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His voice brought me back to myself, and I glanced at my watch. Three hours and nine minutes left.
Vas and I stood on the outskirts of the ballroom, silently observing as several women approached Red Armand to request a dance. He was highly sought after and held in high esteem among these people. It was sickening that a man such as him could garner so much attention and respect.
“This song is about to end,” Vas said, his hand on my lower back. “Now’s the time.”
We moved through the ballroom, and when we neared Red Armand there were a number of ladies hovering, waiting for their chance with him. Vas melted away as I pushed past them and tapped Armand on the shoulder just as the song ended.
I made the same little curtsey I’d seen the other women make, mustering my most angelic smile as his whiskey coloured eyes fell on me. “Hello,” he purred, eyeing me like I was just another pretty thing to look at, no clue of the assassin behind the fancy mask.
“Might I trouble you for a dance?” I asked in Oreylian, hoping the accent Roman bespelled me with was accurate enough not to tip him off that I wasn’t local.
He smiled then, a predatory smile, and I shuddered to think what happened to the women he brought home with him at the end of the night. Nearby, his date was loudly flirting with another man to make him jealous. Obviously, she was annoyed that Armand had spent so much time dancing with other women.
“It would be my pleasure,” he answered, presenting his hand. Stifling my revulsion, I took his hand and we started to dance. It was a formal dance, like a waltz. I mimicked the steps I’d seen the other couples doing while sweat beaded my upper lip, my heart racing as I contemplated my next move.
“You look familiar,” Red Armand commented, his demonic gaze cataloguing what features he could make out since the mask covered most of my face. “What is your name?”
I scrambled for an Oreylian name, my eyes meeting his when I finally answered, “Maya. My name is Maya.” It seemed poetic to kill him in her name. Because of him she’d barely gotten the chance to live. It was the least she deserved.
“Maya. A beautiful name for a beautiful woman. I must say, those eyes of yours are thoroughly bewitching.” His hand smoothed down my spine, coming to rest on my lower back and I struggled not to bristle. I hated being this close to him, hated having his hands on me.
Over his shoulder I caught sight of Vas watching us from the edge of the dance floor, silently urging me to strike before the dance ended and I lost my chance.
“Thank you,” I replied, trying to figure out a way to slide my hand from where it rested on his shoulder and into the fold of my dress without appearing suspicious. There wasn’t an obvious opportunity, but then suddenly his date marched across the dancefloor and angrily tapped him on the shoulder.
Armand gave her his attention, his hands falling away from me.
“This is humiliating. You’ve been ignoring me all night,” the woman complained.
“Now, now, Orlena. I’m merely being polite and having a dance with some of the lovely ladies here at the ball. Surely, you wouldn’t deny them that?”
My hand was already inside my dress gripping the handle of the dagger. I approached Red Armand from behind as he dealt with the woman, but just as I was about to sink it into his lower back, his date shrieked, “Watch out! She’s got a blade!”
Quick as a flash Armand disintegrated into his wraith form, the dark shadow filling the air before he solidified again. His face contorted with rage when he saw my weapon. He tried to grab for it but I was faster, slashing him across the face. All around us, the crowd gasped, some running for the exits. It seemed to dawn on him that I’d cut him with no ordinary blade when he yelled, “Get her! I’ve been poisoned! I need a doctor this instant!”
Several guards began to surround me, and up ahead I saw the Dicteps and his family being ushered out to safety. Then, familiar arms came around me, Vas’ voice a low rumble, “Not quite what we were aiming for but let’s hope it does the trick.”
A second later, he teleported us from the ballroom.
16.
When we landed we weren’t where I expected us to be. Vas and I stood just outside the city limits, several hours’ walk away from where Belinda’s portal would open.
“This isn’t the right spot,” I said in panic. Vas’ features were strained and I knew immediately that something was wrong. “Vas?”
“My teleportation magic is too low. We’re going to have to walk the rest of the way.”
