Page 103 of Fallen Court

“Can you blame them?” I asked, doing my best to sound smug instead of concerned.

She glanced up at me. “Am I allowed here?”

I pinned my gaze on the vampire until he looked away. Wrapping a protective arm around her waist, I guided her into the bustling chaos. But more than a few pairs of eyes followed us.

“Oh my God.” She kept her voice low. Not that it mattered. Every creature in the place could hear us if they wanted. “It’s like stepping into another century.”

Her gaze flitted from one elaborately costumed creature to another. Fae adorned in shimmering gossamer gowns from the Otherworld. Vampires in velvet tailcoats and regency ball gowns.

“I feel like I just walked into a very weird Jane Austen novel,” she admitted. “It’s all very…historical.”

I chuckled, but my mood remained dark. “They’re probably just wearing old shit from the backs of their closets.”

We wandered past the tables where the magical beings of New Orleans played very different games of chance.

“Are those…?” Cate paused to study an ivory-inlaid roulette wheel.

“Runes.”

The assortment of items placed on squares across the table was mesmerizing. There were the standard poker chips but also precious, glittering gemstones. She frowned as a man laid a single strand of light across one. “What is he doing?”

“It’s a bet only the desperate make,” I whispered in her ear. “He’s offering what he has left.”

Her eyes remained glued to the strand as the wheel spun. “And what is that?”

“It’s hard to know. A bit of his soul, a memory, a moment of joy?” I shrugged.

“Those have value?”

“Don’t they?” I tried to hurry her along, but her breath caught as the ball fell.

No winner. There rarely was.

The man’s shoulders slumped as the dealer raked away the piece of him along with the rest of the offerings on the table. “Come on.”

Cate glanced behind us, worry knitting her brows as the man produced another glowing thread. “What is he—”

“Some people never learn,” I reminded her, ushering her through the crowd. We only made it a few more steps before she stopped again.

“Why are they playing with tarot cards?” she asked. “What game is that?”

“One you should never play.” I urged her forward as a werewolf sniffed the air and looked over at us with a frown. Cate noticed and froze, but I squeezed her hand reassuringly, even as I scanned the crowd for other potential threats. “Just stay close.”

But the crowd nearest us parted, Étienne striding through. The room fell silent as he approached us, everyone aware that the city’s most powerful vampire was walking toward the crown prince of the Nether Court.

“You came!” he called out. “And you’re just in time for the show!”

The spell of silence broke, conversation and music resuming as if nothing had happened. But as Étienne led us away from the gambling, more attention focused on us—most of which was disapproving. A vampire muttered something under his breath as we passed, too low for Cate to hear. The insult was meant for my ears.

I whirled on him, lips curling back in a snarl. The vampire paled as he backed away a step, seeking shelter among the others. But the people around him scattered, no other souls stupid enough to dare being lumped in with him.

“Hey,” Cate whispered, tugging gently on my arm. “You’re only dressed as a beast, remember?”

I stared at him until he turned and fled the room. “Not to them, Cate. Not to them.”

“I’ll make sure he’s placed on the blacklist,” Étienne promised. He wagged a finger at a nearby security guard, who dashed toward us. “See that that man is escorted out and his access is revoked.” The guard nodded before rushing to perform his duties. Étienne turned an apologetic smile on us. “Perhaps we can find you a more private place to watch the Danse.”

“That would be great,” I said through gritted teeth.