When Ashlyn found us later in the morning—and woke me up with coffee and pastries from a coffee shop using the silhouette of a sitting Labrador Retriever on top of a dog bone, my dress thrown over her shoulder, and a team of professional stylists and her assistant in tow—she only lifted her eyebrows and wisely didn't say anything. I knew she could piece together some of what had happened earlier: we had left the evidence around for her to find. The bloody towel was in the sink. My forehead had a circular laceration in the middle. Jay's boxers were thrown up against the shower, while mine were uncomfortably saturated from his gratification. Ashlyn shooed Jay out, telling him he was to report to a vacant apartment in the castle to prepare for the masquerade himself. He would have his own stylists waiting for him there. Jay surprisingly left with little argument. Then Ashlyn turned to me. I became her compliant doll as she spent the better part of the day getting me ready for the event, which was to start soon after the sun started to set.

Ashlyn was not fond of my initial appearance. I hadn't showered the vomit out of my hair or brushed it out of my mouth. After my shower and a visit from a healer, she interrogated me for an hour to confirm that the forehead injury was self-inflicted, and that Jay hadn't fallen into a violent rage. After she was certain I wasn't his rag doll he was abusing, Ashlyn moved on with preparing me for the masquerade. She made some comments, however, throughout the process. Ashlyn muttered a complaint about how my dress was too loose around my waist, and that I needed a milkshake and hamburger to make up for the weight lost I'd had since she had last measured me. She eyed her makeup stylist's work with her arms crossed, confirming that the redden mark on my forehead was concealed and my face didn't look so gaunt. Having the masquerade as a distraction helped with the agony I was carrying inside.

When I stood in front of the mirror after everything was done, I took a deep breath to appreciate the work Ashlyn and her stylists had completed. The gown had been created with only diamonds and black mesh. Ashlyn had combined the two materials to create a v-cut bodice. The v was deep and far-reaching. It was far deeper than anything I had ever worn before and exposed the interior bulge of my breasts. The skirt was just a simmering scrap of material attached to the bodice. It left most of my legs revealed while barely covering my behind. A pair of black, glittery heels elongated my legs.

My favorite part, and probably the element that had initially drawn my eye to the gown, were the strands of diamonds that traveled over my shoulders to hold the dress to my form. The two strands ran parallel to my spine as they traversed down my back. It was at my hips that they met up with the skirt of the gown, leaving the rest of my back exposed.

Ashlyn's stylists had piled my hair on top of my head in an elaborate system of braids and twists. A tiara just as ostentatious as the dress was nestled into my hair. Another stylist enhanced my eyes and cheekbones using the different tools she had in her makeup kit. I had never put on as much eyeliner as I had on right at that moment, or fanned it out to create that smoky effect, and the highlighter gave me a severely regal elegance as it accentuated my cheekbones. Blush had been carefully blended in. Somehow, the makeup worked well with the diamond-studded mask Ashlyn had created to accompany the dress. It, too, had a strand of diamonds that wrapped around my skull to keep it in place.

I had never felt so exposed before, and yet, so free. Adriana had wanted her last gown to radiate power and present the message that she was rebelling against her role in conservative society. As I stood there, admiring Ashlyn's creation, I wondered what Kyrian had thought of Adriana's dress that night so many millennia ago. Did he suspect she would betray him that night? Or had he still been oblivious to the inner workings of her ambitious mind?

I had a moment of silence to appreciate Ashlyn's work before Jay arrived. In another effort to push Jay and me closer together, Sebastien had requested that Jay be dismissed from his regular duty and assigned as my masquerade escort.

Ashlyn had sewn a secondary outfit for him, one that was compatible with mine. I choked on my agitation when I learned he was to be Kyrian. Ashlyn had constructed white feathered wings that were specked with gray for him to wear. She had altered one of his uniforms and added more seraph elements to it, such as the shoulder patches. He had a lot more medals strapped to his chest. Whether it was a request made by the military commander and Sebastien, Jay was still armed as much as he had ever been. There was a dagger in his waistband that was not amongst his usual weaponry. I wondered if that was a play on the dagger Adriana had given him.

