Page 57 of Chaos and Crowns

“It’s sort of a long shot to hope that she’ll be at a specific party and plan around it.” Antony drummed his fingers on the table. “Although maybe if it is a ball, she’ll be wearing the crown and it will be easier to get.”

“I’ll get ahold of the guest list to make sure she’ll be there,” Odelle volunteered.

“You don’t have a press pass anymore,” Nora pointed out reasonably, although her tone was gentle.

“Batting my eyelashes and flashing the event organizers a smile was always more likely to get me the guest list than a press pass, anyway. Besides, my inside sources are still mine even though I’ve lost my job.” Odelle had worked too hard on building rapport with event workers and personal assistants throughout the city to give up her contacts just because she had been fired.

“Ok, but even if Biderman is there, we’ll need to lure her away from the rest of the party,” Adam said. If she is corrupted by the Shadow though, she’ll be able to recognize the Light in any of the Eteria members. Odelle is recognizable to the Shadow too, after being involved in the first attempt to steal the crown.”

“I’ll do it.”

Everybody turned to look at Drew in surprise. The set of his square jaw was resolute.

“I want to help too, and we’ve learned the hard way that having an emergency medicine doctor handy is key,” Drew explained.

Thad, sitting next to him, clapped a hand on his shoulder. “As long as you know you don’t have to do it, we’re happy to have your help. Just know that things might get a little bit dicey. Last time, as soon as we touched the crown, dozens of Shadows appeared.”

“That’s why we’ll be ready,” Adam said. “Drew will lure Biderman away and then Antony and Odelle will grab and destroy the crown. Nora, Thad, and I will be on crowd control.”

“And me,” Seraphina said from the end of the table, breaking her silence thus far.

Nora’s eyebrows shot up in an incredulous expression. “You? I didn’t think you liked to get your hands dirty in this type of thing.”

“I’m peaceful, not harmless,” Seraphina snapped. “Besides, somebody has to be in control of minimizing collateral damage.”

Nora opened her mouth, looking ready to pounce, but Odelle cut in.

“And we are happy to have all the help we can get.”

The two women continued to glare at each other, but Odelle would settle for them not hijacking the entire meeting to lob insults at each other. She honestly wasn’t sure how she managed to get along with both of them, considering that she could practically smell the distaste in the air every time they spoke. Then again, they were probably more similar than either of them cared to admit—both utterly committed to their friends and the Eteria, even if Nora preferred to have a spear in her hand.

“Then I guess we all have our work cut out for us,” Antony declared. “Look sharp everybody, it looks like we’re going to a ball.”

22

“You have the knife hidden in your leg?” Antony asked for the dozenth time since they left the Sanctuary.

“Yup. I’m ready to rip up my skirt and stab people at the drop of a hat.” For effect, Odelle extended her leg out of the daringly high slit on the dress she wore. She had chosen the white and gold gown from the impressive wardrobe Antony had created. She had reasoned that the slit would allow her freedom of movement and easy access to her concealed weapon. In reality, she had just itched at the opportunity to wear it again, even if it was to spring a trap for the Shadows.

Antony paced in the loading docks of the planetarium.

“Thad should have let us in by now,” he said.

“Probably just got too carried away with his flirting and schmoozing.”

“I would never.” The service entrance swung open to reveal a tuxedoed Thad, complete with white gloves. “In fact, it was the opposite. Normally, I do charm my way into parties, but this time you have me dressed as a caterer. It goes against my nature to fly under the radar.”

Odelle and Antony slid through the door he held open into a back corridor, glancing around to ensure they weren’t spotted.

“Just remember, you’re supposed to be handing people the champagne, not drinking it,” Antony reminded Thad as he led them deeper into the planetarium, glancing around each corner as they went before beaconing them forward.

“I don’t know why I couldn’t pose as Drew’s date,” Thad grumbled as they walked. “Seraphina could have been the undercover caterer instead, and then I would be able to enjoy a bit of bubbly.”

“Because Seraphina has spent the least time out of the Sanctuary and Drew will make sure she doesn’t do anything to give herself away,” Odelle reminded him. “Plus, once she saw the peacock feather dress Antony made, I didn’t have it in me to tell her to wear a caterer’s uniform.”

“Then I’ll just be hovering nearby with my plate of stuffed mushrooms, ready to intervene.” Thad stopped in front of a door and gestured to it. “Just through here, you should be able to slip into the party unnoticed, even without an invite.”

Odelle nodded and took Antony’s elbow before heading out into the ball, glad they had found a way to sneak in. Adam and Nora already had tickets to the ball thanks to Adam’s apparent long-term philanthropy, and Drew was able to score two for himself and a plus one through a former attending physician of his. With Odelle’s recently burned bridges, it left her, Antony and Thad to find their own way into the festivities.