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Something ominous was reaching for Wisteria and he knew she would not allow him to try and help save her. She was much too prideful for that.

Once again he’d be forced to helplessly watch whatever horror was about to unfold.

Chapter

Thirty-Three

PERINE WILDER

Peri entered the garden clad in an ethereal outfit of swirling golden smoke. Wisteria had painted runes across her shoulder blades, as she’d stood as still as a statue in two pieces of undergarments, the rest of her still-mortal brown skin bare beneath the ink.

When the runes were complete, golden clouds of smoke billowed around her, obscuring her form yet somehow making her feel even more exposed.

"It's not the warmest," she muttered, trying to ignore the cool breeze nipping across her skin.

Wisteria gave a dismissive laugh. "Beauty is sacrifice, darling."

Peri followed the other guests until they reached a small puddle. She froze mid-step. One by one, the guests stepped into the small pool of water, vanishing into its depths as though the puddle were a doorway to some other world. Even a towering minotaur sank without a struggle, his hooves barely causing a ripple as he disappeared.

A massive troll stood nearby, barking orders. "Hold out your wrist!" she demanded, her gravelly voice was so loud it made Peri’s teeth vibrate. The troll’s nose was as long as Peri’s forearm and it bumped into guests as she slashed her gnarled claw over each of their wrists. After receiving whatever magic the troll was slicing into them, they vanished into the puddle without a second thought.

When the troll’s sharp yellow eyes fixed on Peri, they narrowed.

“You’re not on the guest list,” she hissed. “Go away.”

Wisteria laughed. “Then add her to the list, Tamzin.” She gave the troll a wink. “She’s my date.”

“Her?” Tamzin gasped, disbelief flashing across her face.

Wisteria shrugged, her tone playful but firm. “Do be a dear and give us the tattoo so we can get on with it.”

Peri was still in her sorceress disguise, mortal brown skin and starlight hair, and didn’t want to give Tamzin any excuse to keep her from the gathering. She quickly held out her wrist. Tamzin’s glowing, sulphuric eyes rolled with irritation as she slashed her claw across Wisteria’s wrist, then Peri’s. Golden blood swelled up, forming the outline of a delicate wisteria flower on each of them.

Wisteria glanced at Peri and sighed. “As I suspected, nothing. What a shame. I’ve made my way through every other demoness here worth knowing. I was hoping for one last romp.” She smirked. “Guess I’ll be looking elsewhere.”

Before Peri could ask what Wisteria meant, Tamzin was pushing them on, already turning her attention to the next arriving guests.

Wisteria stepped forward into the puddle, disappearing without another word to Peri. The water barely rippled as she sank into its depths.

Peri hesitated, her gut tightening. The idea of stepping forward when she didn’t know where she would end up frightened her.

She clamped her eyes shut, steeling herself, and stepped into the puddle. The cool, velvety liquid swallowed her whole, her hair floating around her as she sank into the unknown. Panic tightened her chest, and she opened her eyes desperately, trying to see anything beyond the darkness.

Massive, glowing crystals in a myriad of pastels came into view, growing larger the deeper she descended. Peri risked a breath and was shocked to find the water was breathable. Tiny air bubbles floated around her as a surprised, but delighted, laugh erupted from her.

Wisteria, ever graceful, descended below her. She’d certainly used every enchantment possible to make herself appear perfectly composed—her clothes and hair floated like flower petals around her.

When Peri’s feet finally breached the gigantic bubble of air encompassing the party, the water around her swirled away, leaving her dry. She straightened her jagged dagger crown perched atop her head as she alighted on firm ground, the golden clouds of her dress swirling ethereally around her.

Wisteria strode towards her, two drinks in hand, her expression amused. “Are you imbibing tonight, Peri?”

Peri pinched the bridge of her nose. "Yes, but…what did you mean one last go? Why can’t you—”

Wisteria shot her a look that said she would not be discussing that subject now, or perhaps ever. Peri sighed and then said, “Well then… at least explain these golden tattoos that are obviously some sort of slutty magic."

Wisteria held a hand to her chest. “I would never engage in slutty magic!”

“We went to the Academy together for years! You have at least ten slutty enchantments named after you.”