Looking at him, I was relieved once again that the real Kyrian would not be attending the masquerade. When Sebastien had informed me Jay would attend the masquerade as my escort, and who he would represent, I had hoped that it wouldn't be so obvious—especially when Ashlyn simply requested one of Jay's tailored uniforms to build upon. Since Kyrian was invisible, I didn't even know if Jay bore any kind of resemblance to him. I knew Kyrian had some bulk on him from the night he had aided me in escaping jail; he had carried me to the getaway car. I didn't know if he was the same size as Jay or if he had blonde hair. His sister and mother had platinum blonde hair. Nonetheless, the wings would be an eyesore. It would be impossible for Jay to remain out of the spotlight as a simple soldier with them. One look at my attire, and others would be able to guess exactly who he was.

"You look ridiculous in those wings," I teased.

From the scowl Jay's face featured, I knew he was less than thrilled with my own appearance. "Is that it?" Jay asked, as if he hoped there was more.

"I've worn less during my aerial dance performances." My eyes narrowed as my tone altered to a more defensive one.

Jay's eyes flicked over me again before settling on the mirror's reflection, where he could probably see the skirt stopping right underneath my ass. "Not really," he disagreed. "It's like you're wearing a t-shirt."

Straightening my shoulders and lifting my chin, I informed him, "Well, there isn't any more to this dress. This is it."

Jay's jaw twitched. "Well, you better hope you are not marring your reputation with that dress." I got a sudden urge to knock him out cold with that dagger Ashlyn had given him. As if he could sense the murderous direction of my thoughts, he sought to distract me and approached. Awkwardly, almost robotically, he raised his right hand. In it was a black box. Suspicious, I accepted the box from him. He hadn't once wished me Happy Birthday today. His arm dropped back down to his side as he waited for me to open it. My movements were sluggish with reluctance as I opened the box.

Inside was a circular teardrop-shaped sapphire necklace. The sapphire was surrounded by a halo of diamonds and suspended by a fine silver cord. I was so awestruck that I froze momentarily as I looked up at Jay in confirmation and wonder. I was also fearful of the complications this would create. Yet, what he said next confirmed exactly what I believed: this was too good to be true. He hadn't spent his own wages on a birthday gift for me.

"It's a loan from the chancellor," Jay explained. I felt my shoulders relax with relief. "He gave it to me to give you to wear for the night. Said it would go with your dress." His bulky hands snatched the box from me. "Turn around," he ordered. Those same bulky hands secured the sapphire necklace around my neck. The jewel landed right above my breasts. Both Jay and I stared at it, mesmerized by the contradiction it had with the other diamonds I was wearing.

The castle's clock chime echoed seven times across the grounds. "We should go," Jay declared. He didn't offer me his arm, instead preferring to walk by my side as he navigated the hallways to the ballroom. I found myself grateful I had Jay as my escort. I had been living in the castle for four months, and there were still areas I hadn't explored yet—one of them being the grand ballroom. It had been designed for formal events, and so, for most occasions, was a bit too grand.

I would have been content walking down to the ballroom in pensive silence. However, Jay had other ideas. "You must consider yourself lucky," he stated. My questioning gaze prompted him to continue. "It's rare that a person just gets given an opportunity to attend the masquerade. There's an entire lottery system set up at the beginning of every year for new guests—the ones who can't afford to have their names on the list automatically. It's rather exclusive, and somewhat elitist."

"Sebastien just feels pity for me," I commented.

Jay shook his head. "No, that isn't it. There's something else."

We were approaching the top of the main staircase now. A variety of other couples were slowly making their descents below us, their costumes just as elegant as ours. We fell in step behind a male—wrapped in bulky furs—and his companion, who was wearing a black jumpsuit. I swallowed my light-headed apprehension as I stared down the long descent, pushing away the vision of me tripping down the steps in my three-inch heels. "Is this the first time you are attending?" I inquired.

