by WB McKay
"If it comes to that?" I asked.
"Yeah, I found a gathering of all the guards and servants that attend to the powerful fae attending the ball." He sat up straight and patted the handle of his axe. "I think it will be easier to take out one of them in the chaos and get you some armor from there."
"Excellent, because I didn't find anything about the armor," because I didn't actually look for that, "but I did happen to find this." I pulled the small black wand out of the back of my shorts and waved it in front of Graulfv. At his questioning look, I said, "It's a wand that destroys enchantments."
He frowned rather than smiling. "Do we have to worry about the person you took that from noticing?"
My grin widened. "I don't think we'll have any problems if we get out of here in the next couple of hours. He was so out of it that a slap to the face didn't even make him stir." I tucked the wand away again. "And from what he said, anyone that finds him will think he has overindulged. He's done it before. We should be all clear."
"You're truly doing good work here, Sophie," said Graulfv, favoring me with a smile. It made me blush.
Before I could respond, there was a knock at the door. "That should be Xia and Lea coming to help me get ready for the ball."
Graulfv's smile widened and he was off the couch and to the door in an instant. The ladies stood on the other side of the door, their smiles a mirror to his. "Ladies, please come in. It's delightful to see you again."
Within moments the suite was a whirlwind of activity. While I'd thought I would be the only one receiving their ministrations, I'd been wrong. Xia polished Graulfv's armor and styled his hair and beard while Lea helped me into my costume.
"Clothes that take more than one person to put them on shouldn't be a thing," I said, leaning over my shoulder to talk to Lea while she buttoned the back.
Even knowing that the enchantment would completely conceal me, I felt exposed. Like the spotlight was trained on my face, and everyone would notice me—hardly how I wanted to feel during a mission reliant on sneakiness. Which was silly, because the point of the getup was to help me blend in.
Lea spun me around to face the mirror. "When things are this beautiful, I think we can make an exception."
It was pretty and probably fashionable, but… "Is this… uh… is this really the thing to wear?" Lea raised an eyebrow. "I mean, will this blend in?"
"This is the required style of dress, if that's what you mean to ask."
"Right, of course," I said, recognizing the tone of someone I'd offended. "I should beg you to come home with me and style my hair like this all the time."
"It actually doesn't take that much work," said Lea, plucking one last curl into place. "I can show you if you want."
I debated it for a few seconds and finally shook my head. I needed to get to the ball and take care of that mask. "Not now. Maybe I'll take you up on that later."
Lea smiled sadly. The truth was that unless there was another ball, I was unlikely to ever see her again. Of course, that was a truth I was aiming to change. It was hard not to tell her that I was planning to set her free.
"You've been kinder to me than anyone should expect from you considering your circumstances." Her head snapped up when I said that. I guessed I was right—we weren't supposed to talk about the fact that she was operating under forced conditions. I knew I had to be careful what I said, but I couldn't help myself. Careful to keep my voice down, I continued. "I believe those circumstances will change soon. If that were to happen, I would hope you'd be ready to take full advantage." I nodded solemnly, but then added a wink. I wasn't sure if she believed me—I wasn't sure if hope was something anyone in her situation could really afford—but I couldn't walk away from her without saying something. As I walked away from her, I realized that I wasn't going to be able to leave Derinia without succeeding. While the mission had started as a possible way to repay The Morrigan, one way or another, I couldn't leave until I'd destroyed that mask. Order and decorum, slaves and masters… Derinia needed a healthy dose of chaos, and I was just the fae to make that happen.
I looped my arm in Graulfv's. "I'm ready."
He patted my hand and gave me a mischievous grin. "Let's go be absolutely fabulous."
"Words I never thought I'd hear on a mission."
Skepticism raised his brow. "Do you truly ever count anything as unlikely during one of your missions?"
"Yeah, okay. Fair point."
"Seeing as I'm already waist deep in this mission with you, it feels a fair time to ask what you would consider most likely to happen during one of your expeditions?"
I shrugged. "Lately, I'd have to say snakes."
His jaw dropped. "The lava snakes we encountered earlier weren't an isolated incident?"
"Fae, no. Freaking lava snakes are becoming a downright common occurrence."
"That might have been good to know earlier."
"Hell, if lava snakes would have changed your mind, you don't want to know about the things I've been doing lately, Graulfv. And if the snakes wouldn't have changed your mind, then knowing would have only given you more to worry about, right?"
"I don't know," he replied. "I can't wrap my mind around what you've said. I'm too busy watching our surroundings for the next snake." And he was. His eyes roamed around us like he expected one to spring up any second.
"You can't worry about the next snake to strike, old man. It's going to happen when it happens."
"I would take it as a kindness if you would stop trying to comfort me."
"Sounds good to me, old man." We'd reached the grand entry to the ballroom. I patted his wrist and he took a step back. "Still ready to be fabulous?" I asked him.
"Always." He winked and walked away from me, headed for a much less ostentatious doorway on the right that led to a room only large enough to host several lavish ceremonies at the same time. I was sure Graulfv would feel disadvantaged.
