I struggled to gain access to one of the main things that made me what I was… an Elementai, who should have a connection to the elements. I could no longer run through the forests like I used to, and that thought was more crippling than my condition ever could be.
“Oh, wow,” I said as we came to the display, peering upward at the spectacular sight.
“What did Marcus do?” Charlie asked warily.
“He used his Mentalist powers to levitate the table and chairs ten feet off the ground, and there’s black candles floating alongside them,” I noted. “The entire space has been decorated with Gothic designs and skulls. There are a bunch of animal skeletons from the witch lab running around in the air that he reanimated, and it looks like they’re carrying food to serve the table. There’s a huge vase of black roses in the middle, and a violin playing itself.”
“He really went all-out,” Charlie noted.
As we came close to the table, we found that Marcus’ Mentalist magic levitated us upward without Charlie having to use his Air power. Charlie sat in a chair, while I pulled myself up to the table. Oberi did somersaults nearby, poking Rishi. The cat let out a yowl as he tumbled through space.
Marcus nervously poured some sort of drink into wine glasses set around the table, shaking in his chair. A bit splashed onto his jeans, and he let out a curse. He’d put so much gel into his hair to slick it back that it looked stiff. A reanimated mouse skeleton skittered around the table, straightening silverware.
I facepalmed as I realized Marcus was wearing his suit jacket from the Villain's Ball… and nothing else under it.
"Marcus, where the fuck is your shirt?" I hissed.
"I thought fae girls liked that kind of thing," he mumbled back. "Werewolf dudes are always walking around with their shirts off."
I was almost certain he'd gotten that from a movie, because male shifters were some of the most stuck-up people I knew, who wouldn’t be caught dead in anything but a silk button-up.
"In certain situations, I'm sure she'd appreciate it, but this is hardly the time," I jabbed back.
“I don’t think I have time to run back and change…” Marcus whimpered, until his words cut off and he straightened.
Kallie approached, holding up the edge of her black dress. It had a slit in the side, which ran up her leg, and her blonde hair was unbound. Alette fluttered on her shoulder, giving cooing noises. I thought she was absolutely glowing.
Kallie stopped below the table and looked up. She took in the sight of Marcus’ bare chest before she giggled and said, “Good evening.”
Her wings appeared as she flew up to the table. Marcus scrambled to help her into her chair. He lost control of his levitation abilities, tumbling out of the sky and landing face-first on the ground.
He brushed off his coat, embarrassed, before he levitated back up and gave a hasty bow to her. “M— my lady.”
“Someone’s been researching Malovian customs…” I mumbled to Charlie. Marcus floundered again as he fumbled for his floating chair, landing into it with athump.
Kallie let out a small giggle. Alette waved her tiny wings in a greeting to him.
“Uh… hi,” Marcus stuttered. “I’m glad you came.”
“There’s no place I’d rather be,” Kallie replied, and she honestly wasn’t being sarcastic. She picked up the wine glass before her, sloshing it in a circle. “What is this? It smells divine.”
“It’s called matus tea. It has a calming effect. I brewed it myself,” Marcus said.
“Nervous?” Kallie noted.
“Of course not!” Marcus squeaked. “I just thought you’d like it. And I added mugwort, because I thought it’d be a good aphrodisiac—”
Marcus stopped babbling immediately. Kallie lifted an eyebrow and said, “I didn’t know it was that kind of evening.”
Marcus took on the color of a tomato, and I said, “I’m starving. What’s for dinner?”
“I— I made you a lemon alfredo,” Marcus said, locking eyes with Kallie. “I know you miss it from home.”
“Youhavebeen paying attention,” Kallie said. “I’m impressed.”
Marcus’ shoulders rounded, and four floating monkey skeletons placed trays onto the table. They pulled the silver covers off the plates. I nearly gagged as an awful smell hit my nose.
For the love of the ancestors, he’d charred itblack.Nothing resembling pasta was on my plate. It appeared like a heated mess.