"As a guest," Jay responded. "Last year, I was assigned to an exterior post. Almost got frostbite from it, too."

From the tone of his voice, it didn't seem like he had very favorable memories of the event. I told him so, and Jay shrugged. "During the actual masquerade, it is boring just standing there at your post on perimeter and watching the wealthy parade about as if they are the greatest the universe has ever seen. No, the real party comes during the after party."

"After party?" I prompted.

Jay nodded. "When all the guests have passed out from drinking too much, and the masquerade ends, the soldiers who were assigned to the detail for the night are given the next day off. The last drunken guest usually stumbles out of the ballroom after sunrise, so we get that entire next day off. We go to the cliffs behind the ballroom with the daemeyri guards and the leftover bottles of booze and have our own party. Last year, I passed out in the sun and got a massive sunburn on my back. I peeled for days for that one, and every time I put on my uniform, it hurt." Jay grimaced in remembrance. "But the lycans were pretty cool. I thought I could drink anyone under the table. They definitely proved me wrong."

I stumbled on the last couple of steps and had to catch myself from tripping. My grip on the railing was tight as I used it to regain my balance. "Wait, there are daemeyri guards at the masquerade?"

"Yes." Jay looked at me strangely as he steered us through the front foyer and down one hallway that ran the length of the castle. We avoided the people loitering in the foyer. "All the daemeyri royalty bring their own guard to protect them."

"I didn't think they would be invited," I said around the sudden alarm I felt. "Will the seraphim be here tonight?" Fear gripped my heart and made it difficult to breathe. I fought the urge to find a mirror and peer at my reflection to verify I couldn't be identified. The mask only covered the top part of my face, however, leaving my bottom half exposed. Had Kyrian and his family been around me long enough to identify me just by my jaw? I decided right then that I would avoid the seraphim. I didn’t want to face Evangeline, especially after all she told me about Adriana betraying Kyrian.

"Absolutely. The seraphim and daemeyri have always been invited as an effort to influence unity amongst the magical community. Though I'm not sure how many will be in attendance this year," Jay mused as he guided us onto an enclosed exterior bridge that connected the castle with an outlying building. Snow had blanketed the ground outside overnight. The crisp purity of it contrasted with the bouquets of crimson flowers that were arranged across the bridge.

"What do you mean by that?" I asked.

"We were briefed that the daemeyri are not too pleased with the death of the vampire lord on our territory. It's rather ridiculous we are being blamed for it though," Jay snorted. "We didn't know the lord was in our territory. He had no formal business to be. There was a formal investigation completed, but it wasn’t good enough for the daemeyri because a culprit wasn’t identified. But sometimes, the daemeyri fractions don't listen to reason, and they get carried away by their emotional inferiority complexes." Unfortunately, from what I had seen, I didn't think that applied to the seraphim. Emerson and Sebastien seemed to be working together to create Paradise. I tried to swallow past my apprehension. I had an irrational urge to run back to my apartment and create a new costume out of whatever I had hanging in my closet. There was still a lot to explore in there; there had to be something. "That's fine by me. Sometimes, they can be a bit odd. It won't make much of a difference either. For the first time ever, Sebastien invited some mortal leaders to the event. He's trying really hard to get them to agree to the paradise treaty."

I looked at Jay out of the corner of my eye. If I couldn't change my outfit, then I could ensure Kyrian and his family wouldn’t see us together. Maybe enough time had passed that they wouldn't realize I was wearing a replica of Adriana's scandalous dress. Maybe they would assume I was representing someone else, especially if I deserted Jay. It had been millenniums, after all. I was going to leave Jay after the first dance, anyway. "You know you don't have to remain by my side, right? I'm going to find Macaila and Cassiah as soon as possible. I know you'll probably be extremely bored, so you don't have to hang out with us."

