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Hours later,he was back to pick me up, carefully ushering me into a flitter.
“You look magnificent tonight, Elara,” remarked Draven as he ran his eyes over me. I loved the way he did that, and I was tempted to mount him again then and there.
“Thank you. I’ve never worn anything like this before.” I giggled. I quickly shot an inspecting glance over my outfit to make sure it was still in pristine condition. As I did so, some of my hair fell down over my face.
“Well, I’ve never attended an event with a human before, so I guess there’s a first time for everything,” he replied. He reached over, brushing my hair behind my ear. As he did so, the woody scent of his cologne hit my nostrils. He laid his hand on my chin and pulled me in for a kiss.
I sat quietly as he held my hand for the rest of the trip. As we drove, I glanced up at the various neon holographs. One of them immediately caught my eye, an advertisement for some medicinal product with a stamp of guaranteed relief from ailments with support from scientists.
At that point, I thought of Jocelyn for the first time since last night. The image of her in my mind suddenly put a damper on my mood, but this was more than a simple disturbance. A feeling of dread brewed as my stomach twisted with a knot of anxiety.
Draven squeezed my hand, snapping me back to reality. I turned to see a worried expression written across his face.
“Are you all right?” he asked.
“Do you think Jocelyn will be here?” I replied shakily.
“Elara, I have all of my men on the lookout for her tonight. I’m not sure if she knows about the connection between you and me, but this gala has been heavy in the media for the past week, so I can’t say she won’t try to attend.”
“Great.” I sighed.
“Don’t worry about it for the time being. Stick by my side, and I’m sure you’ll be fine. Should you get separated from me at any point, my guys will be around the casino floors. They can give you a hand.”
“All right. Hopefully, things go smoothly tonight.”
“We’re here.”
I looked at the Black Star Casino out of the hovercar window, its exterior lit up with life like I’d never seen before. Spotlights sat along the top of the front wall, shifting from left to right. People stood in a line that continued endlessly down the walkway as they each filed into the casino.
As the hovercar came to a stop, I watched as bouncers patted down each attendee before they stepped into a scanner. It gave me a sense of reassurance.
“Are you ready?” asked Draven.
“Let’s do this,” I replied.
“One more touch, my Starlight,” Draven murmured. From a box next to him, he pulled out a silken white mask, its simple shape outlined by a thin line of tiny diamonds.
Carefully, he tied it over my hair, then slipped on his own, matching in black with jet chips for accents.
We stepped out as Draven came to my side. I linked arms with him, and together, we strode up the walkway. Being the owner’s date meant I had the fortunate perk of skipping the line, though I was met with glares from guests.
We strolled right up to the entrance as the bouncers stepped aside, holding the doors open as we made our way inside the casino.
Games were well underway. Each of the bars was chock full of people as bartenders ran to and fro between each customer, sweat running down their foreheads as they mixed drinks.
Guests cheered around the holographic slot machines, shouting for joy when they scored a winning bet. Sakkar nodded at us from afar, giving the all clear to Draven.
“So far, so good,” said Draven, loudly so that I heard him over the noise.
Just then, a group of men I didn’t recognize strolled up to Draven and shook his hand. I was reminded of his position then and there and felt a wave of pride wash over me to be there with him as his date.
We pressed onward. I was keen to see my decorations nearer to the center. Draven stopped a passing waiter and took two drinks off of his tray, handing one to me.
“To you, Elara,” he exclaimed, clinking my glass.
From behind him, Ryrik emerged from a bustling group of people.
“Hello, Elara,” he greeted before grabbing Draven’s attention. He whispered something in his ear as my date nodded along. As quickly as Ryrik came, he then disappeared in the blink of an eye.
