Recruit.
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. Rigo would have taken me literally, and then I would have no choice but to punch him.
Again.
He was right. The stakes were high enough already.
Instead, I held up the parchment paper still clutched in my hand. 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 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 Rigo’s trainee, I was definitely punching him again.
Rigo 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. “You’ll show your ticket at the door. When you’re inside, I advise that you go directly to the main 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 building 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 Rigo knew so much. “Okay, okay. Point taken. I’ll be sure to stick to the ballroom.”
“Good.” He 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 audio 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.
Rigo 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 in whatever role or job they play in the human world.”
“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 Rigo as the full weight of his implication washed over me. “Meaning it would out every single supe in the world.”
Rigo’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 recruit. But then I remembered my cover—and realized the likely reason for sending me was that no one higher up wanted this gig. Or no one wanted to do what it would take to succeed.
It was the perfect assignment for a girl on the brink of expulsion.
“My cover story is that I’m his date-for-hire,” I said flatly. This was the only real detail 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.
Rigo’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 Rigo’s lips curved subtly. Asshole was enjoying this.
“I’ll complete the mission,” I said.
“Good girl.” He 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 rooftop track where we ran three mornings a week. Rigo led the way, cutting a path across the grass. He stopped when we reached the track, now empty of recruits, even the hard-core ones like Faith who worked out when we weren’t forced to.
Those freaks 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 the 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, but I caught him patting his swollen eye when he turned away.
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, Rigo 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.
The fact that I was somewhere far beyond the confining walls of the Tiff wasn’t lost. For a long moment, I just stood and took it all in. Not just the castle before me but the sense of freedom. No SSF. No demons to slay. No vendetta to fulfill. Just this moment. Me in the moonlight and the possibilities that awaited.
Reality crept back in far too quickly.
“Hawkins, you copy?”
Rigo’s voi
ce in my ear set my teeth on edge.
“I copy.”
“Safe landing?”
“All good,” I said.
“Get going. Report back when you’re inside.”
Not bothering to answer, I looked up and breathed the fresh air as I contemplated the night sky. Directly overhead, the moon seemed to wink back at me, beckoning me forward. Ahead, the sprawling castle practically whispered for me to step 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 Eighteen
Magic pricked at me as I passed underneath a stone archway that led into a small courtyard. 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. From inside 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 Starla’s explanation 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.
Demon balls, Milo would eat this shit up.
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. Maybe Milo and I could go into business together.
I fell in behind a couple who stood before the massive front doors.
The guy reached into his pocket and withdrew two invitations, his mouth drawn tight while he waited for the bouncer to inspect and approve his ticket. 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 leafy embellishments the only thing standing between admiring eyes and all her important bits.
I gave her points for confidence. Not that she had anything to worry about, from what I could see.
Our eyes met, and she smiled at me.
I smiled back just before her date took 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 bouncer standing before me. Awareness shot through me, and I gasped softly. This guy wasn’t just any bouncer. He was a gargoyle. A species that only existed in fairy tales back home.
As if he could sense my shock, he winked.
“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. Above the platform, a spotlight shone directly 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. Two rows of chandeliers ran the length of the rectangular room, all of them lit with twinkling lights that didn’t offer much more than multicolored 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 labor wasn’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 one of them was 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.
“Crazy, isn’t it?”
The voice was so close, I nearly yelped. When I looked up, an indigo-eyed fairy smiled sympathetically at me. The glitter dusting her nose and cheeks sparkled underneath the lights, and her smile was open, friendly. “First time?” she asked.
I winced. “Am I that obvious?”
She laughed; a delicate tinkling sound that reminded me of wind chimes. “Come on. I’ll buy you a drink. Alcohol makes it easier to take it all in.”
I spun and followed her to the bar behind me. I hadn’t even noticed it before, gawking in only one direction and all. But now, I couldn’t miss it. A long bar ran the entire length of this half of the room. Behind it, stood a female bartender with red eyes and ghostly white hair. Her leather bustier left almost nothing to the imagination, and even I couldn’t help the attraction or the urge to walk over and run my hand along her curvy torso.