Jay gave me a weird look that was impossible to decipher the meaning behind. We were nearing the end of the bridge and what I assumed was the ballroom's atrium, so I was unable to prompt him to explain the meaning behind that look. Good riddance to him; he could find his fellow soldiers and drink to the point of oblivion.

There were attendants standing at the open French doors in between the exterior bridge and the ballroom's atrium. They were in all black as to convey they were not a part of the night's celebration. They examined us as we walked by. My stride even with Jay’s, we walked in with our chins up and backs straightened. Couples were milling around the circular balcony overlooking the ballroom below and engaging in small chitchat with others. Full-length windows had been installed into the circular walls, and lights were strung across their top frames. Two ornate mirroring staircases offered descent down into the ballroom. Soldiers, mage and seraphim auxiliaries alike, bookended the exterior walls, supervising the festivities with bland expressions on their faces. Light music was drifting up from the ballroom.

I breathed a sigh of relief as the only person whom I recognized in the atrium was the chancellor. He was standing at the top of one staircase and greeting everyone who was descending. Jay pulled me towards him, and we fell in line behind a pair of two women whose compatible outfits encompassed a woodsy theme. Sebastien's greeting to them was warm, and if I didn't know any better, genuine. His smile was polite and attentive as the more talkative of the pair flirted with him before they gave their names to the attendant standing by and entered the party.

A rush of excitement flooded to Sebastien's face when we stepped forward. His eyes flickered to the sapphire necklace I was wearing, and that excitement was masked by his satisfaction. "Ashlyn put her damn soul into your dress, Briara,” Sebastien complimented. "I have never seen her do such a magnificent job on a costume, and she has been in the business for several years. She's outdone herself with yours. You look like you're wearing the milky way sky." Next to me, Jay grunted with annoyance.

Sebastien's masquerade identity was of a king, if the bejeweled crown sitting upon his head was any indication of his character. A cape of feathers sat on his broad shoulders while he possessed a white gold trident. Instead of a suit, he was wearing tailored cuts of leather. His shirt had been draped over his shoulders and had enough material to cover his front and back. Two separate strings connected the two parts on the sides. His mask appeared to be made of feathers. These were clues of his identity, had I known something about mage history. "Who are you supposed to be?" I inquired.

"Sir," Jay whispered beside me. I ignored him. I didn't have a problem with authority, but I also was not the type to bow down, either.

"Re, the first mage king," Sebastien answered. "He is considered one of the most powerful mages and leaders ever to walk this earth, actually chosen by the Divine. It's an honor to represent him. I see you are wearing the jewelry I gave Jay to give to you. I'm glad I did. It accentuates the dress."

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

"Thank you," I said with a small smile. "I'll make sure you have it back tomorrow."

"I trust you. Just let it shine tonight, will you?" Sebastien paused for a second before he asked, "Jay, can I please have a moment alone with Briara?" Jay's jaw twitched with defiance. Still, he took a step back towards the railing to let the chancellor have his moment alone. Sebastien stepped in between him and me and had us face down the steps to garner some privacy. "I heard about this morning," he advised as he examined my face. "Ashlyn sent a message about what she walked into, and it seems as if you heard about Beijing."

"It needs to stop," I whispered. "I don't know how much more my sanity can handle."

Sebastien's face was grim. "Don't give up yet, all right? You come from a long line of survivors." He patted my back. "Can you put on a happy face for tonight and perform your part in the ceremony?"

I turned my hollow eyes to him. "If I can do anything, it's compartmentalizing.”

Sebastien's gaze shifted behind me. Realizing others were lining up behind us, he gestured us over to the waiting attendants. "Here, check in, and I'll see you both down there. Enjoy yourselves! Get some of the pears: there's this chocolate sauce on them that makes them taste divine." We gave our names to an attendant, who quickly tapped on his erion in rapid succession and directed us downward.

Jay and I took each step in silence. A quick glance at his expression revealed he was pensively thinking about something. From the lack of tension in his jaw and around his eyes, I was pleased to note that whatever he was contemplating was not fury-inducing.

