“Didn’t you ever notice what he wore in Taliville?” Kit asked. “He’s like always been half-naked.”
“Spandex is clothing,” Carver replied.
Roger lingered, the last to reach the door. Part of him wanted to call the whole thing off. The Winter’s Grand Ball would be anevent for the city’s supernatural elite. The wealthy and magically gifted would be out in full finery for the evening. The five of them would be under scrutiny from other leaders and important beings, and there was every chance they wouldn’t measure up.
We’ll be fine. Roger touched his new earring, repeated the sentiment to himself, and left the suite.
CHAPTER 34
Chateau de Vampire was decked out in deep evergreen, light blue, and a brilliant shade of white, from the lights that adorned the walkway into the building to small Christmas trees decorating the hallways. Zack had believed he’d seen the place crowded before, but as they made their way through the halls to the magnificent ballroom, they must have passed hundreds of people. Everyone was dressed to impress, and some supernaturals had dispensed with their human guises. In addition to the myriad of fey who had revealed themselves, shifters who had control of their abilities had adopted their hybrid forms. Some had the kind of control where they’d only changed their ears and hands, while others had a full animal face but could still manage human speech.
“I wish I’d known they’d be doing that!” Kit whispered to Zack.
“Can’t you pop it out?” Zack asked.
“If I go partial, I get a tail, which would not work with this dress. Plus, the ecto-shed ruins clothing.”
“So these people have been holding their forms for hours?”
“This much magic in the air? It’s almost more of a challenge keeping my human skin,” Kit replied.
“Huh. Did not know that.”
Kit looped their arm in Zack’s. “And somehow, I’m not surprised, hunter boy.”
“Did the whole city turn out for this?” Carver asked.
“There are millions of people in Chicago,” Zack countered.
Carver gave him a flat, unamused look. “Fine. The wholesupernaturalcommunity?”
“Anyone who matters, from what Mara said.”
“Awesome,” Carver muttered. “I hate crowds.”
With Roger and Takashi in the lead, they entered the queue to be announced into the ballroom. Idle conversation floated through the hall, though the line moved fairly quickly. Zack fought to keep from fidgeting with his clothes or his hair or from rubbing his eye as he had the lightest bit of silver eyeshadow on. Kit had insisted that it brought out the steely quality of his eyes, but without a mirror, he hadn’t been able to see for himself.
Just before them in line were two young white guys, roughly in their mid-twenties. One had dark brown hair, and the other had a lighter shade, and their tuxedos were in a deep blue color with hints of gold. The whole length of the wait, they had a quiet tango of words bouncing between them, but they’d perfected the art of couple speak, and Zack couldn’t hear them. The taller, darker-haired one handed his card over to the announcer as they reached the podium.
The announcer nodded to them, then proclaimed as they continued forward, “Benjamin Clarke-Coldwell, Mage of the Circle of the Enduring, and his husband, Noah Clarke-Coldwell, Warlock.”
The couple bled into the larger group, and then it was time for Roger to hand over his card.
“Roger, Gentleman Pirate of the Seven Seas, Captain of the Great Lakes Coven,” the announcer said, “and his partner, Takashi, the Sly Polyglot, and their collection.”
Roger and Takashi paused long enough for the announcer to finish, and then they led the way toward the right side of the ballroom. Zack kept back from the spotlight, though he couldn’t help watching them in the moment the rest of the room was taking them in. The kraken woven into Roger’s tuxedo jacket seemed to writhe, though Roger stood in place.
Then they were in the party.
The ballroom was three times the size of Nell’s. Throughout the room were large ice sculptures of various wintertime figures. One was of Jack Frost, complete with puffs of cold air slipping out from between his lips. Another was of the Queen of Darkness, done in purple ice rather than the pale blue many of the others were done in. And then there were the Santa Clauses of various cultures. A zing of brisk air had infiltrated the party, but whether that was the ice statues or the presence of so much magic in one place, Zack wasn’t sure.
On a balcony to the left was a full orchestra. Their current song was a brighter medley of several Christmas classics. The far end of the first floor had large glass windows that revealed the dark skies outside. Three massive chandeliers glimmered, the large brass fixtures having a graceful flow to each of its seven arms.
Waitstaff dressed in black-and-white outfits circled the outer rim of the room, offering drinks and small appetizers. Zack snagged what he thought would be some kind of sweet but turned out to be a spinach turnover. It tasted all right, but he was glad for a passing tray of champagne to wash the thing down with.
“Is that a buffet?” Kit asked excitedly.
“Those are the tiniest sandwiches I’ve ever seen,” Carver remarked.
