Felicia tried to insist it should be a gift from her, but I refused. In the end, she gave up and went to the fitting room to check how Oli was doing. And I, begrudgingly, parted with an impressive amount of money. After that, I looked through the shop window and noticed Sibyl, strenuously wobbling back to Liu Fran.
Tonight, she’d be the one to shine and attract the attention and looks of the top of the Grassor’s society.
Well, cheers to that!
Fortunately, she didn’t see us. I didn’t mention seeing her in order to avoid a new dose of her poison, which she’d gladly inject into me at the first opportunity.
Back in Monson, I found Lita well-fed and peacefully sleeping in her crib. Dina and I had lunch on the balcony, and then I let her have time off until the evening. Just before dinner, I allowed myself to relax a little in the shower, put on light makeup, my dress, did my hair...
This time, it wasn’t Xanor who came to pick me up. A maid showed up to inform me that a chauffeur would take Oli and me to the Gallardo residence.
“I’ll be downstairs in a minute,” thanking the maid, I said goodbye to Lita, who was terribly busy with dinner and cartoons. “If anything happens, call me immediately,” I reminded Dina. “First aid kit is in the bedroom and...”
“Everything will be fine,” she interrupted me. “Calm down. And relax. Why are you so tense? You look awesome. I’m sure Horos, tho I don’t know which one of them, will have their eyes glued to you the whole evening. Maybe both of them will...”
“Dina! Stop it!” I almost hissed.
“It’s not my fault!” She rolled her eyes. “It’s them, not taking their eyes off you. But forget about them. Just allow yourself to, for once, enjoy a beautiful evening, delicious food, and expensive wine.”
“Good advice, but I’m not sure I can follow it.”
Not with so many Dark Ones around me.
“Go, go, shoo!” Dina playfully pushed me through the door.
Having kissed Lita’s cheek as a goodbye, I went out into the corridor, constantly repeating my mantra for this evening — I’ll be wearing a mask, I’ll be safe.
On our way to the Quinto Gallardo residence, I got an idea. I wanted to introduce the concept of luxury overdose. Because I needed an explanation for why I kept feeling this sick.
I didn’t envy the Grassor millionaires in the least, but the sight of all these mansions, villas, and palaces, to be honest, made me want to vomit. Here, in Alicantar, I just couldn’t get rid of the feeling that I had returned to the past with which I had cut ties forever.
From which I fled, vowing never to return.
For the last year and a half, in our small rented apartment, I had been really happy. If it weren’t for Lita’s attacks, everything would be perfect.
The roads leading to the villa and its flat roofs were full of aerocars. The huge bright building was framed by lush palm trees. There were several swimming pools, countless balconies, a huge garden, and a bunch of guests.
Strangely enough, that fact helped me calm down and breathe more easily. In such a big crowd, it was easy to get lost and to become invisible.
That was what I needed.
“Let’s go find Felicia,” Oli said after getting out of the aerocar.
“Look over there!” She grabbed my arm. “That’s Quinto Gallardo. He and Garanor are old friends. They often play sports together and visit the same private clubs.”
“Sounds like they’re members of the same sect.” I chuckled nervously. Oli shrugged.
“You might be right. Who knows what they do in those clubs... I tried to ask Xanor, but I couldn’t get him to talk...”
“And what about Sonor Horos Senior?”
“Are you kidding me?” Oli snorted. “I can’t ask him such questions. And I’m a bit afraid of him, to be honest.”
So I’m not the only one with such a reaction to Garanor. Thank Gods.
Quinto Gallardo was a respectable man. Tall, broad-shouldered, and dark-skinned. His black hair was slicked back, and his face, not yet hidden by a mask, seemed somewhat rough, like a sculpture hastily carved out of stone. Large nose, wide cheekbones, and a sharp lip line.
For a long time, I avoided looking at him. I only managed to notice that Garanor also didn’t bother wearing a mask, and Felicia, who accompanied him, looked amazing in a flowing cream-colored dress.
“There she is!” Oli also noticed her and began to pull me toward them.
