“Thank you,” I told her. Starla was sometimes sincere but always working an angle. My fae blood pinged at almost everything she said. Half-truths, every word.
She tossed her brown waves off her shoulder. “The red gets them every time, you know. All eyes are going to be on you.”
I frowned. “Is that a good idea? I mean, wouldn’t it be smarter to blend in so I don’t get noticed?”
Starla shook her head, a small smile on her pale pink lips. “Gem, you will never blend in. You’re too beautiful to go unnoticed, red dress or not. Best to embrace your strengths rather than downplay them.”
“I guess that makes sense.”
She ran a hand lightly over my white-blonde hair, smoothing it back where she’d done it up into an intricate twist. A few loose strands framed my face, and she tucked one of them away again as she said, “The trick is to let them see only what you want them to. Make them watch your right hand, and they’ll never suspect what you’ve done with your left. Understand?”
“Yes.”
“Good.” She patted my cheek just hard enough to set my teeth on edge. Then she ushered me toward the door. “Go get ‘em, darling.”
I hurried out, stopping in my room long enough to grab the single item I knew I’d be expected to bring to my briefing: my invitation to tonight’s ball. Then I made my way down the hall as fast as my skinny heels would allow.
I didn’t get far before my nerves kicked in.
It didn’t matter how many training ops I aced or fights I won, I still got nervous as hell before a mission. Tonight was no exception. In fact, dressed up in this monkey suit was making it worse. I hated heels. The trade-off was that I didn’t have to even try to look human tonight. In answer, the beast inside me reared up. Even with nearly any form available to me, there was only one that had a mind of its own.
Its need for a fight nearly knocked me over. Apparently, I’d left him caged too long, but there weren’t many uses for a griffin during investigative training. I paused long enough to brace a hand against the wall and suck in a few large gulps of air before continuing on. The sliver of parchment clutched in my sweaty hand was going to disintegrate if I didn’t get my shit together.
But it was hard to forget how much was riding on tonight.
Being a cadet wasn’t my future. Being a graduated agent assigned to top cases was. Tonight was the final step toward making that future a present. Then again, if the looks I’d gotten from the recruits I’d passed in the hall were any indication, I was going to look damn good doing it.
As if to drive the point home, I rounded the corner onto the platform that led into our staging area, and Rodrigo’s eyes practically fell out of his head. He stood on the ground floor next to the glass counter lit by LEDs all the way around. The entire room was done that way. It would have been fancy and beautiful in an art gallery but—Oh, who was I kidding? It was fancy and beautiful now, the way it lit up all the gleaming black guns and shiny silver knives mounted to the walls.
Rodrigo watched as I made my way down the single flight of stairs and across the white floor to where he stood. He wore his usual uniform: black pants and a black shirt paired with black steel-toed boots. He thought it made him look tougher. I assumed it was to hide the gel that might melt right out of his stiff, slick-backed hair. Or maybe the slime oozing off him when he hit on the female recruits between classes.
Dick.
“Damn girl.” He licked his lips, making no effort to hide his visual perusal. “You look…”
“Mission ready?” I offered, my eyes narrowing. I would have crossed my arms over my chest but considering the push-up effect it would have on my already-exposed cleavage, I decided against it.
At my words, Rodrigo dialed back the panting. His eyes still gleamed with thinly veiled desire, but he nodded. “What’d you do to your hair?”
“Starla advised blonde would look better with the dress,” I said, resisting the urge to pat it self-consciously.
“She’s wise,” he agreed, and I could all but see the drool he was holding back.
I rolled my eyes. “Is everything ready?”
He nodded, picking up a tiny black object from the counter in front of him. He offered it to me, and I strode forward to take it—my red heels clicking over the floor. Rodrigo’s eyes wandered over my bare legs and then back up again as I grabbed the comm unit and slid it into my ear. Once in place, I clicked the button to activate the two-way speaker system—and the cloaking magic that would render the tiny thing invisible until it was removed.