We were too far in the middle of the staircase for me to see over its railing and into the ballroom. The way that the staircase had been designed was to have the main part run parallel with the exterior wall until it joined up with the second staircase. At this landing, it switched directions by ninety degrees to deposit guests in the middle of the ballroom.

When Jay and I reached the landing, we pivoted in tandem to face the rest of the ballroom. An announcement echoed throughout the ballroom, introducing us as we completed the last couple of steps. Briara Andralyn Disraeli and James Lucas Britton. I winced, hoping that the seraphim had not yet arrived or were otherwise distracted. Jay pulled me into his side as I produced a wobbly smile for the photographers kneeling at the base. A fair number of guests formed a weak semi-circle on the ballroom floor to observe the guests still arriving. Beyond them, the gigantic ballroom was bustling with people in elaborate costumes.

Jay steered me out of the way of the photographers and onlookers. The crowd quickly provided us with anonymity. Once we had placed an adequate distance between us and the photographers, I disengaged from Jay and stepped back. A tray-carrying attendant arrived quickly, and Jay accepted two glasses of champagne from her. He handed me one of them. While he nearly obliterated his in one gulp, I took small sips of mine. It only made me more nauseated.

We were just two people in the sea of others. I had been in Astraera for a couple of months. Although Sebastien had introduced me to the senators, I was not around them daily. Nor had I met any of their families. As Jay and I milled about, I smiled and nodded in acknowledgment at the few senators I recognized. They were with their significant others and searching for someone they could have a more prolific conversation with than me. In their eyes, I was just the chancellor's orphan. There were mages I had never seen before. From the way they held themselves and the expensive appearance of their clothing, I knew some of these people were from the wealthy sector of the population, those people who lived in the third and fifth rings of Astraera. The hesitant ones, the ones who hovered near the walls and observed, were mortals. None of them were the people I wanted to see. Becoming more desperate by the moment, I stood on my tiptoes. "Where are they?" I mumbled under my breath.

Not caring about whether Jay followed, I meandered through the crowd. Jay followed. We passed by a couple of attendants offering drinks and appetizers. Jay grabbed another glass of champagne while I ignored the food. My stomach was still tangled in knots. I did my best to tune out the orchestra to hear the names of the new arrivals being called out. None of them were my friends'. My anxiety heightened to new levels. Where were they?

My focus was on finding Macaila and Cassiah. I couldn't really appreciate the grandeur and beauty behind the ballroom and the different masquerade costumes. The architectural theme of full-length windows continued on this level. Doors leading out onto the veranda were placed in between the windows at intervals. Diamond chandeliers hung over our heads and added a sparkle to the environment. Round tables had been arranged around the perimeter of the room and were already set up for a seven-course dinner. Gorgeous arrangements of roses decorated every table. Since space was limited in between the tables, the party guests mingled on the dance floor. I wove a path through the tables to get to the other side of the ballroom. Macaila and Cassiah wouldn't be in the middle of the chaos on the dance floor; they were wallflowers. They would be on the perimeter somewhere.

Once I was on the other side of the room, I immediately regretted my choice and skidded to a halt. Suddenly, I felt the urge to vomit. The seraphim had congregated on this side. At once, I recognized that Jay's costume wings were a poor comparison to the real deal. Emerson's was on full display, making his mask ineffective. Kyrian's mother also had her simmering silver ones revealed. Senators Alistair, Meira Bhun, and Dmitry Valens were engaged in conversations with the seraphim congregation, and it seemed as if the seraphim were giving the conversations their full attention. A black man stood with them, his arm around Meira's shoulders. I took a couple of steps backwards, hoping for a smooth retreat. However, Evangeline's bored gaze shifted from Alistair, who was clad in wolf pelts, and over to me. I could see her wonder as she attempted to identify me and then the recognition once she had. She murmured something to one of her companions and then hurried to approach me.

