“Always.” He leaned down and kissed me, and I felt some of my anxiety finally begin to ease.
I could do this. I was ready.
“Come on,” Julian said, offering his arm. “It's time for you to go.”
The ballroomin the east wing had been transformed for the New Year’s Eve party. I'd seen it before, of course, during the tour on my first training day at the estate, and a few times passing through. But this was different. It was the ballroom as it was meant to be: glittering with candlelight and crystalchandeliers, filled with people in tuxedos and evening gowns, the air humming with conversation and classical music from a string quartet in the corner.
Not the sort of New Year’s Eve bash I was accustomed to, but beautiful all the same.
We stood at the entrance, and I felt Julian's hand tighten slightly on mine. This was where we had to part ways, because no Reapers were allowed at the event tonight. Only fully-fledged Club members.
“This is it,” he said, his hand finding mine one last time.
I nodded, not trusting my voice.
“Remember,” he murmured. “You belong here. Don't let anyone make you think otherwise.”
He leaned down and kissed me, careful not to smudge my lipstick but firm enough that I felt it all the way through me.
“I love you,” he said against my lips.
“I love you too.”
Then I turned and walked into the ballroom alone, my heels clicking against marble, my heart hammering against my ribs.
I accepted a glass of champagne from a passing waiter—careful to take it with my left hand so my right remained free for handshakes—and scanned the room.
There were at least a hundred people here. I recognized some faces from the news: Senator Maher from Massachusetts, Ambassador Wolff from Germany, the CEO of the largest bank on the eastern seaboard. Others were strangers, but their bearing and the deference people showed them indicated their importance.
Somewhere among them were the plants. People pretending to be one thing while actually being another. Actors playing roles to test the discretion of the Selection girls.
I'd been trained to spot them, but in practice, it was harder than I'd expected. Everyone here was performing to some degree. Everyone had agendas and masks.
I took a small sip of champagne and started circulating.
“Violet Calloway?”
I turned to find a woman in her forties approaching, elegant in navy silk, her smile warm and curious.
“Yes,” I said, extending my hand. “I'm sorry, have we met?”
"I’m Sarah Christensen. I'm with the Pacific Rim Economic Council.” Her handshake was firm and professional. “I heard there were a few promising economics students from BHU here tonight, and your name kept coming up. So I knew I needed to hunt you down.”
My instincts immediately prickled. Something about her was off. The way she'd approached me directly instead of letting me come to her, the slightly too-eager curiosity in her eyes.
She was a Dionysus plant put here to test me. Had to be.
“It’s lovely to meet you,” I said, keeping my smile pleasant. “The Pacific Rim Council is based in Seattle, isn’t it?”
“Yes, but we work with Asian markets, so we have offices in Singapore and Hong Kong as well.” She sipped her own champagne. “I was told you're studying business and economics. What’s your main focus?”
“International trade policy. Particularly US-Asia relations,” I replied. “Though I'm still exploring different areas.”
She nodded slowly. “Well, we're always looking for bright young people to fill internship positions, and I’m assuming your winter break has begun by now,” she said. “So, if you’re interested, we could have you set up in an apartment in Seattle as early as next Monday.”
This was a trap. She was trying to get me to admit that I wasn’t available anytime soon, as I wasn’t supposed to leave the Dionysus estate. If she were a real recruiter and not just a plantput here to test me, an admission like that would open up all sorts of questions and complications.
“That's a very kind offer,” I said with a polite smile. “But my schedule for the next month is already packed. I'd still love to hear more about your organization's work, though. What brought you to Blackthorne Harbor?”
