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“Perfect. If the party’s at the house of a prominent Council member, they can’t exactly refuse to let you go. I assume Ayden’s invited too?”
I sigh irritably. “Those two are inseparable. Every day that I see them together it gets harder and harder. I guess she realizes that, and that’s why she invited me.”
“Keep your friends close and your enemies closer,” Kate muses. “Julius Caesar was wise to say that, and Claire’s no fool. She knows exactly what she’s doing.”
“Great, so now I’m her enemy too,” I groan. “Just what I need.”
“You happen to have a few things that Claire wishes she had.” For a few seconds, Kate gives me such a piercing look that it feels like she’s gazing into my soul. “As perfect as her life seems on the surface, it’s ultimately bleak and empty. So her attitude toward you doesn’t surprise me.”
“Then it’s probably a bad idea for me to go to her party. If you’re right, then maybe I should steer clear of her.”
“That won’t change anything because Claire won’t let you escape her clutches now. And you won’t have to beat a retreat. Not if I’m there to have your back. We’re going to have fun tonight, I promise.” She grins at me.
Amused, I shake my head. I’m so incredibly glad to have Kate. Maybe tonight won’t be so bad after all.
Later, I discover that the Cunninghams have invited the Fabrici family. But Alfredo’s parents are away – I assume they’ve called an emergency meeting with the extended family to discuss what to do now that Claire’s passed her first test. Alfredo walks me to the door but can’t come to the party either. As I put on my jacket, he impresses on me again, “Whenever you’re in the public eye, you represent us. So behave accordingly and don’t disgrace us.”
“I guess that means I have to forego my usual binge drinking and pole dancing routine? What a shame. I picked my sauciest lingerie especially.”
Alfredo rolls his eyes and mutters, “You’re a real piece of work.” I could say the same about him – I despise this guy.
The Fabrici house is not far from Mr. Cunningham’s estate, and I take the bus. Ayden promised to give Kate a ride on his motorcycle. I’ll be interested to see how she holds up.
I wait for them at the entrance. Luckily, it’s not long before they show up. Ayden parks the bike and climbs off. Kate looks great. She’s opted for black pants and a wine-red cashmere sweater. She comes and gives me a cheerful hug.
“Ready to have some fun?” she asks.
“Sure,” I say, approaching Ayden uncertainly. It’s now so ingrained in me not to instantly fall into his arms that I hesitate a moment. But Ayden doesn’t hold back. He comes to me, bends down, and kisses me so intimately that I momentarily forget to breathe.
“I told you it was going to be a nice evening,” Kate teases.
I’m reluctant to let go of Ayden now that I finally have my hands on his waist and feel his incredible lips on mine.
“You seem to be in a good mood,” he says to Kate.
“How could I not be?” she asks. “Look around you. We’re standing outside the mansion of one of the most highly respected Council members; the night is beautifully clear; the stars are shining above us, and the moon is radiant.”
“Which stars?” I ask with a laugh. “We’re still in the city, and you can’t see anything in the night sky here.”
“Nothing you say that can ruin my mood,” she says. She hooks her arm through mine, and we walk up to the door.
We’re received by a porter who escorts us to a reception hall. In my knee-length skirt and dark blouse, I feel totally underdressed again. I give the porter my jacket but keep my bag with me. It contains the objects that I found as part of my search for the goddesses’ library. I’d never just leave them lying around. I clutch the bag tighter and turn to go into the hall.
Naturally, the other guests didn’t pass up the opportunity to wear their most gorgeous clothes. And everywhere I look, expensive watches and jewelry sparkle in the light of the chandeliers.
“It’s really not a young crowd,” I observe.
I spot Claire’s mother, who’s wearing a breathtaking dress with her hair piled high and standing beside a tall man with dark blond hair. He’s wearing a suit that fits him like a glove. His features are attractive and well proportioned. I see Claire with them too, deep in conversation.
“Is that her father?” I ask.
Ayden follows my gaze and nods. “That’s Paxton Cunningham. He’s originally a Morgan, a family that made their money in finance and bullion trading. But he’s only distantly related to them, so he took his wife’s name. He’s often away on business, so Claire rarely gets to see him. But I guess he came especially for her test.”
“So did her mother,” I note.
At that moment, Claire turns around and beams with pleasure when she sees us. She excuses herself and comes to greet us
“I’m so glad you’re here. Unfortunately, you won’t do much to bring down the average age. It was important to my family to invite every member on the Council, and most of them are over forty.” She smiles radiantly at Ayden. “My parents have been looking forward to seeing you all evening, and they want to have a word with you. I hope you don’t mind if I steal him for a while?” she asks me and Kate.