Evangeline was dressed to be seen. Her outfit honored the rainbow and its bright colors. Two slits were cut through the front of her dress, right up to her hips. The height of her five-inch stiletto heels was what I expected from her. Her flowing platinum hair was released behind her. When she was near enough, Evan yanked me in for an embrace. "I was hoping to see you here tonight!" she greeted. "It honestly was one of the reasons why I was looking forward to the masquerade tonight. Usually, I don't care for it." Evan pulled away and glanced at Jay, who was hovering behind my shoulder like an unwanted shadow.

"This is Jay," I reluctantly introduced. "Jay, this is Evangeline, the seraph princess."

Jay nodded as if he already knew of her. I remembered he said he had been posted at the masquerade last year and had probably seen her then. As the two greeted each other, I told her, "I didn't think I would see you here."

Evan eyed my costume. "Obviously." Her eyes moved up to mine as she inquired, "I told you what happened between Kyrian and Adriana. What in the heavens motivated you to choose her of all people in mage history?" She kept her tone even, non-confrontational.

Awkward, I brought my hand up to fidget with the sapphire around my neck. "I wasn't looking at the names when the designer was showing me her catalogue. I was just drawn to the dress," I answered, apologetic. "It looked like liquid starlight captured against the dark depths of space."

"I see," Evan stated, arching her eyebrow.

"I wanted to change as soon as I found out who I was supposed to be," I explained with a plea in my voice. "Then, when I thought the seraphim wouldn’t be here tonight, I decided not to be a nuisance on the designer and go with my original choice."

"We're always here. Every. Single. Year." Evan said. "I'm glad you didn't change. That dress looks sublime on you. If you're not pulling a train of lustful men back to your apartment by dawn, I'm going to be extremely disappointed in how you're spending your newfound freedom." Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Jay scowl.

The blush deepened and spread to the back of my neck with her statement. It only brought my own thoughts to her brother, who would have the opposite opinion. "Is Kyrian here tonight?" I was almost afraid to ask. Without knowing if he was or wasn't, I could go on pretending he was not. If he didn't present himself to me, his invisibility would ensure I could remain in my fool’s paradise and pretend he wasn’t here.

Evangeline tilted her head. "Funny how you ask about him right when I said you're going to have a brothel of men to choose from tonight. Heavens knows he needs to get laid. My brother's only getting more wound up with each rotation of the moon." Evan rolled her eyes. Another glance at Jay informed me he wasn't pleased with the crude path this conversation had taken, and his opinion of Evangeline wasn't favorable. His scowl had deepened, and he was shifting impatiently on his feet. He was only another crude comment away from pulling me away from Evan's influence.

"That's not what I meant," I meekly protested. Besides, he would rather burn me at the stake than bed me, I thought.

"I figured. Yes, he's here. I left him back with the parents. Or maybe by now, he's disappeared to lurk in some shadows. He didn't want to be here in the first place." Evan stopped an attendant, who was carrying around the chocolate-glazed pears. "Have you had these yet? They are phenomenal. I think I've had five already!" As she reached for the miniature serving sized bowls on the tray, I looked closer at the attendant. I nearly dropped my glass of champagne when I recognized Macaila as the attendant holding the tray. Compared to Evan in her heels, Macaila was insubstantial. Her black attendant's uniform wasn’t tailored. She had braided her hair back and out of the way. Tiny strands of her hair had escaped the plait, revealing her stressed state. Her expression was haunted and pained as her wide hazel eyes peered at me. I realized that she had been attempting to avoid me. Dumbly, I accepted one bowl from Evan. Macaila bowed her head, pivoted, and walked away.

"Mac!" I cried out. She didn't turn around. She was heading towards where the enormous crowd had gathered, which was accumulating depth as the new arrivals entered. I threw my pears and champagne at Jay and rushed after Macaila. "Mac! Macaila!" Behind me, I heard Evan ask Jay who the girl was.

