I need the house to collapse on top of me now.
Jealousy would be stupid. Just downright silly. Unfortunately, my stupid, silly little heart doesn’t care.
Tanisira doesn’t get a chance to put me out of my misery because Mae pops back in. She widens the doorway, and more light spills into the tiny space. Her face is flushed, making her freckles and pale eye stand out starkly.
“What happened out there?” I ask.
“Come on,” she breathes, noticeably short of air.
I take Vee’s hand as he scrambles to follow, pulling him back until Tanisira goes first. When we step into the dining hall, it’s empty, and the doors that stood open all night are now closed. It’s stunning—as chandelier laden as the ballroom, but with a parquet floor and an enormous banquet table. It’s just as big, and could probably hold most of the guests if we really packed them in.
“I know you wanted the ballroom, but can you set up in here instead?” Mae asks.
Behind us, a section of wall stands at an angle, hung with the portrait of a hunting scene. She pushes it shut, and it becomes indistinguishable with the quietest click.
Tanisira puts the projector down on an old sideboard. “I can make it work, but we’ll need to get everyone in here before I start the video. I don’t know if I’ll have long enough to replay it before someone reaches us.”
I speak up. “I can get them in here.”
She glances at me.
“Dominik’s not some brute; he’s not going to haul me off the second he sees me.”
Tanisira raises an eyebrow, but I continue, “He acts differently when other people are around.”
“Fine.” She turns to Vee. “Do you want to help me set this up? I know you like vintage things.”
My heartcan’t take it. Vee’s expression perks up, and he zooms over to the sideboard as Mae hands Tanisira her slate. She’s wearing the least amount of clothes I’ve ever seen her in, and clearly doesn’t have pockets—Gaia forbid a dress come withthose—so Mae’s obviously just being helpful. I still scowl over my shoulder, hating that I can’t trust her intentions, but trusting that Tanisira knows what she’s doing.
We coordinate timing and then I head for the locked doors, slinking into the entryway. The noise out here is startling, the number of bodies a welcome shield for me to manoeuvre through. I’d prefer to take these skyscraper heels off but I’m scared some wobbly heiress will step on my bare foot with a stiletto. It’s amazing how stark the difference is between the poised crowd I looked out on earlier and the giggling, hedonistic people now: those who lounge on the stairs, lean against expensive portraits and grope each other in corners. Hopefully, not all of them are too drunk to realise what they’re watching when we get them in the dining hall.
As I glance over my shoulder, a man stumbles onto the middle landing of the staircase; dressed in black and trailing what looks like ropes or—no, those are cables. His templesare liberally streaked with grey, and his face is smeared with crimson. Chest heaving, his brow is thunderous. He starts to survey the people in the entryway, and I throw myself through the doorway of the ballroom, pulse rocketing. The guests are more tightly packed here, and I’m shaking so hard I feel faint, making it harder to push through them.
Eduardwas the man Tanisira tied up. Now he’s loose and he’s pissed. Tanisira’s ripped dress and limping gait flash through my mind. I can’t even imagine how a fight between them would have looked—seeing the state he’s in, I’m glad she isn’t more seriously hurt.
I start to force my way to the front of the room, pushing back against all the sweat slicked bodies. I need to get everyone moving before Eduard seeks out Tanisira again. I’m worried Mae could turn on us at any moment, and it makes me anxious that she’s alone in there with my two favourite people. Once guests start flooding the dining hall, though, I doubt anyone will be able to reach her until it empties again. Vee will be back behind the secret doorway, but it’s still terrifying. I push harder, stomping on feet and throwing elbows, until I finally reach the quartet.
In The Chaos
Upon approach, the first violinist seems relieved to take a break, though she baulks a little when she finds out what I want. She remembers me from earlier and knows—thinks—I’m the boss’s woman. That makes it easier when I order her to make the announcement. I start pushing back through the crowd, intending to at least be halfway to the door before everyone surges. But I’ve made barely any progress when the music stops and her voice rings out.
“Guests of the Gryphons,” she starts. “Yours hosts have a surprise for you. If you would please make your way to the dining hall across the entryway.”
The buzz of conversation doesn’t stop, but it does dim and change note as people process the words and start to turn. Slowly, they begin to trickle out, and I end up carried along with a swell of people.
I hear someone say, “I hope it’s food; I’mstarving.”
Dominik had, in fact, planned a sit-down. I told him that if I had to suffer through this party, he’d better cancel the meal. There was no way I was going to sit next to him and force myself to smile at his guests for two hours—I threatened a commotion in front of them all. Whatever couldn’t be rearranged as canapes or stored in the freezer now waits in the kitchen for the staff over the next day or two. If he lost any of his deposit, I only hope it was a ridiculous amount.
Prick.
Someone whacks me with their elbow, and I stumble out of the flow of people heading into the other hall. I catch myself on a console, cursing how hard it is to move in this outfit. Then a hand closes around my arm, and I’m yanked deeper into the entryway.
Eduard stares down at me with visible disapproval. “Mr Gryphon has been looking for you.”
In the interim, he’s cleaned himself up, now lacking the gruesome face and the trailing cables. His nose is painfully red, though, and a completely different shape to when we first met.
“Has he?” I feign disinterest. “Tell him I’m busy.”