I blinked, trying to clear my head, as I realized her pull on me probably wasn’t just chemical.
“Damned succubus,” I muttered.
They, too, were supposedly extinct. Especially considering the SSF had once labeled them demon offspring and tried purging them all. Better I didn’t out myself as an agent at a party like this one.
As if she could read my mind, she looked right at me and smiled. “What’ll it be, love?”
“She’ll have a Party In Your Mouth,” said my new friend.
I shot her a horrified look, and my jaw fell open a little at the obvious innuendo. “What? No, I…” I looked helplessly at the smiling succubus.
They both laughed.
“Relax, it’s the name of the drink,” said the fairy.
“Coming right up.” The bartender winked, and then she spun away, reaching for one of the bottles on the shelf behind her.
I scanned the display, enjoying the violet lights that made everything glow, including the contents of several unmarked bottles whose contents glowed more red than purple.
I decided I didn’t want to know everything offered here.
“I’m Gwendolyn,” said the fairy.
“Gem,” I said. “Nice to meet you.”
“Are you meeting anyone special tonight or just browsing?”
The openness of her question left me speechless, but she just patted my hand. Tiny chains lined with shimmering jewels wrapped around her fingers and extended up her arms until they met her ivory sleeves. Everything about her shimmered and shone.
“It’s all right. I remember my first Monster Ball. Even with the stories I’d heard, it was quite a shock seeing it all live and in color. Just remember that everything is your choice. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do.”
That was debatable.
“And,” she went on, “the best part is when it’s over, you go right back to your life. No harm done. No strings attached.”
“What happens at the ball stays at the ball
,” I said, repeating the line Rigo had used.
“Exactly.” Gwendolyn nodded.
A drink appeared in front of me, and I sniffed it suspiciously.
“It’s just absinthe with a little cherry grenadine.”
“Just absinthe?” I repeated, slightly horrified.
I’d always heard fairies could really hold their liquor. I, on the other hand…
Gwendolyn grinned, obviously having fun with me. “Newbies are a riot,” she called to the succubus behind the bar.
They both watched as I took my first sip.
“Not bad,” I admitted as the flavors hit my tongue. The Pop Rocks rim was fun too—but I wasn’t going to tell them that and sound like a total newb.
The succubus wandered off to take another order, and Gwendolyn pointed out the rest of the room while I sipped my drink. The candy popped and fizzed inside my mouth, making it hard to talk. Luckily, Gwendolyn was perfectly happy filling the silence.
“The other bar is there. Each bartender has a signature drink. You should try the Drunk Dancing Bears if you get a chance. It’s yummy.”
My brows rose. I wouldn’t have pegged Gwendolyn for such a drinker with her innocent looks, but one could never tell. Especially at a party like this one. Besides, you couldn’t be that innocent and still be this at ease at a party like The Monster Ball.
“What about those?” I asked, pointing to the darkened corners on the far side of the ballroom.
“Oh, yes. Privacy in public, as they say,” Gwendolyn said. “The hanging silks are spelled to be soundproof.” She wiggled her eyebrows. “See no evil. Hear no evil. Know what I mean?”
“Yep, I think I do,” I said and took another swig of my drink.
Gwendolyn laughed and patted my arm. “It’s harmless fun, darling. Listen, I’ll see you around. Have fun tonight.” She winked. “But not too much.”
“Trust me, my definition of fun is boring compared to this,” I called to her as she glided away, ivory slippers peeking out from underneath her matching dress.
Alone again, I scanned the ballroom and slowly sipped my drink. The room wasn’t even full yet, but even with the crowd already gathered, my senses buzzed and my nerves stood on end. I’d never been in the presence of so many different supernaturals at once. The fact that no one was trying to eat anyone else—unwillingly, anyway—was a testament to the supernatural world’s universal love of partying.
Kiss of Death (Supernatural Security Force Book 1) Page 14