My friend didn't stop until I had grabbed her shoulder and forced her to. Macaila whirled around, and I saw her eyes were burning with unshed tears, frustration, and humiliation. "We aren't allowed to talk to the guests," she snarled at me.

Shocked, I stumbled back from her hiss as if she had just bitten me. Cassiah approached from my left. His tray was empty and tucked underneath his arm. "Mac," Cassiah snapped. Macaila turned her burning eyes on him. Cassiah met her glare and stared her down until Macaila turned to flee. This time, I didn't follow her. She disappeared through a side door. No doubt it led back to the kitchen. Cass released a large sigh before saying, "I'm sorry. She's been an emotional wreck all day." At least Cassiah was being sensible.

"What's going on?" I asked. "Last time I heard, you two were attending as guests! Mac was even looking at dresses!"

Cassiah tilted his head. "We have never been masquerade guests. It's a sore spot for her. She spends every year leading up to the masquerade obsessing over it as if she is going as a guest, and not as a servant. I think it pains her knowing that if her family had not been banished, she would have probably been on the guest list."

"Then what are you two doing here?" It felt like my heart was being twisted.

"It's good money," Cassiah shrugged. "Even if it is a bit depreciating at times." The orchestra had stopped playing, leaving only the hum of the different conversations filling the ballroom. It was a dying hum, though, as Sebastien had started to speak, welcoming everyone to the masquerade and encouraging them to find their assigned seats so that dinner could be served. This was some sort of sign for Cassiah, who said, "I have to get going, Bria."

Biting my lip, I glanced at the door where Macaila had disappeared. "Just meet me in the ballroom's atrium when this is done and over with, will you?"

"I'll tell Mac."

"Cass. Please. Throw her over your shoulder if you have to," I pleaded. "I thought I would get to be with you guys for the entire night. I could have survived this pomp and circumstance with you two."

Cassiah nodded. "I'll see what I can do."

I waited until he disappeared through the side door before I moved to join the masses shuffling towards the tables. It was chaotic. Although there were attendants on hand with a list of the seating assignments to help people find their seats quicker, it still took quite a while for everyone to be seated. A jolt erupted through me when I saw the placard advertising Kyrian Asherton right next to his sister's and parents'. As I passed by their table, Rhea greeted me with a tense glare that I fled from, intimidated. Still, it was not enough to prevent me from wondering about that revelation. The seraphim royal family's surname was Zakaria; Kyrian had a different name.

My table was adjacent to the seraphim's, in Kyrian's direct line of sight. If he had been visible to me, we could have glared at each other all throughout the seven courses of dinner. Not surprisingly, Jay was seated next to me, and we shared a table with Sebastien, Emerson, and several other people I didn’t recognize. I learned these people were leaders of different mortal countries. Once everyone was settled, a flood of attendants rushed out of the side door with carafes of wine and pitchers of ice water. Their hands were steady as they poured the liquids into our available glasses. Conversation at the different tables started while the orchestra was playing light and soft melodies as to not disturb the ambience.

I felt out of my element, being seated at such a power table. The table's conversation immediately started off with the mortals' curiosity, resulting in Sebastien answering questions about our culture and magic in between bites of the antipasto. Then the conversation transitioned into Sebastien's dream of the entire world being united under one flag and how the mortals would fit into that dream. They were pleased to hear that if they united with Sebastien's dream now, they would remain leaders of their current territories, only answerable to Sebastien. There was an implied suggestion that their current territories could expand if the bordering countries were taken by force to implement Sebastien's paradise. They would, in effect, be the equivalent of dukes and duchesses.

I tried hard to listen. How often had I heard Sebastien preach about this? My only consolidation was that Jay looked as out of place as much as I did, especially when the first plates of the seven course meals began to be distributed. For a year, he had subsisted on the plain food the military provided free of cost and bar food at Hellions. He hadn't had anything as elegant as what was being served now. The food was plated as if it was an art masterpiece. He relied on me to model the proper manners when the two-bite salads were placed in front of us. He didn't say anything; in fact, his silence was unusual for him. He just eyed me and everyone else at the table as he struggled to not shove food into his mouth without any manners whatsoever.

