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“What? Are you upset?”
“No, the opposite, actually. That’s kind of hot. I like the idea of exploring different situations with you. It’s… exciting.”
“Good, because I plan on exploring a lot with you. And of you.”
He fiddled with the collar of his shirt, and I noticed his neck turned a delicious pink color.
We had to leave it at that, having arrived at the main entrance to the party, a wide open archway covered in roses and tulips, their lush leaves and petals creating a living portal. The sound of loud, thumping music flowed out of the space, rattling my ribs.
We walked inside and found a main hall that was jaw-droppingly beautiful, an intoxicating blend of opulence and magic. Chandeliers fashioned from crystal flowers and suspended by threads of pure light sparkled above. Their glow illuminated frescoes depicting legends of love and heroism, each painting alive and moving, telling the story of Marmont’s favorite goddess, Elune, the goddess of revelry. In the center of the hall was a dance floor that was packed shoulder to shoulder with sweaty, writhing bodies.
Floors of iridescent marble reflected the grandeur, leading to rooms filled with laughter, music, and the scent of exotic enchantments. One room hosted a garden of musical flowers, their blossoms opening to the rhythm of a celestial symphony.
The hall of mirrors must have been somewhere close by.
There was an interesting dynamic at play as I looked out at the gathered crowd of fae, Marvels, shifters, and humans, grinding and touching to the beat of a song playing from invisible speakers. The surroundings were opulent and rich, but all the attendees were dressed in what could only be described as “world’s-end chic.”
Torn-up leather crop tops, shorts made of dangling gems that showed off everything underneath, low-rise jeans that clung to gyrating hips like dangling cliff divers. There was a snake shifter who danced in a pair of bedazzled bra and panties, her pierced fork tongue flicking out into the air and brushing against my earlobe as I walked past her. People were dancing on the floor like they were having sex—and I wouldn’t doubt that a few of them were.
I felt a simultaneous sense of awe and discomfort, caught between the desire to lose myself in the splendor and the unsettling memories of the night’s earlier events, all paired with the weight of the mission ahead of us.
It was a lot of fucking shit to deal with, even for a dragon.
Robby must have sensed my tension and took my hand. This was one of the first times he had reached out for me in public, and I couldn’t help but notice the ember it had planted in my chest.
“Come on,” he said, tugging me toward the dance floor. “We still have time before the colored mist disperses. Let’s dance a little. Let go of some of this stress.”
My first instinct was to pull back. We were here for a purpose. We couldn’t afford getting distracted.
But Robby was right. It still wasn’t time. According to Maddox, the famous Marmont mist always happened toward the end of his parties—we could afford to let loose for a few moments.
And then she appeared, almost as suddenly as the vampire Matriarch had done. A drag queen—a Marvel, judging by the shimmering threads of forest-green mana she wore around her neck like a necklace— her presence as dazzling as her outfit. Sequins sparkled like tiny suns, feathers floated around her like clouds, and a train of iridescent fabric trailed behind her like a comet’s tail. Her heavily painted eyes sparkled with mischief as she approached us, the blue and green eyeshadow reminding me of a peacock.
“Well, hello there, handsome,” she purred, her eyes on Robby. “And who might you be?”
“I’m Robby, and this is, uh, Maddox,” Robby replied, a grin on his face.
“I’m Starlight,” she said, her voice dripping with allure. “But tonight, I could be anything you want me to be.” Her eyes twinkled with humor as she looked at me and winked. “Or anyone, if that’s what you’re into.”
I couldn’t help but laugh, the drag queen’s energy electric.
“You must be new here,” Starlight continued, her gaze fixed on Robby. “I’d remember a face like yours.”
“Yeah, I don’t get out much lately,” Robby admitted with one of the understatements of the century. Poor guy had been trapped in our castle and Claire’s magic shop like a hostage.
Starlight’s eyes softened. “Well, babe, I’ll be glad to help you get it out. I mean, get your dick out. I mean, get your dick into my—oh, you know what I mean,” she said, laughing with a playful slap against Robby’s chest. He started to crack up, taking out his wallet and pulling out a five-dollar bill.
“Don’t you dare think about tipping me. I’m off the cock. Clock,” Starlight said, grabbing the money anyway and stuffing it into her dress. “I just simply won’t have it.” She winked and grabbed both of our hands. “Now, come. We need to dance. Follow my lead, boys!”
