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“You said Halloween party,” River drawled.
“It’s fine.” Coral waved a hand and gestured at the empty chairs to her right. “Have a seat.” She then introduced the other guests at the table who worked at her fashion design studio.
They each nodded and said hello, to which Sadie gave a polite wave, already forgetting most of their names. River drew back a chair for Sadie to sit, and her gaze drifted around the table to find that the guests’ eyes were pinned on her. She frowned and looked down at the empty crystal glass diagonal from her. When she glanced up a few seconds later after River lowered himself beside her, everyone’s stares still lingered on her.
Strange… She fidgeted with her dress, casting her attention on River’s mom.
Coral and Gabe didn’t seem to notice as Valentina carried in tray after tray, delivering bowls of steaming soup. Valentina set the last two in front of Sadie and River. Sadie peered down at the bowl and arched a brow—dark chunks of meat swirled within a thick ruby-red substance. Valentina then filled their glasses with another red liquid.
“Have you never seen blood before?” Coral asked, her voice cool. Sadie blinked, unable to tell if she was serious. But then Coral laughed a high-pitched laugh that sounded nothing like her as she continued, “It’s just food coloring and red wine. So, how is everything going for you, Sadie?” Coral drank a sip of her wine. “Did you find a steady job yet?”
“I’m still writing short stories and articles on the side while working on screenplays.” The money wasn’t much, but she wanted to bring in something so she didn’t feel like a leech, even though River said he didn’t mind if she focused on her screenplays since he made more than enough for the both of them.
Coral ran a red-painted fingernail across her matching crimson lips. “Maybe you should try harder, dear.”
“Mother,” River hissed in a low voice. Sadie’s stomach dropped as everyone at the table fixed their gazes back on her. It was a conversation she would rather not have with an audience.
“I’m only being honest.” Coral shrugged. “She could work for me at the studio and write fashion design articles instead.”
Sadie had finished college with a degree in English and could get certified to become a teacher, but she’d been procrastinating, not really wanting to go down that career path. Yet now she was second-guessing what she was doing—what she’d been doing. How even her sister had nudged her to try something else. The only ones who hadn’t were River and her good friend, Skyler. “I don’t even know the first thing about fashion.”
River frowned. “She helps me at events and conventions, which makes it so I don’t have to hire an assistant.”
Gabe lifted his glass of wine. “How about we show the guests some of your art, son?”
“We don’t need to do that tonight.” River ran a hand across his jaw, peering at Sadie. She’d never once been envious of him having the center of attention—his dark art always pulled at her in an alluring way that was hard to describe.
“Let them see what you can do,” Sadie said, clasping his hand. “Your art is beautiful.”
Valentina left the room and returned a few moments later, carrying two small sculptures. She set them in the center of the table. For the first one, an alabaster form leaned to the side as if melting, and two obsidian horns curled from the head, its face without features. Beside it, the other statue was black and white checkered, resting in a crouched position, fangs protruding from its wide mouth, its wholly dark eyes taking up most of its face.
They were perfect as always, and Sadie glanced up, noticing everyone was not only watching her but wore broad smiles spread across their faces.
As her pulse raced, drumming inside of her, she couldn’t keep silent and pretend she was imagining it. “What’s going on?”
River followed her stare, looking around the table. “Mother?” he asked, his hand folding over Sadie’s.
A wicked smile spread across Coral’s red lips as she drew out a jeweled dagger from beneath the table. “I think Sadie will make a lovely sacrifice, won’t she? Now we can fill our glasses and toast with her blood.”
River’s expression changed from worried to mirroring his mother’s eerie smile. A villainous look she’d never once seen on him. “Shh,” he whispered, his eyes crazed as he took out a dagger from under the table. “You always did love a good horror film, my love. How about I bestow on you the gift of a real one?”
Sadie’s heart slammed against her ribs as she took a deep swallow. This couldn’t be happening. But everyone around the table was now standing, blades in their hands. She stumbled back from the chair, turning to run for the front door, when she caught River fighting a smile.
“You ass!” Sadie shouted, glaring as she slapped him on the arm.
“Dammit, River, couldn’t you play along for once?” Coral huffed.
“What?” River chuckled, setting the dagger on the table, his body shaking with laughter. “I told you I’m a terrible actor.”
“This was your idea?” Sadie’s brows shot up as she faced Coral.
“I figured maybe we could give you a bit of a creative nudge.” The corners of Coral’s lips drooped. “I’m sorry for what I said earlier. I just wanted to make this appear real. You know Gabe and I both believe in you.”
Sadie’s shoulders relaxed and her lips formed a smile, her fingers begging to write words that would take her to dark, imaginative worlds. “This was perfect. A game that could have gone deadly, nonetheless. But perfect!”
“Sorry I couldn’t play my fucked-up part well enough.” River smirked as he started the car.
“It was positively glorious until you smiled.” Sadie bit her lip. “For a moment, I really thought you wanted me to be a sacrifice.”