"You okay?" I leaned over to him, keeping my voice low as to not draw attention to us.

Jay swallowed the morsel of food he still had in his mouth before nodding. "Yeah, why?"

"You're just a little quiet."

"I have a lot on my mind," Jay defended. He shifted in his chair, and I noticed his hand digging into his pocket. Having seen this before, I already knew what he was pulling out before he revealed it. Jay tried to keep it concealed under the table. Jay flicked open the small tin box, licked a finger, and picked up one tiny crystal. He placed the finger up to the corner of his mouth and the drug disappeared. He quickly hid the box back in his pocket like nothing had happened. His eyes darted up to meet mine, perhaps to check on whether I'd seen, and when he saw my disappointed scowl, his gaze returned to his plate.

I felt a different set of eyes on me, and I turned to see Sebastien watching me. He had not missed the interchange between Jay and me. He was nodding as the Prime Minister of Croatia asked about the empty tables on the perimeter. I remembered his name was Miroslav. "It appears as if a lot of people didn’t show up," he stated. "Or you simply ran out of invitations." From the curious expressions on the others' faces, Miroslav had just asked something they had all been wondering about.

"We invited the daemeyri leaders," Sebastien informed. "They are protesting something we didn't have any involvement in, and they decided to not attend."

"What are they protesting?" This time, it was the Salman of Saudi Arabia who prompted for the information.

Sebastien looked the Salman dead in the eye and explained, "One of the vampire lords was found dead in our city."

Ana's eyebrow arched. If I remembered correctly, she was the President of Argentina. "Did you have any role in his death?"

"Absolutely not," Sebastien denied. "We didn’t know he was in our city."

"So how did he die?"

"That is a matter we are still looking into," Sebastien answered. "I hope to have this resolved before we start implementing our plans for the united world." Sebastien's answers seemed to satisfy the mortal leaders for the time being, and their focus moved onto Emerson. Naturally, they had a lot of questions for the archangel.

Loneliness surrounded me even though I was seated in a position most would have traded their life savings for. I was separated from my friends and surrounded by political discussion. I longed for the familiarity Macaila and Cassiah would have provided, while I imagined what would have happened if Hawk was by my side and not Jay. My sanctuary friend would not have let me suffer in my solemnness for long. He would have grabbed a chunk of bread, rolled it up in a ball, and tossed it at me, all the while hiding his mischievous smirk. In reality, a long night of dancing waited ahead of me. Hawk and I would have retreated out onto the veranda, spending the long winter hours of evening until dawn talking. My heart wrenched from the agony of missing him. I pushed the thoughts of him away. There was a possibility I would have to destroy him if it meant gaining better control of my magic in this reality. There was a possibility that he was my enemy. I had to be prepared for that inevitable goodbye.

That avenue of thought threatened to dismantle the aplomb air I was managing, so I sought to distract myself by glancing around at the different tables and trying to find Macaila and Cassiah. By design or accident, both managed to avoid serving the tables around me. Instead, they had been assigned to tend to the tables on the perimeter. No doubt, it was probably the manager who had assigned her best and most experienced servers to the power tables.

My attention fell onto the seraph royalty table. Rhea and Jakobi were murmuring to each other, contained in their own world. Evangeline, seated directly to her mother's right, was talking to a male. The conversation was casual. At first, I wondered if Evangeline had brought a date with her and considered him with more interest. He was wearing a bronze mask that covered his entire face. The eyeholes were barely discernible, and it was impossible to identify him. He had some bulk to him, and even though he was sitting down, it was easy to see that his height was substantial. If he was a seraph, he didn't have his wings on display.

As if sensing my stare on him, the male's attention diverted to challenge me across the room.

The resulting jolting realization crushed into me powerfully as I remembered which name placard had been placed besides Evangeline's.

The person sitting next to Evangeline was Kyrian.