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Joyous laughter, low chatter, and music coming from the castle filled the air, and I took a deep breath, trying to absorb it all.
The courtyard was decorated with white orchids, and a fountain with three seahorses carved into it sat in the middle of the yard. Supernatural creatures of all sizes, colors, and from all cultures were among the attendees, and I found myself laughing out loud. I'd never seen a gathering like this.
I thought of Ruby and how much she’d enjoy something like this. “How long does it take for a spirit to wake up?” I asked Lucian.
“I don’t know much about the process, but I’m pretty sure it depends on the spirit. Some take days, while others take months.” He gestured toward the castle. “This is Poseidon’s place, just outside the city. He’s the host of this year’s ball.”
I looped my hand through Lucian's arm as he spoke, and we joined the crowd heading towards the entrance. We walked by a few werewolves who looked at us with surprise, and I leaned closer to Lucian, whispering so no one else would hear. "I guess this is like our debut party, huh? You know, I want you to have fun tonight as well. This doesn’t have to be just you doing me a favor by coming.”
He didn’t respond right away, but continued walking in silence. Then he placed his hand over mine, the one that was holding onto his arm. He squeezed my hand but still said nothing.
We made our way inside, and my first look inside rendered me speechless. Instead of a wall to our right, an aquarium took up the length of the hall right down to the double staircases. Lucian and I stopped to admire the tableaux, enjoying the sight of so many fish as well as other sea creatures—some I’d never seen before.
A great white shark swam by closer to the top of the aquarium, followed closely by two others. And then a giant squid came into view, its long tentacles pulling it across the sandy floor.
Between the staircases, all the guests were entering the ballroom through a corridor, so Lucian and I followed, my heels clicking on the white marble floor.
My eyes fell on a woman who stood high above everyone else, and I knew immediately she was a goddess. Her hair was flaming red and decorated with green vines wrapped around a few of the curls. Her eyes were a striking green, and as she shook the hand of an elderly satyr who looked like a child standing before her, a vine in her hair reached out to him, making them both laugh.
“She’s Goddess Ameretat, the Persian goddess of plants. She’s also the personification of immortality." Lucian and I walked by her and caught a glimpse of another being who could be nothing else but a god.
He was wearing a white chiton and holding a bottle of wine in his left hand. He poured a drink for everyone while simultaneously sipping from a glass in his right hand. Everyone around him was hanging on his every word as he spoke, and they erupted in cheers as his infectious laughter thundered around them.
“That’s Dionysus, another vegetation deity. Greek God of wine. He’s loud.”
I chuckled at the annoyance in Lucian's voice. But as I looked around, seeing other gods and goddesses, I realized they were all very tall, making them stand out among everyone else.
“Are all gods and goddesses giants?”
"Most of them, yes." A familiar voice came from behind us, and Lucian and I both turned to find Rehema. She was wearing a black dress that had long feathers around her waist and down the cape, which dragged on the ground behind her. "You'll get used to it. It's like what happened with wolves. You guys are naturally taller and have muscular bodies, which allows you to handle the painful shifting you must endure. Gods have to have strong bodies to contain all their divinity.”
“I got tired of the odd stares Rehema's mother and I got while we dated for that very reason.” A man joined us, laughing at his own joke, and Rehema looped her arm through his.
“But that’s what a human gets when he decides to date a goddess. Right, Dad?"
The resemblance between them was uncanny. There was no doubt Rehema was this man’s daughter.
Rehema turned to us. “This is my father, Itsuki Yashida. Dad, this is Natalie and her mate, Lucian.”
Despite knowing all spirits remained the age they died, I'd always imagined Rehema's father as an elderly man. But he didn’t look a day over twenty-five and appeared more like a brother.
His jet-black hair, so much like hers, was short and slicked backward. They shared the same button nose, innocent eyes, and warm smile, and she rested her head on his shoulder as she spoke.
Longings about the parents I’d never met surfaced in my mind at the sight of Rehema and her father, and the closeness they shared. My Uncle Mathieu had raised me alongside my cousin Xavier for my whole life. I never even knew my parents. As good as Uncle Mathieu and Xavier were to me, their love could never fill that void, that emptiness inside me that threatened to swallow me whole if I thought about it for too long.
It had been such a long time since I’d felt this ache, but as quickly as it appeared, I shoved it back into the dark crevices of my mind. I was fine all on my own. I’d had to be.
Lucian and I placed our fists over our hearts in greeting as Itsuki bowed.
“It’s nice to finally meet you, Mr. Yashida.” I bowed as well.
“It’s nice to meet you as well. Rehema has told me a lot about you.” He looked around us. "This is something, isn't it? This is the first time Poseidon's hosted the yearly ball."
“The aquarium out front is a bit much,” Rehema mumbled, and her father jabbed her with his elbow.
“Respect, Rehema,” he scolded, then smiled at me and Lucian, nodding. “You two remind me of yin and yang, the two opposing and complementary principles of Chinese philosophy: the light and the dark. You will balance each other. I can see that.”
Lucian and I looked at each other, and I couldn’t help blushing.
