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He looked down at the medal from Frexin, then back up at me and winked. "Let go and live a little, Princess."
"Thank you, counselor Jaiel," I said, glaring up at him. "But perhaps you should take a look in the mirror instead. Because deep —" I pressed a finger into his chest, "— DEEP down, I'd hazard a guess there's a real person in there. And if you listened to him instead of chasing parties and one-night flings, maybe you'd discover something you actually cared about."
His features froze for a second, but he recovered quickly, cocking that dark brow of his. "Ahh, Princess — always searching for hidden depths in the world." He adjusted his suit coat. "Unfortunately for you, though, I am exactly what I seem. And there is nothing that would make me happier than fucking everyone from here to the Fae continent."
"Go away," I groaned. "I don't have time for your nonsense."
"Gladly," he murmured, sending me one more lascivious grin before walking off.
I watched his wide shoulders disappear into the crowd without a backward glance.
Gods, he was irritating. How could a person really be that shallow?
I forced thoughts of him away and looked down at my dance card and the names that filled every line. Then I looked over at Lynn, still being berated by the man in the chartreuse suit.
Just one more hour. Then I'd be off to Division headquarters to be briefed for my next hunt.
My lips curled into a grin, and I strode over to rescue my friend.
Chapter 6
Kaiya
Slipping off my heels, I walked barefoot down the red velvet carpet of the Science Division HQ, relishing the whisper of each step.
Lady Frexin said to be at her office at 8:30 sharp, so I had to hurry … but I couldn't resist reveling in the moment a bit.
The sconces along the hallways flickered with familiar white light — so different from the orange glow of the lyphos lamps back home as they cast shadows over the gilded green wallpaper.
I let out a long sigh.
Gods, I'd missed this place. The mysteries, the discoveries … the excitement of a new assignment.
My stomach fluttered at the thought.
A mission briefing was exactly what I needed after that damn ball. If I ever had to listen to one more inane conversation about the gods-forsaken weather, I'd scream.
But I'd done as Lady Frexin required.
The low hum of voices echoed to my right as I turned a corner, and I glanced over the banister. Scientists dressed in cream-color lab coats were discussing something with exaggerated gestures.
A man in the front of the room held out a long metallic tube while a woman motioned toward a tall machine that resembled a massive human skeleton. Several tall glass cylinders filled with blue liquid stood to the left and right, connected to the device via thick rubber tubes.
In the months I'd been gone, they'd nearly completed the so-called "mech," and it was stunning!
The workers looked haggard, likely having worked many days without an actual break … but that's how it was working for Lady Frexin near the end of a project.
She was nothing if not determined.
I resumed my trek to her office as the door to the Relic Disposal Wing opened down the hallway. An armed soldier stood at attention outside while two men carefully stepped into the hallway, holding aloft a large wooden crate.
I stepped aside so they could easily pass, and they offered me a nod as the metal door thudded shut behind them, the familiar clicking and whooshing of unseen mechanisms sliding and spinning inside.
The door was yet another of Frexin's inventions — one which made the disposal wing even more secure than the Palace treasury. It was a necessary concession considering the danger the twisted relics posed.
Satisfied, they made their way down the hall.
Lady Frexin's door slammed open, and an all too familiar form stomped out.
