Violent Delights

by Boggs, Hannah;

  Grayson clicked his tongue. “I do live here.”

  “No! Why are you in the … the bathroom with me?”

  “I heard the sound of your mental screaming and fear,” Grayson said. He stepped forward and placed his finger underneath her chin.

  Odette backed up into the sink. “I’m sorry?”

  Grayson did not elaborate. “Tonight, at the party, Greer and I are doing a small performance. She was going to ask you to be our ‘brave volunteer,’ but she obviously hasn’t, so I will. Are you willing?”

  Odette would be more willing if he wasn’t leering over her. “Yeah sure. So long as it doesn’t kill me,” she joked.

  His blue eyes glimmered with mystery. He, at some point, had laced his fingers with her own and gave her hand a squeeze. “How could I slay such a beautiful princess?”

  Grayson leaned in closer and, for a second, she thought he was going to kiss her. At the last second, he pulled all the way back and exited the bathroom without so much as a “goodbye” or an “I’m sorry.”

  Odette scoffed, her skin tingling not only from what could have been but also because he was a strange jerk.

  “What were you two doing?” Greer teased as Odette came back to her room.

  “I have no idea what you mean.”

  Greer made a face as she swiped purple eye shadow over her eyelids. “Don’t play dumb, darling. My room is right across the hallway. I saw him leave.”

  “Then you must have heard me screaming at him for sneaking up on me too.” Odette perched herself on Greer’s bed and pulled out her phone to text her mom that she hadn’t died yet.

  “You two will be dating by the end of the night.” Greer paused and added quietly, “That’s how it always happens.”

  Odette blanched, “Probably not. He asked me to help out with one of your tricks you’ll perform tonight.”

  “You said yes?”

  “Yeah.” It would be rude not to. “What does your mask look like?”

  Greer pointed over on her nightstand with the incense sticks. There was a silver mask that was probably made of real silver. There was a swirling, silver stick that was attached for Greer to hold it up. It looked heavy. Odette wondered if her arm would get tired.

  “It’s pretty.”

  “Isn’t it? Grandfather bought it especially for this occasion.” Greer’s primping didn’t stop for a second. She grabbed a tube of dark purple lipstick and rolled it onto her pouting lips. “He says that it came from Italy but I’m pretty sure he got it illegally from one of his old prison buddies.”

  Oh boy.

  “Come, Odette, I’m finished with my makeup. You need to do yours. We can’t have you looking all blotchy.”

  Greer pretty much left her alone after that. She had gotten up and went out of the room to get something. When she came back, her hair was no longer held back by the headband but had been pulled back in a bun. On her neck, the blue jewel had been attached to a silver chain and hung down to her stomach.

  Odette was only acknowledged by Greer when the latter told her to wear red lipstick instead of pink. The quiet added to Odette’s anxiety about the party.

  Noises from downstairs became louder, and soon the hundreds of people stopped running around the courtyard and vanished inside the house. The girls helped each other into their dresses and adjusted their masks.

  “Don’t worry, darling,” Greer reassured Odette. “Tonight will be memorable.”

  IX

  The entire mansion had been transformed. In the entrance hall, the grand staircase had ivy wrapped around its railing while glittering, leafless trees and moss-covered pillars adorned the walls. It was an enchanted forest.

  In the actual ballroom, candles had been lit and provided the light for everyone to see. It was nearly dusk and its orange glow was let in through the floor-to-ceiling windows. The candles were held up by the decorative branches, wax pouring over them and growing longer and longer till it nearly touched the floor.

  Odette strolled around the halls, admiring everything that the gala had to offer. Greer and Grayson had to greet the guests as they came in but she felt out of place behind her friend, so she wandered away. She had broken one of her mother’s rules already and the gala hadn’t really begun yet.

  Another thing that she found enjoyable were the masks everyone wore. Many were just the simple black or white masks but some were more creative. There were masks with beaks and antennae, some were butterfly-shaped, some were cat-like. They ranged from soft pink to an ugly vibrant green. One guest with an elephant mask had rainbow paisley patterns all over it. Odette had no doubt that these masks were just as expensive as Greer’s.

