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“Trust me. Gabe will love it. Even if you’re not dating.” Raquel winked at me.
An hour later, I was feeling gorgeous in the red dress as we descended the stairs to the main lobby, and walked into the ballroom on the first floor. Raquel had explained to me, too many times to count, that this party was a yearly tradition for the Nephilim. It was to celebrate the manor being built and the families that had arrived here so long ago to serve as gatekeepers.
Until the Black Hills were taken over by homesteaders, this gate had been left largely unguarded. The Native American tribes that lived on the lands had known to stay away from the gate, and the evil that occasionally slipped through. But the homesteaders had been ignorant of the dangers, so the Nephilim built the manor and set up guards in the forest.
Raquel had also explained to me that the demons who slipped through the gate created their bodies out of the soil. But that shell was temporary, and only meant to keep them alive long enough to find a human host. With humans so readily available now, it was up to the Nephilim to prevent that from happening.
And they had – for over two hundred years. The goddess was one of the few exceptions. She’d taken a human host many years ago. It was scary to think that thing was once a human being.
“There’s Patrick.”
Raquel elbowed me and nodded her head at a young man with a buzzed haircut, standing inside the door of the ballroom in a black suit, with a Corona in his hands. He smiled and joked with his buddies, unaware that he was the target of a very determined young woman.
My eyes drifted from Patrick to the rest of the ballroom. In similar fashion to the rest of the manor, the ballroom was covered in wooden panels and intricately carved statues. Elegant crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, and threw little dots of light over the entire ballroom floor. On the far side of the room, a live band was setting up. They had everything from fiddles and cellos to electric guitars and a drum set.
“Patrick plays the guitar,” Raquel said, following my gaze. “He’s so sexy when he plucks his solo. It’s no wonder human girls dig musicians.”
She led me over to the bar where we ordered Dirty Shirleys and turned to watch the growing crowd. At least fifty people of different ages had arrived, all in their fancy getup. They looked like humans to me, although very fit humans. There were older folk, who had to be at least 400 years old if I was to believe what Gabe had told me. I also saw a bunch of Nephilim that looked like they were in their twenties. But, who knew how old they really were?
“So, this is the human?”
A young woman with long, light brown hair pulled to one side of her face stepped toward me. She was wearing a tight golden gown that left very little room for body flaws. It didn’t matter. She was physically perfect, from the soft wave of her hair to her dainty little French manicured toes.
This was the second time I’d been called human like it was an insult. I ignored her tone and sipped on my Dirty Shirley.
Raquel stepped in between us. “Ashley, this is Lizzy.”
Ashley looked at me like I was a cockroach she wanted to squash. I wasn’t sure who spit in her Wheaties this morning and I didn’t care, so I went back to scanning the crowd. Already, I was wishing I was back in my room, diving into the book I’d been reading. Coming to this party was a mistake.
That feeling intensified when Adam swaggered toward us and stopped next to Ashley, putting his arm around her trim waist.
“Is the human bothering you, babe?” His eyes roamed over my red dress and instantly I felt like I needed to take a shower.
Enough was enough. “This human’s name is Lizzy.”
Adam and Lizzy stared at me as I slammed the drink down on top of the bar and made a beeline for the darkened side of the ballroom. That was enough socializing for one day. Maybe I’d just find a dark corner and hide until it was time to go back to my room.
The band began to play an upbeat song I hadn’t heard before, but that didn’t stop a crowd of young people from swarming the center of the ballroom and dancing. I turned my back to the room and found myself studying the artwork on the walls. It was amusing to see many of the statues were of baby angels – with fat rosy cheeks and tiny little wings.
I wondered what angels really looked like in their true forms. It was doubtful they were as cute and cuddly as those statues. From what I’d seen of the Nephilim, I wouldn’t be surprised if angels were fearsome creatures.
“I was hoping you hadn’t backed out on your promise to come.”
The voice behind me instantly drew a smile to my mouth. I turned to see Gabe standing a step away, his hands undoing the bottom button on his tailored black three piece suit. He looked better than ever, with the white collared shirt underneath and no tie. I had to lean against the wall to keep my legs from turning to jelly at the sight of him.
“Of course not.” I willed my voice to stay steady. “I figured someone would hunt me down if I didn’t show tonight.”
“You bet I would’ve.” The left side of his mouth twitched in a little hint of a grin. “I would’ve dragged you down for our dance, even if you were still in your pajamas.”
I smiled at him. He had no idea how close he came to having to do that. If Raquel hadn’t practically forced the dress over my head and the strappy black heels on my feet, I wouldn’t have come.
“Have you been introduced to anyone yet?” He looked over at the crowd of older Nephilim standing around a couple of poker tables. They all had drinks in their hands, and were beginning to sit down for a round of cards.
“No. I was introduced to Adam’s friend, Ashley, but she didn’t seem too eager to get to know me.”
Gabe’s face paled the slightest bit. “Ashley’s complicated. Don’t bother with her. She’s been in a sour mood lately. And Adam is…well, he’s complicated too.” He held out a hand to me. “Shall we? I know some people who’d love to meet you.”
Despite my wishes to remain hidden in the shadows, I couldn’t say no to him. So I took his hand and he looped my arm through his. Gabe introduced me to dozens of people, whose names I’d probably never remember. We ran into Laramie and spent a good fifteen minutes discussing the horses. Then, he introduced me to some of the trainers and his friends.