“Test, test,” I said.
“Loud and clear,” he answered. I pretended not to notice the smell of cologne splashed over cigarette smoke.
“Here. Take this.” He handed me a small silver clutch with glittering embellishments. I opened it and frowned at the contents. Lip gloss and a small cell phone.
I looked up at Rodrigo. “No weapon?”
“You can’t carry inside the party. It’s rule number one for attending.”
“Then how am I supposed to—”
“Not every mission will allow for weapons, Gem. That was part of your training. You’ll have your comm unit, the cell phone which has my number already programmed, and you’ll have this.” He reached into my clutch and pulled out the lip gloss.
I watched as he yanked the cap free and gave the tube a half-twist. “If you get into real trouble, twist this all the way up and it’ll emit a laughing gas. It won’t last long, but it’ll give you a chance to make an exit if you need it.”
“Laughing gas?” My brows shot up. “Really? That’s the best you can do?”
He shrugged and recapped the gloss before dropping it into my purse. “We’re trying to work outside the lines. Be glad you got that. Weapons are impossible to smuggle in.”
I arched a brow. Rodrigo wasn’t usually the type to play by someone else’s rules. “Security’s that tight?”
He shook his head. “There’s no security. Well, none you can see anyway.”
“Then why—”
“Because the magic that goes into this party is like nothing you’ve ever seen. The spell work will have the place locked down so don’t even think about trying to get through it.”
“I’m sure I can handle it. I’ve broken curses, Rigo,” I began, but he just huffed at me.
“I said no,” he snapped. “That’s not the mission. And arguing will only lose you points. Something you can’t afford at this stage, or do I need to remind you what’s at stake tonight, cadet?”
Cadet.
He was reminding me where I stood. Or more importantly what I stood to lose.
Asshole.
“No reminder necessary,” I said through closed teeth. I was already on thin ice—as he was so quick to point out. Tonight had to make up for all that. Not make it worse. “What’s the mission?”
“First, show me your ticket.”
I bit back a sarcastic retort about showing mine if he showed his. Rodrigo would have taken me literally, and then I would have no choice but to punch him.
Again.
I’d been down that road already and Rodrigo was right. The stakes were high enough already.
Instead, I held up the parchment paper still clutched in my hand.
I still couldn’t believe I’d gotten an invite. Although, it wasn’t really mine per se. It had been procured through the proper channels. I had my mark to thank for that and from the little I’d been told already, I knew he’d expect me to be very thankful.
This mission was going to suck ass.
But it was also going to show my superiors what I was capable of. And when it was over and I was no longer Rodrigo’s cadet, I was definitely punching him again.
Rodrigo eyed the parchment shrewdly then nodded once. “Good. You’ll need that in your hand if you want the magic to deliver you on time.”
“Deliver me how?”
“When we’re finished here, you’ll stand outside in the moonlight.” He shrugged as if
that explained everything. “From there, the magic does the rest.”
“What’s the rest?” I asked.
He went on like I hadn’t even spoken. “Once you arrive, you’ll show your ticket at the door. Once you’re in, I advise that you go directly to the ballroom and stay there until you find your mark.”
I shook my head, confused. “I thought the ballroom was the only place to go?”
Rodrigo chuckled. “Oh, there are other places to go. Anywhere in the castle is fair game, really. The proprietor leaves plenty of dimly lit passageways open for wandering. Bedrooms will be first come first served, and if you find yourself in one of those with a willing partner… Well, let’s just say what happens at the ball stays at the ball.”
I made a face at the unwanted mental images that came with realizing how Rodrigo must know so much. “Okay, okay. Point taken. I’ll be sure to stick to the ballroom.”
“Good.” Rodrigo picked up a tablet lying on the counter and hit a button, illuminating the screen.
A video of a man with dark hair and a slippery smile stared back at me. The volume had been muted, but I didn’t need to hear what he was saying to know he was in love with the sound of his own voice. A girl could read these things.
