“The refreshment table is calling to me. I will be fine.” My smile grew as I looked past her mask into her brown eyes. “Get drunk off that freedom, Brie.”
Brietta smiled back. She downed the rest of her maiden wine in one gulp and handed me her empty glass.
I watched as she weaved her way through the dancing crowd, Myles on one side and Gerond on the other.
Brietta might have been dressed as a bird, but no cage could contain her.
I sipped my maiden wine as my eyes swept the crowd. Even though I caught more flashes of skin than I would expect in public, embarrassment did not sting my cheeks. Maybe seeing Riyan walking around nude in the wilderness had desensitized me to human anatomy.
With his distaste for clothing, Riyan would have fit right in at the Darkest Night.
“Nice dress, sweetheart,” imaginary Riyan whispered into my ear. “Looks good enough to tear off.”
Heat spread across my cheeks and I tipped back the rest of my wine.
Despite the ballroom being packed, I had not seen Derrick anywhere. I looked down at the empty goblets in my hands. If Derrick found me at one of the refreshment tables, maybe I could persuade him to eat.
I pushed my way across the ballroom, trying to maneuver through the throngs of the masked crowd. I caught myself before I nearly ran into a man with a mask that covered his entire face.
I gasped as he grabbed my arm. “Get out of here,Litlnadr.”
Suddenly, a laughing woman crashed into me, knocking me to the floor. I lost one of the goblets and it shattered on the tile. I pushed myself up and suddenly I was lost in the crowd.I swiveled my head, trying to find my bearings amongst the smeared paint and torn clothes.
A meaty hand grabbed my wrist. Another grabbed my skirt.
I blindly pulled away from the hands. “Stop!”
A shrieking laugh tore through the air. A low cackle followed. More and more people joined in, dressed as birds and beasts and monsters. They tugged me by the arms through the menagerie of sickening smiles.
“Look at her sparkle!”
“Is this your first time?”
“We can show her how to play!”
My heart raced. I planted my feet and pulled myself out of the greedy hands. “Leave me alone!”
“There you are.”
A large palm gripped my ass and I froze.
My captor spun me around to face him. An older man with a mask like a blackened sky with numbers painted amongst the stars towered over me. Behind the mask was a pair of unmistakable blue eyes.
Duke Hyton.
“Oh, it is just little Serafina!” Duke Hyton chuckled. “My goodness, you look exactly like your mother.”
I kept still, hoping he would leave and look for my mother, but, to my horror, he did not move. Instead, he flashed me a crooked smile. “Can you guess what my costume is?”
I timidly shook my head.
He held out his arms, showing more numbers painted on the skyscape of his dark robes. “I am time. I may not wear stars as brilliantly as you, but I did make a good attempt.”
I tried to steel my voice and give a charming smile. “Y-You did, Your Excellency.” I swallowed. “If I may ask, where is Derrick?”
His eyes gleamed. “He should be along…eventually.”
My breath stayed frozen in my throat. What had he done with Derrick?