The main ballroom was ridiculous in comparison. I was pretty sure several sports teams could have held matches there during the party without anyone noticing. They would have a hard time keeping the ball from getting tangled in the vines of flowers that spread from column to column around the space, though. They also might have trouble with the dancing flashes of flame that flitted from one location to another.
Graulfv ducked into his own private party and was greeted by a round of coarse shouts and good-natured insults. It appeared he'd already made some friends. Being that he was human, that spoke very highly of his ability to charm.
My own party did not look as friendly.
I glanced across the room and found that there wasn't a human-looking form among all the greenery. The closest I found was a minotaur towering over a crowd of various animals and insects. With his mention of labyrinths, that had to be Tightpants.
"Am I expected to stay in my transformed appearance for the duration of the ball?" I asked.
"Typically, that is the case until the dinner, madame." His snooty tone made it obvious that I'd asked a question everyone should have known the answer to. "It's meant to be a guessing game. You may, of course, stay in whatever form you are most comfortable." In other words, don't change unless you want to be ostracized. "However, some do change briefly in order to prove their identity."
I was guessing that was akin to slapping someone in the face and insulting their mother.
"Monarch," I said, and the magic of the costume washed over me, transforming me into a gigantic butterfly.
Behind me, I could hear the attendant gasp. "But you're not The Morrigan?" He said it like he wanted it to be true, but he didn't believe it. I grinned back at him. Let him think he'd just taken a tone with The Morrigan. He'll be sleeping with one eye open for a while.
I ignored him and stepped into the ballroom. It would be interesting to see how this group of powerful fae would treat me when they thought I was The Morrigan. I wondered how many would show respect, and how many would only show veiled contempt.
As I stepp
ed into the room, a hush descended. Everything except for the music dropped to a faint murmur. My previous feelings of exposure returned tenfold as every eye within the vicinity turned my way for the longest ten seconds of my life. I knew the power behind those gathered gazes could have killed me a dozen times over if they'd wanted to. I was no longer sure that taking the costume meant for The Morrigan had been the best idea. It wasn't likely that The Morrigan could go anywhere during the ball without someone watching her.
"Well, I never really was one to do anything under the radar," I said to myself.
The spell of quiet was broken when one of the dancing flames approached me, a tray of ice balanced before it. "A drink, madame?" it said in a voice like crackling embers.
It took me a moment to recover my wits. My eyes darted around the room and found that all the dozen dancing flames I'd seen were the same. They weren't just magical fire, they were fire elementals. Tiberius was using some of the most powerful magical beings in Faerie as servers for his party.
"No," I said flatly, and turned to walk toward the buffet tables set to my right.
Even though the crown was spread out into pieces adorning my insectoid body, I could feel the Fleece's weight pressing heavily down on my head. I could be like the guests at this party if I wasn't careful, only my controlling magic wasn't restricted to fire fae. I grabbed a finger sandwich from a tray on the table and chewed with mechanical efficiency, swallowing to push down my rising gorge.
If I looked around the room, I knew I'd see a dozen more examples of Tiberius's ruthless enslavement. I wasn't ready for that. Or, more precisely, my temper wasn't. I needed to be at my best if I was going to find and destroy the mask, and that was going to require a few more minutes.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
I forced myself to take a deep breath and survey the crowd.
As I'd suspected, the fire elementals weren't the only beings working the ball. Scattered around the room were several elevators that went up to a second floor. They were powered by fire horses like Bernie. I also spotted a few dragons milling around the larger groups, their predatory grace easily recognizable to me. They were being used as more personal servants for the truly elite among the crowd. On the other side of the ballroom, a buffet table moved through the crowd at a steady pace. Eventually, the throng parted enough to reveal the lava slug carrying the buffet on its back. When I knew what to look for, I spotted a couple more.
Of course, it would have been more efficient—if costly—to have an enchanted table go through the crowd, but anyone with enough wealth could accomplish that. This was about displaying Tiberius's power over people.
It was all reprehensible, and the longer I looked, the more I saw. What I'd first taken as a rather uninspired black dog costume turned out to be security for the event. I saw several of them scattered around the room, watching the revelers with barely concealed menace. I couldn't see how they were fire fae, but I was sure that if someone violated an unspoken rule, they would launch into action and burn with the best of them. They would be a valuable resource, the Fleece thought. Easy to maintain control, and can be used for many tasks. They should be our first acquisition.
My thoughts reeled to a standstill; I could practically hear the record screech. No. No. No. I shook my head furiously, a desperate attempt to free my mind of the Fleece's influence. There will be no acquisitions! We do not acquire beings!
I could tell the Fleece wasn't listening to me.
My legs wobbled. I had to do this. Not being able to trust my mind was a great reason to back up and try this again another day, but there just wasn't a choice. My mind had to gear up and get in line.
In the back of the room was the main dance floor, and a few feet above it, to the left was a stage from which the music emanated. In the center of the stage was a pale woman, wreathed in flames, singing the most beautiful song I'd ever heard. Another phoenix, like Lea.
We're freeing slaves, I reminded the Fleece, not taking them.
