giant speaker boxes, completely hidden from view. One thing that was clear about Shade City, they had such good wards that they were pretty lax with security. We rolled up to The Plaza, a fancy hotel type of apartment complex, and they simply waved us on through and into the back, where there were sprawling garden lawns.
Snake drove right up onto the grass and stopped in front of a giant erected stage.
When he finally opened the back doors, we all jumped out and slipped on the lanyards with the backstage passes he gave us. Hundreds of chairs were sprinkled across the lawn, but only half a dozen people milled about in tuxedos carrying catering trays.
The party goers hadn’t arrived yet.
We wordlessly unloaded the van while Snake barked orders at us and told us how to set up his gear. Speaker there. No, face it this way. Table here. Careful, that piece of equipment cost more than you do. Turntables need to facethisway.
I was kind of ready to be rid of him by the time we’d set up completely.
People started to trickle in and take their seats, and Snake flicked his gaze to Dash, knowing our time was short. “Am I going to ever see you again?”
Dash walked over and offered a fist. “Come to New York. You know where to find me.”
With the Lumens.
It was a subtle way of saying he wouldn’t come back here but that Snake could visit him with the Lumens, where Dash was planning to stay.
Snake nodded, fist bumping him, and I muttered my thanks before we all turned to exit the stage. Snake’s arm shot out and he grasped me by the wrist, causing me to turn and look back at him.
“Your energy doesn’t feel like theirs. I can’t put my finger on it, but I would stay away from the level tens and master Shades.”
Fear washed over me. My false Shade appearance only went so far. If the Shades in this city found out I wasn’t one of them, it would be a nightmare.
I simply nodded and we left the stage and slipped into the food tent as more and more guests filtered into the party. Our gazes danced from person to person as we searched for Harley, but so far she hadn’t arrived and our street clothes were starting to stand out when the rest of the partygoers were dressed in evening wear.
I faced my friends and waited for one of them to offer a suggestion. When no one did, I chewed my lip. “If you were the youngest master Shade ever, where would you be come party time?” I asked nervously.
“Fashionably late and still getting ready in my room,” Indigo offered.
I wasn’t sure if she was joking or not, but it sounded plausible to me.
“Come on, I have an idea,” I told our little crew and started to walk toward the main building. It might have been a permanent residence, but I couldn’t bring myself to think of something this extravagant as an apartment building. It was a five-star hotel with palatial lawns and a twenty-four-hour concierge. I was willing to bet money there were a slew of other amenities I didn’t even know existed.
We kept our heads down as we moved through the party and into the hotel’s main lobby. Dash had his hood pulled forward and skull gaiter on securely, but even so he disappeared behind bushes and pillars at random.
Was his father here?
I was just stepping up to the front desk to try to sweet-talk the concierge into giving us Harley’s room number by telling him that her glam squad was here to get her ready, when Skye popped into view right before me. I yelped, causing a few people to stare, and then pivoted, walking into a little side alcove to talk to her. The others looked confused but trailed behind me.
“Skye!” I hissed. “Can’t you ever announce yourself first? Or appear somewhere besides right in front of my face?”
“Hi,” she said in way of greeting. “So, your sister’s in a penthouse and she also talks to ghosts, and when I told her she had a long-lost Lumen sister in New York City, she told me to stick it where the sun doesn’t shine.”
My eyes widened. She could also speak to ghosts? I guess that made sense since she too was Apollyon’s daughter.
I frowned, a little peeved that Harley wasn’t excited to see me, but okay, no big deal, she probably thought Skye was unhinged.
I pursed my lips. The penthouse. I wasn’t getting up there without some fancy elevator key.
“And not to put a rush on this or anything,” Skye added. “But Apollyon has found out about her and so he’s on his way too. Aurum is trying to intercept him to buy you some time, but if you don’t get her back to New York quickly, Apollyon’s going to show up and take her to the Netherworld.”
How was Apollyon always right on my trail? It was like he could see what move I was about to make even before I made it.