“This is the mark?” I asked.
Rodrigo nodded. “Kristoff Rasmussen, CEO of Tech Empire Industries.”
“He looks like a douchebag,” I said, noting the way he’d paused long enough to wink at a female reporter trying to ask a question.
“Well, that douchebag is in possession of a data chip that, if it goes public, could single-handedly expose every single supernatural on the planet.”
“I read about this guy,” I said, remembering the articles I’d seen recently. “The chip is designed to protect supes from detection so they can fly under the radar.”
“That was its initial purpose, yes, but Rasmussen has reverse-engineered the code and is auctioning it to the highest bidder.”
“Reverse-engineered…” I stared at Rodrigo as the full weight of his implication washed over me. “Meaning it would out every single super.”
Rodrigo’s expression was grim. “Your orders are to recover the chip and deliver it to me without exposing yourself to the mark. He is not to be harmed or tipped off in any way. Am I clear?”
I nodded.
I couldn’t believe they were offering a mission so important to a cadet. But then I remembered my cover—and realized the likely reason for sending me was that no one higher up wanted this gig.
“And my cover is his date,” I said flatly. This was the only part I’d been briefed on and even that had only been disclosed because of the fuss I’d made over the dress Starla had chosen.
“We infiltrated the escort service and replaced their catalog with one of ours.” He said it so casually, like one might order a pizza, but my stomach clenched at the use of the word “catalog” as it related to women. “He browsed the options and requested you.”
“Lucky me,” I muttered.
Rodrigo’s gaze narrowed. “It is very lucky,” he said. “Considering how badly you need a win, I’d say it’s the best luck you’ve had in months. Complete the mission and you earn your graduation. Fail and… Well, I don’t think I have to tell you what will happen if you fail.”
I shuddered and Rodrigo’s lips curved subtly. Asshole was enjoying this.
“I’ll complete the mission,” I said.
“Good girl.” Rodrigo set the tablet aside, powering it off again. “Let’s get you outside.”
With my purse in one hand and invitation in the other, I followed him out the side door and through the exit that led to the track where we ran three mornings a week. Rodrigo led the way, cutting a path across the grass. He stopped when we reached the track, now empty of cadets, even the hard-core ones who worked out even when we weren’t forced to.
Those guys were weird to me.
“Where’s the car?” I asked.
“No car.” Rodrigo kept walking, and I opened my mouth then closed it again.
“Then how am I—”
“Didn’t you read the invitation?”
I turned it over in my hand, scanning the scrawled words on the back. I had read them but I’d forgotten. Or, more accurately, I hadn’t understood their meaning.
“Just as the moon brought me to you, so shall the moon bring you to the ball,” I read. Then I looked up at the back of Rodrigo’s head. I’d been handed the invite by Rodrigo himself less than twenty-four hours ago, so unless moonlight was his middle name, I was lost.
“What does it mean?” I asked.
“It means we need you standing in moonlight, that’s what.” Rodrigo cast a glance up at the moon that hung low and white in the sky then back to where I’d come to a stop at the edge of the track. He reached for my arm, but I yanked it back.
“Don’t touch me,” I warned.
“Just stand over there,” he said on a sigh.
I shuffled sideways then stopped when I reached the beam of moonlight that stretched across the lawn. “Here?”
“Perfect,” Rodrigo said.
“What happens next—”
A bright light flashed, like a camera going off, and I threw my hand up to shield my eyes. The air around me changed as the humidity of Louisiana dropped away. Cool, fresh air prickled at my skin, and I pried my eyes open to investigate.
“Rigo, what the hell,” I began, blinking furiously to clear the flashes of light from my vision.
There was no answer.
