“But you keep trying?” I asked with a bemused smile.
She shrugged. “Yep.”
If Maisy had been on the outskirts of The Circle for six months, then surely, she would’ve seen Lorelei by now. Lorelei’s bizarre behavior had really started to ramp up about five months ago, and she took off in the night three months after that. The timing lined up perfectly.
“You might know one of my friends, actually,” I said casually, loading up my own potato chip with beady fish eggs. Surely, they couldn’t taste that bad with such a hefty price tag. I lifted the potato chip to my lips, smelling fishy brine. I wrinkled my nose, but I tossed it back.
“Well?” Maisy asked.
I swallowed. “It’s all right, I guess.”
She laughed. “Who’s your friend?”
“Lorelei,” I said. “A few inches taller than me, blonde, wears big sunglasses and bigger faux fur coats—when it’s not one billion degrees outside.”
Maisy’s features twisted in consideration, her eyes blank. “I’ve never heard of her. She probably attends the members-only parties.”
Damnit. That was my fear as well. “And to get into those, you have to…”
“Ascend,” she chirped.
I blinked at her.
“Receive an invitation,” she added, as if that was a more helpful elaboration.
She wasted some rich person’s twenty dollars by throwing back another bite of caviar she clearly hated. And honestly, I respected that.
“Ineedto get in before the Midsummer party,” she whispered. “No one misses it, and I meanno one.” She grinned, as if we were sharing an insider’s secret I should’ve understood.
“When is it?”
“At the end of the month.” She ate another twenty dollars. “We have two opportunities to prove ourselves. Given you’re invited to the Step II soirées,” she amended, giving my body a once-over. “But look at you, of course you will be.”
Aw, we were now awe.But also, was she talking about my looks? I glanced down at my dress, which clearly didn’t fit into the dress code around here.
I refrained from pedantically pointing out that the end of July was not really the middle of summer. I assumed the party’s name was more vibes-based.
“So today, they’re just making sure you match the… aesthetic?” I glanced around, suddenly feeling like a slab of meat on a butcher’s block.
“Oh, no, of course not,” she said quickly. “I mean, it helps.” Her pink lips curved up. “But they’re assessing your mind and spirit as well. They don’t want any vanillas infiltrating the space just so they can see their favorite celebrity get walked around like a dog, you know? Or anyone boring or annoying or creepy.”
Was that what she meant when she emphasized thateveryonewent to the Midsummer party? Celebrities and other wealthy socialites would attend? I supposed if they were putting out caviar for anyone walking in off the street, they were clearly bankrolled by people with money—or at least, they wanted us to believe that was the case.
Fuck.In order for me to get to Lorelei, I had to somehow prove to these people I was one of them. Which I obviously couldn’t do. Because I wasn’t—Icouldn’tbe like them.
“A word of warning,” she said, lowering her voice. “I wouldn’t ask anyone else if they know your friend. I know you didn’t mean anything by it, but people here are very concerned with?—”
“Doxxing,” I finished. “Right. Sorry about that.”
She waved a hand. “You’re fine, girl, don’t worry. Come on, let me introduce you to some people. I met a man at my initial orientation who now pays my bills,” she whispered with a wink.
“Like, all of them?” I whispered back.
She only laughed in response as she pulled me into a circle of people. “Guys, this is Nova. She’sbrand new.”
The way Maisy emphasized those words, paired with the slow grins and assessing eyes from other women in the circle, made me feel like that slab of meat all over again.
A woman stepped forward, and that icky feeling was swept under the wave of her magnetic pull. Her eyes were such a unique shade, they almost appeared golden under the soft light from the stained-glass windows. Her cheekbones were prominent, like a model’s, but the hollows of her cheeks retained a soft fullness. Her plump lips were curved into an inviting, easy smile. The makeup accenting her warm, light brown skin was minimal, effortless, and her perfect ringlets of black hair framed her like a halo.
