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Chapter 24
Bree
Bree heardthe sounds of the ball far before they ever reached it. While the feast had been full of a constant murmur, the ball was a far more lively affair. Music drifted down the hallway, shot through with shouts and sounds of pure glee. Bree pressed her hands against her dress, trying to push away the nerves. She’d gone as someone else when she’d gone to the feast, but now, she was going as allBree.
“Do not be nervous,” Dagen said with a smile. “No one will take a shot at you while you are withme.”
Bree raised an eyebrow. “Except for thePrince.”
“He would notdare.”
When they strode through the tall towering archway, Bree gasped and tightened her hand on Dagen’s arm. The ball was a nightmare. Every fae in the room wore twisted, gruesome masks that resembled monsters from the depths of hell. Horns protruded from their heads, curling and menacing. And their eyes...so many of them had redeyes.
Bree swallowedhard.
“Ah.” Dagen flashed her a smile. “I should have warned you. This is one of our many masked balls. There is a prize for the fae who wears the most terrifying ensemble. The horns, however, arereal.”
Bree blinked, her gut churning. The fae before her were terrifying to behold. It had been easy to forget exactly what they were, seeing only the gentler side of their forms. In their daily lives, these fae did not wear their horns, and their eyes did not glow red. But they were the Dark Fae. The demons of the three realms that were inexplicably linked together. And Bree was living amongthem.
“I’m having second thoughts...” Bree said, trailing off as a tall fae strode by with bloodstained horns. She shuddered to think about what that mightmean.
“There is no need to be frightened,” Dagen said. “They have all seen you arrive with me. They will leave you alone unless you do something to provoke them. Now, go on. Mingle. Find out what you can. They are far too involved in the drink and the dance to pay you any mind. Well, except forhim.”
Bree followed Dagen’s gaze. Indeed, the Prince’s eyes were locked on Bree with a tense strange kind of smile pasted on his face. He wasn’t wearing a mask, but a silver pair of horns protruded from his skull. Bree stared at them, mesmerized by the way they twisted and turned, locking together at the veryends.
“It seems he is taken by your beauty as much as I am.” Dagen gave Bree a tight smile. “In fact, I am tempted to keep you by my side. Go on before I change mymind.”
Bree slid her hand out from the crook of Dagen’s arm and felt lost and adrift immediately. He took a step back, giving her a strange smile before turning and disappearing into the crowd. Her heart hammered. She was truly alone in the midst of all these Dark Fae with only her wits to keep her grounded inreality.
Someone passed by and pressed a drink into her hands, something she was immensely grateful for. She dropped back her head and tipped the sweet liquid down her throat. Immediately, a new boldness took over herbody.
Time to spy for all she wasworth.
But suddenly, he was there. Prince Taveon caught her arm, his grip going tight around her wrist. Her footsteps paused, and her heart trembled in her chest. He looked...angry. Not that she was surprised. She knew the risk she’d taken in coming here, even as Lord Dagen’sguest.
“What are you doing here, Bree?” he asked in a low growl. All around them, the ball continued on like nothing strange at all was happening, though she swore their exchange had caught a few curiousglances.
Would he try to punish her for this? No, he couldn’t. It would be sending the wrong message to the previous Hand of the King. Any move made against her would be a move made against LordDagen.
She gave him a pleasant smile, though she pulled against his grip on her arm. He didn’t let go. “Lord Dagen invited me to come as his companion. Don’t worry. I’m not going around and blabbing to everyone about who I am and why I’m here. I know you like to keep yoursecrets.”
“You should not be here,Bree.”
“He came up with a clever story,” she continued as if he hadn’t said a word. “I am his aide, a scholar whose speciality lies in knowledge about the humanrealm.”
The scowl on his face didn’t lessen even the slightest. “And you should certainly not be here withLordDagen.”
Bree swallowed hard, but she refused to back down. “Maybe I wouldn’t have had to come with him if someone else had invited me toattend.”
“There is a reason I did not invite you. It is dangerous for you to be here.” With a heavy sigh, he finally dropped her arm, but the intensity of his gaze didn’t waver. “I will allow you to stay. For now. But stay out of trouble and keep your mouth shut. I will not hesitate to throw you over my shoulder and toss you right back into your quarters if needbe.”
And with that, he spun away to speak to his next guest, though the electricity of his presence remained with her. At times like these, Bree could see past his calm exterior to the angry Dark Fae beneath. He liked to pretend he was not like his father, but there were elements of him there. He wouldn’t have lied in order to get her to be his slave if there wasn’t. He wouldn’t have had her shot in the chest. And these were all facts she needed to remember. She couldn’t let herself forget what he was. She couldn’t let her guard down, not withhim.
So, she spun through the room. Conversations drifted to her from here and there, filling up her head with voices and words that all began to blend together. Drink after drink was placed in her hands, and she drank the sweet liquid eagerly. After a time, she realized that hours had passed by, and she hadn’t seen Lord Dagen since she’darrived.
Where had her companiongone?
Oh, Bree. What a silly thought. Lord Dagen isn’t your companion. He brought you here to spy for him, not to hang on his arm anddance.