  “Hello.”

  She turned her head and regarded a man in a gold rabbit mask. “Hi.”

  “You’re new in town, aren’t you?” He leaned against the wall she was leaning on.

  “What makes you say that?”

  He shrugged, “I haven’t seen you before.”

  “We’re at a masked ball, you don’t know who I am,” Odette laughed.

  “I know,” he chuckled too. “That’s why I’m trying to get to know you.”

  She shook her head, “I think that defeats the purpose of this gala.”

  “No, it doesn’t. The point of a masquerade is to guess who the person is, and possibly get to know them. I’m Claude.” Claude stuck his hand out for Odette to take.

  “You’re not supposed to tell me your name!” Odette exclaimed, very flustered.

  “Why not?”

  Odette stuttered, “Because … because it’s not how this works.”

  “You’re the only one making this proper, you know that, right? Everyone else here pretty much knows who is who. This is just a snobby display of wealth,” Claude reached down and took Odette’s hand in his, tired of waiting for her to take it. “So, how about that name, doll?”

  Odette pursed her lips. If everyone else here already knew everyone else, what was the point of the masks? The Mages’ didn’t really seem like the people who do things “just for the heck of it.”

  She sighed, “My name is–”

  “Princess! There you are. I told you I would find you,” Grayson said. He sauntered up beside Odette and scooped up her free hand, planting a swift kiss on it. “Oh, and you’ve made a friend?”

  Claude laughed nervously, staring at his shoes. “Yes, we’ve been talking about what is and isn’t proper to do at a masquerade.”

  “Hmm, sounds boring. I’m going to be taking her away now, goodbye.” Grayson tugged Odette’s hand and she finally freed her hand from the other man.

  “Bye!” she called out.

  Claude chuckled, “Bye princess.”

  Grayson glowered and made sure to hold onto Odette tight. He linked their arms together, his other hand placed on top of hers. A strange feeling went through her. Anxiety, yes, but also … attraction.

  Odette knew that Grayson was good looking, it was really hard to deny that fact. She had noticed it the first time they met. It could be described as heavenly but something dark lurked under the surface. There, in his eyes, underneath the fake pleasantness, laid a devil.

  “Penny for your thoughts?” Grayson mused. He quirked an eyebrow and smiled crookedly.

  Odette wondered if he ever actually smiled. “Just taking it all in. Also, trying not to fall. It’s been a while since I had to walk in high heels.”

  “Don’t worry about that, I’m here to catch you,” he said, giving her arm a reassuring squeeze.

  She smiled, mentally thanking him. “When are you all doing your thing?”

  He chuckled, shaking his head. “Our ‘thing’? We’ll perform in about thirty minutes. Again, don’t worry. You project your thoughts so loud, anyone can hear them.”

  What was that supposed to mean?

  He led her into another room where people were dancing. An orchestra had been set up on the far side but it was hard to see them with all the couples. It was a swirl of colors as dresses fanned
out and grotesque masks stared down other grotesque masks. On the walls, faux gargoyles sat on top of pillars with candles on their heads. It was a beautiful nightmare.

  “Care to dance, princess?”

  Odette sucked in a deep breath, not tearing her eyes off of everyone. “I can’t dance.”

  “You were a ballerina,” Grayson deadpanned.

  Odette laughed humorlessly. “Doesn’t mean I can ballroom dance. Those are two very different things,” she informed him.

  The boy rolled his eyes. “Well, it isn’t rocket science. Plus, you would have an excellent partner.”

  “You can dance?” She narrowed her eyes.

  “I’m not incompetent.”

  Odette didn’t have time to come up with a reply. Grayson spun her out of his hold and into a form similar to everyone else’s. She was very aware of the fact that he had a hand on her waist and that it was almost too warm for her to handle.

