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I couldn’t imagine myself ever having kids, but the idea of being able to raise a little girl how I’d always dreamed to be raised sounded appealing and could definitely have me changing my mind.
Bennett appeared out of nowhere behind my shoulder. “Bottoms up.” His arm folded against my body as he handed me a glass filled with some mystery cocktail.
“What is it?” I asked, looking at the crimson liquid. It smelled of rose and had some glitter added in to give the drink a shimmer effect.
“I thought you trusted my judgment?” His face looked sarcastically distraught. “Honestly, I have no idea, but the woman I grabbed it from gave it high regards, and it reminded me of you.”
I didn’t hold in the laugh that burst out of me. “This sparkly-looking blood reminds you of me?”
“Oh, absolutely, it practically screams beautiful assassin.” He smirked and I shoved him at how nonchalantly he said that and the possibility of someone overhearing.
“Well, what did you get? Something dark and vile to remind you of yourself?”
I looked at the drink in his hand only to find that my joke had turned out to be entirely true as the glass in his hand held a deep violet drink that practically looked black.
We both burst out laughing and he shrugged. “Supposedly it’s plum flavored.”
I lifted my glass with a smile that hadn’t left my face in over an hour. “To sparkly blood and hopefully plum.”
“Cheers to that.” Our glasses clinked and I brought the liquid to my lips, downing the drink in one go. It burned my throat on the way down, unsettling my stomach and sending a wave of warmth through my whole body. In all honesty, I was already feeling a little light-headed from the drinks I’d had with Miles, Amica, and Mendex, but what the hell, it was the masquerade, therefore drinking until my blood actually had glitter running in my veins was justified.
Bennett choked on his drink, setting down his empty glass on a random tray. “Definitely not plum.”
A stream of laughter escaped me that I couldn’t control, and Bennett soon joined me.
He stood close to me, pulling me even closer to him by my waist. “I have an idea. Why don’t we give the astronomy tower a visit, like old times?”
A bundle of nerves exploded in my stomach and adrenaline rushed in my veins. Bennett and I would be alone together—by choice. My friends would have no idea where I went, but I was sure they knew I was more than capable of taking care of myself.
I turned my face slightly to the side. We were so close our cheeks were touching.
“I’ll race you there.”
“I'm in.” His hand caressed my arm, his fingers trailing up and down it, creating goosebumps from the sensation. “But only if I get something when I win.”
I laughed. “No crafts can be used, shadow man.”
“Fine,” he whispered in my ear. “I still want to know my prize.”
I was still for a moment, trying to think of something I would want after I won this race. I smirked at the perfect idea and perhaps the most useful prize I could think of.
“Okay, the prize is a favor. To be cashed in at any time, for anything.”
He gave a chuckle that signified he believed he had already won. “Are you sure you want to give that up, princess?”
Confidence coated my tone. “Oh, I’m sure.”
I fixed my eyes on the exit, already mapping out in my mind exactly how I would get there and the fastest way possible to the astronomy tower from the grand ballroom.
Bennett cleared his throat and rolled his neck in preparation. “All right then, on three. One, two, th—”
I slipped out of his grasp and darted through the crowd, bumping into every “animal” possible. I stepped on gowns and slid my way through clusters, ignoring the irritated yells I got back in response. I simply barked out a laugh and continued on in my chase. It was exhilarating being able to truly not give a shit what people said, as they had no idea who I was.
I finally pushed my way up to the front of the room, accidentally knocking over a tray of hors d’oeuvres that a servant was passing out. I yelled a quick apology as I bolted through the door, straight to the astronomy tower.
It was thrilling, knowing the deal that was on the line and who I was racing against. I forced my feet to go faster, lifting up my dress as I chased a bet down the halls of the castle. I cursed at my stupid heels and the slight disadvantage they gave me. I made the quick decision to rip them off, throwing them to the side somewhere and hoping I could find them in the morning.
My bare feet hit the cold tiles of the floor and I turned down corridor after corridor, eventually going up the stairs to the tower, skipping every other step. I didn’t hear Bennett’s footsteps close by and I could practically taste victory as I got to the top of the staircase. My throat burned and my chest ached from the extent of the race, but I ignored it as I finally made it to the tower.
