Page 2 of Chaos and Crowns

Odelle waved her off even as Nora’s words struck a nerve.

“The Eteria aren’t interesting in a way they can really talk about in public. And you guys normally keep to yourselves—except of course you, Adam.”

Adam nodded in acknowledgement even as he pressed her. “Yeah, but since we left the Sanctuary in the fall to help Nora, some others have been thinking it might be nice to reintegrate into the world a bit more. Antony asks a lot of questions about modern technology. He might like to see some in person.”

At the mention of Antony, Odelle took a sizable gulp of wine.

“I doubt kissing ass at a political fundraiser is what he had in mind,” Odelle said in a voice that she hoped sounded casual.

Adam opened his mouth as if to argue, but Nora put a hand on his arm.

“You’ll call us right away if you need anything while we’re gone right?” Nora changed the subject and Odelle sighed inwardly at the temporary reprieve.

“I absolutely will not,” Odelle retorted. “I refuse to interrupt you when you finally decided to use up the vacation days that you’ve been collecting for years, zolotse”

Odelle considered it a personal victory that Nora had finally gotten it through her head to enjoy her life a little. She refused to be the reason that her older sister put fun on hold.

Nora’s brows creased.

“That’s sweet, but the Shadow has been bold these past few months. Ever since—well…”

“Ever since it captured me and you saved me in a daring rescue, yes, yes,” Odelle brushed away her older sister’s concern. “I know what I’m up against now though, and I’ll be careful. Besides, something tells me you two are going to be…otherwise occupied…on this getaway of yours.”

Spots of color bloomed high on Nora’s cheeks, but the sidelong smile she shared with Adam spoke volumes. Nora and Adam had a lot of lost time to make up for. After all, in a prior life, Nora had been a Warrior for the Eteria, fighting the evil Shadow in an ageless war. Her former incarnation had given her life to save what was left of the Eteria from the Shadow, and her husband had managed to pull her soul into a cycle of reincarnation. She and Adam had found each other again in this life, and Odelle had never seen Nora happier. Seeing Nora having found her niche made Odelle’s heart warm, even as she itched beneath her skin. Nora now had a whole different side to her life with the Eteria that Odelle wasn’t a part of—wasn’t sure she could be a part of. Having spent her whole life showing the world how capable she was and building an armor of self-confidence, discovering a world where she might be unable to pull her weight made her grind her teeth.

Odelle looked away from the couple’s shared moment and took another sip of her drink, refusing to let her melancholy musings dull her happiness for her sister.

“Still, you shouldn’t face the Shadow on your own,” Nora said, “None of us should. We’ll come back if anything comes up.”

“Why does everybody seem to think I can’t handle things recently?” Odelle snapped back, trying to swallow the words back as soon as they were out of her mouth. Nora was the last person who deserved to be on the receiving end of her frustration. She opened her mouth to apologize, but Nora took the comment in stride.

“Odelle, fighting the literal physical incarnation of fear isn’t something anyone should have to do alone. I’m not your boss. I know you can handle yourself and your job just fine—better than fine, actually.”

“Thanks.” Odelle nodded. “I’m just a little on edge from stuff at work.”

And only stuff at work she added silently, trying to convince herself.

“Then you blow off some steam schmoozing and dazzling at the fundraiser this weekend. I’ll be enjoying a pina colada on a beach and not worrying about you.”

“Because there is nothing to worry about,” Odelle agreed as she put on her coat and scarf, bracing herself for the biting winds of a Chicago winter. In truth, Odelle was looking forward to a little time away from Nora and Adam’s scrutiny. Nora glowed with happiness since having found her home with Adam and the rest of the Eteria. Odelle refused to ruin it by complaining about her own childish grievances with the group of immortal sorcerers—or one sorcerer in particular.

2

The ballroom at the Palmer House churned with an amorphous mass of glimmering gowns and black tuxedoes. Odelle loved it. She waded through the crowds with relative ease, aided by her height. After all, as Nora pointed out whenever she refused to wear heels, Odelle didn’t have to worry about getting blisters from fabulous shoes. The joys of having carbon fiber feet. Still, the prosthetic legs Antony had made her would have been even more of a showstopper than the stilettos she had on. Odelle pursed her lips at the thought.

When she ruined one of her old prosthetics a few months ago by using it as an impromptu club, Antony replaced them with a pair that was nothing short of art. They fit perfectly, seeming to morph to her leg throughout the day, so much so that she didn’t have to carry around spare socks to adjust them. The best part though, was the material. Odelle didn’t know what Antony had done, but iridescent fibers that shimmered a full rainbow of colors were woven into the tan covering. Sometimes, she would take the prosthetics out of her closet just to gaze at the way they sparkled in the morning light streaming through her windows. The eight-year-old version of herself who had taken a hot glue gun and rhinestones to her prosthetics was thrilled, but she hadn’t been able to bring herself to wear them since Christmas.

Wrenching her thoughts away from the infuriating sorcerer, Odelle returned to scanning the ballroom for her quarry. Chicago’s most influential residents crowded the grand hall, and one never knew what they might let slip when loosened up by a few glasses of champagne. She practically itched at the thought of unearthing the happenings beneath the surface-level shine of the city’s elite. It was why she became a reporter after all. To uncover the truths the world deserved to know, even when the rich and powerful tried to keep her attention away.

Odelle looked for a particularly dense vortex of people, all of whom seemed desperate to grab attention but appear casual at the same time. Those groups usually revolved around important individuals—individuals who could cause trouble if they weren’t held accountable. She had just spotted such a throng surrounding noted philanthropist Gerald Krinkle, when a glimmer of bronze in the periphery of her vision stole her attention.

Turning her head, Odelle found that the shimmer came from a crown on a nearby woman. Despite the grandeur of the event, a crown would usually be considered ostentatious. Odelle didn’t blame the woman for wearing it, though; she would have taken any opportunity to put such a work of art on her head too. Something about the way the light reflected on bronze made her heart beat louder, unable to pull her gaze away.

Changing direction, Odelle picked her way towards the woman.

“Excuse me,” Odelle interjected when there was a lull in conversation between the crowned stranger and the man at her side. “I just had to come over and ask about that crown of yours. It’s breathtaking.”

The woman turned to her, pausing as she ran her icy gaze up and down Odelle’s figure, regarding her like a bug under a microscope.