While I surveyed the crowd, involuntarily noticing all the ways Tiberius used his people, a woman approached me with literal fire in her eyes. She reached up and rubbed the point of one of the glowing red horns on her forehead and gave me a wink. It was a very lascivious wink, but I could still tell it was half-hearted. It was as if everything she did was sexual, and she was just slogging her way through another day. When I did nothing to respond, she sauntered past me, giving me a good view of her scantily clad body and fixing me with her quietly furious stare. Then she was gone, leaving me with a view of the flaming tail that lashed behind her.
Succubus. She hadn't been carrying a tray of food or drinks. My skin crawled at the reality of why she and several others like her were walking around the party.
All I wanted to do was unleash my temper on these people, but that helped no one. Let it fuel my resolve, I thought. The Fleece seemed annoyed at that one.
With effort, I pulled my attention away from cataloguing the Seelie king's sins and focused on locating him. It didn't take long. He wasn't wearing one of the magical costumes that everyone else in attendance was wearing. I imagined that was because it wasn't any fun hosting something this ostentatious unless the crowd could heap their praises upon you. Anonymity was no fun for someone like him.
Fae after fae approached the raised dais at the center of the room and made awkward looking movements that were probably bows in their normal forms. Many of them wore lavish weapons at their sides. Most were just ornamentation, but every once in a while my covetousness would flare. The Fleece urged me forward on the big ones, not using words this time, like I wouldn't notice what it was doing if it refrained from using words. "I'm on to you," I whispered to it. I'd fought my own covetousness for years. If the crown thought it would break me so easily, it had another thing coming.
I worked on ignoring the fancy weaponry, and focused on my target's face. King Tiberius looked down on his bowing guests with what could only be described as a cool gaze. I chuckled at the silliness of an ice king giving a cool gaze.
The king was a whip-thin man, tall, with pale blue skin. If it weren't for the black ice armor covered in spikes, I might have described him as unassuming, almost forgettable. Well, unless you counted the mask. I discounted it, but I was used to sizing people up minus their fancy, magical objects. Most were likely to see nothing but the mask. That was the idea of it.
The mask was black with iridescent green accents. Their swirling pattern gave the mask the look of a grinning demon, which was accentuated further by the three twisting horns that rose from the mask's forehead.
Most magical objects I recovered were rather nondescript in their purpose. This mask had obviously been designed from the outset to perpetrate evil.
My self control was balancing the blade's edge tonight. It took all I had not to march up to Tiberius and snatch it off his head. Not that it would have been an easy feat. He was surrounded by a dozen guards with his same build and propensity for icy armor and weapons.
We could accomplish much with the mask, the Fleece observed. I felt it attempting to push images into my mind, but I pushed them back with the power of my shock and disgust.
"I don't even want to know," I murmured. "I will never. If you want to do that, you should have attached yourself to someone else's head."
I ignored the Fleece's frustration.
If I was going to do this right, I'd have to find some way to get him away from the crowd and reduce the number of guards around him. I didn't want everyone in Faerie knowing I was out doing The Morrigan's bidding. In hindsight, that was probably another good reason I shouldn't have worn the butterfly costume. Not that I'd realized everyone in attendance would know who it was intended for.
I was still considering my plan when a massive black cat approached me. It shook out its white mane and held up a paw the size of my head.
"Would you do me the honor of sharing a dance, my lady?" asked the same booming voice I'd heard in his castle when I'd stolen his armor.
There were a lot of reasons to refuse Aengus. The fact that I just didn't want to dance was a good one. Another was the way it would draw attention to me from the other guests. But it was that very reason that had me taking his hand. Wearing this costume had meant sneakiness could no longer be a part of my plan. It might not have been the angle I was most comfortable playing, but distinguished fae was the role I'd been cast in. If everyone wasn't aware of who was wearing the butterfly costume, it would earn me a lot of prestige points to be seen dancing with Aengus. I didn't like this game, it made my insides quiver with nerves, but my instincts told me I was right.
Upon taking his hand, the image of the lion dropped way, leaving me face to face with Aengus's imposing figure. It was only slightly less dramatic than the black and white lion. The upper portion of his face was covered with a mask that was half black and half white. His suit was made in a military style with lots of buttons and brocade, but all in shades of black and dark gray. On his back was a white fur cape. He struck quite a figure. He gave me a quick once-over before grinning like a madman and walking at a brisk pace toward the dance floor. He probably didn't want to give The Morrigan a chance to reconsider his invitation.
We weaved through the crowd, drawing hushed whispers. I was fairly certain I heard the spider lady at one point, but the costumes prevented me from picking her out.
When we came to a stop on the dance floor the song that had been playing cut off abruptly and a new, more lilting melody took its place. The abrupt change of pace didn't mess up anyone's dancing, since the entirety of the dance floor had already stopped dancing to stare at us.
Aengus took one of my hands in his and placed his other on my back. I mentally thanked MOD for preparing me to dance in this sort of setting. I'd had to crash another ball a few years ago in order to retrieve an enchanted bracelet. I placed my other hand on Aengus's shoulder and let him lead me into the dance.