By the time I could see again, Rodrigo was gone. So was the track and the training building behind that. In its place was a rolling lawn, perfectly manicured complete with vibrant green hedges. I whirled and then stopped to take it all in. Behind me, practically glowing underneath the moonlight, stood a crumbling, abandoned castle. The walls shimmered at the edges thanks to my fae sight; a glamour. I had a feeling it wouldn’t look nearly so crumbly—or abandoned—once I was inside.
On a deep breath, I began walking toward it, falling into line behind other arrivals. I was here, and it was time to attend my first ever Monster Ball.
Chapter Two
The magical wards pricked at my senses as I passed underneath a stone archway that led into a small courtyard, and by the time both my feet had crossed the threshold, the sight before me had completely transformed. The castle’s crumbling, faded façade was replaced with smooth gray stone that rose at least four stories high. All around the courtyard, fog blanketed the ground, giving the illusion that every guest floated rather than walked toward the veranda just ahead. Among the curling fog, purple lights twinkled back at me.
A perfect blend of festive and creepy.
Still, I couldn’t help the awe that struck me as I swept my gaze over the massive beauty of the place. It even had turrets.
Turrets!
Who the fuck lived in a castle with turrets anymore…?
No, this didn’t belong to the host. Hostess? Proprietor, that was it. If I remembered the stories correctly, the party’s location changed every year, each time at a borrowed location. Still, who did the scouting for this kind of thing? I wanted that job.
Maybe when this was all over and I’d done what I set out to do, I’d see how one went about applying to scout locations for the most sought after event of the year. It didn’t sound like a bad retirement plan.
I fell in behind a couple digging for their invitation to hand over.
The guy reached into his pocket and withdrew two invitations, his mouth drawn tight while he waited for the gargoyle to inspect and approve his ticket inside. He was handsome with a dangerous edge, but the way he stood looking down at nearly everyone made me wonder if he was more than just a socialite. His posture spoke of royalty.
The woman beside him looked gorgeous in her gossamer gown, its leaf embellishments the only thing standing between admiring eyes and all her important bits. Our eyes met, and she smiled at me.
I smiled back just before her date to
ok her arm and led her inside.
When it was my turn, I climbed the two short steps to the landing and handed my ticket to the gargoyle standing before me.
“Welcome to the Monster Ball,” he said in a gravelly voice and waved me toward the open doorway behind him. A soft blue light shone through the archway, beckoning me inside.
“Thank you,” I murmured and walked through.
The farther I walked, the dimmer the light became until it vanished altogether, leaving me in utter blackness. I reached for my comm unit, about to call for Rodrigo to tell me what the hell to do next, but then music filled the silence with a sudden crash. Loud and rhythmic and already in full swing, it rattled my bones, almost as if someone had flipped a switch mid-song. I took a step, following the sounds.
A second later, light filtered in once again, and I found myself suddenly standing in a large ballroom complete with a stage and the spotlight shining over the band currently rocking out.
On the front of the drums, the band’s name hung on a neon purple sign that read “Dastardly Deeds.”
I did a full spin, then another, trying to take it all in at once. The room was huge, bigger than anywhere else I’d ever seen, and dripping with expensive décor. Large chandeliers dangled overhead, two rows running the length of the rectangular room, all of them lit with twinkling lights that didn’t offer much more than multi-colored mood lighting in the otherwise dimly lit space.
Curious, I squinted up at the chandelier above me and spotted tiny pixies dancing inside each of the globes. Pixie lights. Clever.
And fancy.
Pixies weren’t cheap.
But then my gaze caught on the rest of the décor hanging from the ceiling and all I could do was stare, open-mouthed.
Mattresses. Suspended from the ceiling. And it wasn’t hard to figure out what they were intended for, considering a couple of them were already being put to use by not two but three distinct silhouettes. The shadows made it impossible to make out anything specific and the music way too loud to hear anything going on up there—and that was fine by me.
I glanced down again and noted the fog smoke curling around my feet just like it had outside. So much for impressing them with my fancy heels.
The Monster Ball: A Paranormal Romance Anthology Page 14