  Grayson leaned down so that his mouth was right next to her ear. “Relax,” he whispered.

  If anything, that made her even more tense. “I can’t relax because, any second now, I’m going to step on your toes,” she hissed.

  The boy huffed and pulled her in closer. He would instruct her every now and then to step back or to step to the right or left, keeping the moves relatively simple. When she had somewhat gotten the hang of it, Grayson danced them around the room, weaving in and out of the other masked couples.

  A few people greeted him, obviously recognizing the host of the gala. Grayson kept those interactions as brief as possible. Odette didn’t really notice, she focused on not puking or passing out.

  He wasn’t lying when he told her that he could dance. Grayson was twirling her, dancing them in literal circles around the others in the room. The orchestra started playing a new song and Grayson’s movements changed to match the rhythm.

  “How did you learn? I mean, who taught you?” Odette asked. She figured, if he was going to hold her hostage, she might as well make it less awkward.

  Grayson stared at her through his midnight blue mask, eyes trailing all over her face. “After my sister and I gained more and more fame, we needed to reinvent ourselves. We needed to learn how to act like people who had money. Grandfather enrolled us, he wasn’t very happy about having to spend money on something like this but it helped keeping up appearances. The more galas and parties we threw, the more attention we brought and the more money we earned.”

  His hand slid from her hip to her lower back and he waltzed them in a circular motion to avoid a rather large man and his drink. She had to force herself even closer, too, practically hugging his neck while he twirled the two of them away.

  “Oh cool,” Odette said. “Do you know where Greer is now?”

  He nodded his head towards the arched doorway. “Waiting on the two of us, princess.”

  She looked over her shoulder but found herself being twirled, once again, and nearly freed herself from his grasp. They were right in front of Greer, side by side. Grayson swiftly took her arm with his and faced his sister with a forced smile.

  “Sister dear.”

  “Brother,” she chided. “I hope you haven’t made our friend sick.”

  Odette swayed slightly, leaning into Grayson for support. “I’ll be okay,” she assured.

  Greer pursed her lips, her face twisting up ever so slightly. “Come, let’s get you some water before the show.” She shot her brother a discreet glare, which he paid no mind to.

  Odette hated to admit it but having someone to lean on and hold onto helped with her walking. It also helped that he smelled good. She pressed herself further into his arm to avoid people who had no regard for personal space.

  In the dining room, Greer handed her friend a glass full of water, the liquid sloshing against the sides. “Drink up.”

  She sipped it gently, the glass bumping up on her mask. Odette tipped her head back and downed the rest of it. “Thanks.”

  “Just making sure that you don’t drop dead, darling,” Greer cooed. She patted Odette’s head with false affection.

  Odette flinched away, unconsciously moving behind Grayson to escape Greer. Everything started to sway, or maybe that was just her. This wouldn’t happen, not here and not now. She wouldn’t allow it.

  “Princess?” Grayson’s face dropped.

  Odette had a difficult time looking up at him, her limbs were jelly-like and her vision swimming. “I’m fine.” This wasn’t going to happen.

  She tried her breathing techniques that one of the doctors had taught her. Sometimes it stopped the oncoming disaster that was a part of her life.

  “Are you okay to walk or do you need me to carry you?” He winked at her, his blue eyes glowing in the candle light.

  A wave of calm and normalcy washed over her, shivers going through her. All of the sluggish thoughts and unclear surroundings came into focus. That hadn’t happened to her before.

  “No, I can walk. I’m good now, I promise,” she said earnestly. The twins shared a look but it was brief, and soon the trio was on the move again. Passersby paid them no mind, a surprise to Odette as they had been so excited to see the brother and sister all night.

  They opened a door that led through the back of the ballroom. A stage had been set up with deep purple curtains shielding them from view. Night had fallen and more candles were lit, some of them lining the front of the pop-up stage.

  “You’ll wait up front in the audience until we call you up,” Grayson explained. He escorted her to where the rest of the party milled about.

