Page 82 of Lost and Bound

I give myself a precious few moments of his comfort before climbing out of bed. “I’ll have a shower and then we should figure out how we’re doing the party thing.”

He nods eagerly. “And what we’re wearing.”

I snort out loud as a flash of us arriving in full prom gear appears in my mind, which would be absurd until I realize the others at Thales are exactly that, and more. Even if I had packed a ballgown or two when I ran out of the city, I still couldn’t wear it because all my things are back at their place.

“My clothing options are pretty slim, actually. Unless you’ve got something hidden in your wardrobe.”

Orion grins, and it reminds me a lot of how Bugby looked at me when I announced we were going to the library. I’m pretty sure I just unknowingly walked myself into a situation he’s been planning for a while.

“Well, now that you mention it, my sister left a few things here from her last visit…”

Ignoring him and walking into the bathroom is the safest option. There’s no way on earth I’d manage to strangle him, despite my inner voice whispering encouragingly.

CHAPTER THIRTY

PARTIES AND PURCHASERS

Everywhere I look and the very air I breathe is infused with the energy of the full moon. I swear it’s doing weird things to me.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Orion asks quietly as we wait in line.

In all honesty, I feel like I’ve been alternating between expensive champagne and caffeine drinks while putting no food in my stomach. It’s making me giddy and jittery with excitement. Something is at play, but I don’t know what. It might be the moon, or perhaps it’s nothing more than my anxiety.

“Yeah. Nervous is all,” I say quietly, keeping my eyes locked on the Noms in front of me.

The small group of Noms ahead of us shut down any attempt at conversation, after once again blaming me for everything, and are now refusing to acknowledge our presence.

It came as no surprise that while the shifter, celestials, demons, and magikals get welcomed through the gates like celebrities, the Noms are forced to line up to one side and wait for a staff member to check their names off the list—when they come back from wherever they’ve been called off to.

The time we wait gives me the chance to get used to the ridiculous notion that nearly everyone attending is clad in full prom regalia. I’m glad I stuck to my guns on not wearing a dress, and I don’t care at all that I’m apparently the only one in jeans tonight. The simple truth is, no matter what I wear, someone is going to give me shit about my choice of practicality over fashion. Plus, there was no way I could have run in the strappy mules Orion’s sister left behind.

Waiting also gives my vision more time to clear. As soon as I stepped out into the moonlight, the gold strands that are happening more and more these days started dancing across my vision. It is something I’m getting used to, but when you throw in the growing excitement of the attendees and the power of the full moon, beings’ auras are even more pronounced and it’s like looking at the world through a kaleidoscope.

The line moves again, and our attendance check is relatively painless if you discount the blatant disdain rolling off the teacher given the task.

As soon as we make it through the tent, we walk into a wonderland, but I search for the exit. Yet when I peer at the map thrust into our hands at check-in, it takes a second to realize the only exits are at the opposite end of the field.

Of course, they’re making us run the gauntlet. If we survive making it past the crowd, we get to leave. How generous of the organizing committee to think of us and our welfare.

“Let’s go.” Orion grabs my hand and leads us in the right direction.

The full moon party is both lavish and over the top. One side of the field has been set up with food and drink booths. Seeing the booths and smelling the yummy goodness of hot sugary donuts and fried food should invoke a trip down memory lane, but all I can focus on is the putrid scent of entitlement wafting off the students. There is over-the-top extravagance as far as the eye can see, and like pretty much everything else at Thales, it’s done to remind us Noms of their superiority and our place under them.

The first group of students we pass pay us no attention, caught up talking loudly about the upcoming hunt. Because, of course, that’s how shifters celebrate a Hunter’s Moon.

“Did you hear them?” Orion asks as soon as we’re past their huddle.

“Yeah. All the more reason we need to get out of here.”

“I’ll have to let the others know,” he says as he points over to where several Noms stand. I recognize a couple of them, but the others must be from the floor above Orion’s at Nomina.

We weave as innocuously as possible through the gathering of mystikal beings, both of us ignoring the way we’re being tracked.

Orion slows as we come to an area less crowded by shifters. There are still a lot of students around, but they are mostly magikals. The look he gives me is easy to decipher.

“You have to warn the others. I’ll wait right here,” I say, trading places with him, so my back is to the empty space and I’m facing the guests.

He goes to take a step away, and I can feel his conflict as if it were my own. With a last check that I’m fine he leaves me, but not so fast that he draws attention.