  “I probably should have asked before,” Odette began. “But what exactly are you going to have me do? Nothing that will, like, humiliate me?”

  Grayson cupped her cheek, “Have faith in me, princess.”

  If it weren’t for the fact that she was still wary of him, she would feel flustered that he was holding her face like that. “That didn’t answer my question.”

  He smirked and gently pushed her away and back into the party. Grayson vanished into the shadows, his shimmering jewel was the only evidence that he hadn’t actually gone anywhere.

  Odette sighed and moved back a few steps. Her feet were starting to ache from standing too long and the dancing. Was she having fun? It was difficult to tell, even for her. It wasn’t the horror show she had imagined deep down but the night was still young.

  Suddenly, Odette started to stumble forward when a person in the crowd bumped into her. Trembling hands caught her and pulled her back up, setting her right again.

  “Thank y–”

  “You have t-to be careful, miss,” the young man whispered. Odette only saw the flash of liquid silver-colored hair before he practically threw himself into the crowd and away from her. She had hardly begun to think about the man when Jethro stepped onto the stage, taking her attention away.

  “Welcome, everyone, and thank you for coming this evening. So far, our masked gala has been a success. But we can make it better,” Jethro paused for dramatic effect, his eyes glinting under his mask. “Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, The Mages Twins!”

  The crowd had gathered around the stage during Jethro’s brief introduction. They cheered as Jethro disappeared behind a cloud of smoke but, other than that, they remained in a trancelike state. Odette couldn’t help but step closer to the stage.

  “What a lovely sight you all are,” Greer mused, the crowd parting to reveal her lounging on a chair. Her mask was off—there was no use for it now. “I hope you’re ready for the show?”

  This cued the applause. Greer’s smile widened. She stood from the cloth-covered chair and wiped off imaginary dust from her dress.

  Greer cleared her throat and dramatically bowed to everyone. “For my first act I will–”

  “Where’s Grayson?!” A girl in the back shouted.

  Greer’s movement halted and she furrowed her perfectly penciled eyebrows. “Hmm? Where is that brother of mine?” She dramatically gasped as though an idea popped into her hea
d.

  She grasped the rich purple fabric covering the chair and ripped it off … to reveal a boring wooden chair. Odette half expected for Grayson to pop out from behind the thing but there was no way to hide behind it.

  Greer whirled the fabric around and—as though by magic—Grayson appeared out of thin air, with the fabric fastened around his shoulders. He, too, was maskless.

  Their crowd burst into another bout of applause and shouting adoration. At least, the people in attendance weren’t as rowdy as their usual crowd.

  “Thank you, sister,” Grayson winked at her and gracefully bowed to the audience. “For our first act, we are going to pull a rabbit out of a top hat. It’s a classic for a reason.”

  Grayson reached up and plucked a top hat out of the air and brought it down with a twirl of his fingers. Beside him, his sister did something similar as she pulled a “magic wand” out from somewhere on her person.

  “I want you all to see that this hat is, indeed, empty,” stated Grayson. He flipped the top hat’s insides towards the crowd, pointing at them for an extended amount of time. Once he was done, he flipped it back over so that the bottom was facing the ceiling, holding it out for Greer.

  She swirled the wand over the brim of the top hat, shooting a wink at the crowd.

  They said no magic words or phrases, only let the stick run slowly on the hat. Greer would occasionally tap it on the sides or reverse the motion of it.

  “Now, I’m going to reach my hand inside of this very empty hat, and pull out a bunny rabbit!” Grayson declared.

  More chuckles came from the guests. Odette chewed on her inner cheek and watched with bated breath.

  Grayson hammily reached inside of the hat like he said and pulled out a … white snake. Squiggles. A few women screamed when Squiggles raised his pale head and stared out. His tongue flicked out menacingly. Odette shrank back as the snake’s cold eyes looked directly at her.

  “Err—technical difficulties, folks,” Greer teased. She gently took Squiggles into her arms and let him back inside the top hat. “Let’s try again!”