Fortunately, some girl called out to her, and Oli turned around. Taking the opportunity, I quickly left in order to avoid the dangerous possibility of interacting with Gallardo and Garanor, and being caught in one of the pictures that some journalists were tirelessly taking. And that was exactly what I needed to avoid. Therefore, I decided to check out the buffet.
What did Dina say? To enjoy the food? Well, I’m on it.
I didn’t know how many Dark Ones were here. But I felt their looks on me and I regretted wearing a mask instead of some kind of a spacesuit.
I wondered where Xanor was. Maybe I should try finding him, so that His Majesty wouldn’t claim that I was evading my duties and avoiding his brother.
Having decided to eat first, I armed myself with a plate and focused all my attention on the tasty treats.
But, realizing that I didn’t really have any appetite, I set the plate aside, took a glass of wine instead, and went to mingle with the guests who turned their attention to Sonora Gallardo. She was giving a welcome speech from a spacious platform on a balcony.
“... And I’d like to open our evening with a bright, exotic performance. Welcome to our home, ladies, and gentlemen, I’d like to invite you to enjoy refined beauty, grace, and tenderness with a touch of sensual passion!”
A wave of whispers ran through the crowd as the air over the pool began to thicken, gathering in clouds of darkness. When it dissipated, a cage held in the air by magic appeared.
In it, hiding her face in her knees and gracefully raising her hands, was a girl. She had almost no clothes on. Silver strands flowed around her slender figure in different patterns, slipping through her golden hair. But what caused the greatest reaction of excitement among the guests were her thin, translucent wings.
There was a fairy in the cage above the pool.
With the first timid chords of a gentle melody, the girl seemed to come to life. Her wings flinched, opening, as her graceful hands glided through the air. She rose smoothly, running her thin fingers along the bars of the cage. She flapped her wings, arching her back, and I noticed how the eyes of the few Dark Ones near her changed — they were burning with lust.
And she wasn’t even sixteen.
The music grew louder and louder. Her sensual movements were becoming more and more graphic. The translucent fabric, clinging to her like a second skin, shimmered under the lights, emphasizing every curve of her fragile body.
She opened the cage and, having gotten out of it, smoothly glided through the air.
It wasn’t wings that held her in the air, but some kind of dark spell. Fairies had long forgotten how to fly. Without our magic, wings were just useless decorations. A reminder of who we were now and who we had once been.
A people that had lost their identity.
She lowered herself onto the dome of the cage and again, swaying her hips seductively, bent over, showing her flexibility. I kept looking, though I really wished that I didn’t.
I didn’t know if she felt humiliated, but I surely did. At some point, I caught Garanor’s eyes. Cold and indifferent, he seemed even more harsh and cruel. He wasn’t at all impressed by this sight. But I bet he had seen many beautiful women in his life. Both fairies and humans. They were probably delivered to his bedroom. In a box, beautifully tied with an elegant ribbon. Obedient and ready for everything.
And his younger brother was just the same.
“I’ve always wondered why the Dark Ones react to you like that.” Sibyl’s voice sounded too close to me. “I agree, this slut is beauti
ful, but... The world is full of such cute little girls. However, for some reason, the Dark Ones go crazy over you. Is it the wings? And that scent of yours...? For them, it’s like a drug. I don’t understand,” she hummed softly.
I should’ve been silent, or better yet, left, but instead, I heard myself talking.
“The fact that a fairy earns her living by dancing doesn’t make her a slut.”
“Really?” Sibyl grinned. “Isn’t it considered the height of indecency for a fairy to show her wings in front of a man? And this one here is half-naked, dancing in front of the whole crowd without hesitation. And most of the fairies are like her.”
Sybil was clearly provoking me. I didn’t know why she was after me but she kept going.
“Look at you, Elenia. You have a child with a Dark One... Did you seduce just him with your unearthly beauty, or were there more lucky ones for whom you fluttered your wings?”
It’d cost me nothing to grab her hand and mentally order her to step into the pool to freshen up. I’d love to see that. But there were too many Dark Ones here, and if I tried to use magic, they’d feel it.
I raised my head, meeting Garanor’s gaze again. He continued to look at me.
“And what about Xanor? Has he managed to get into your panties yet? Or are you saving yourself for a bigger fish? I suspect Felicia doesn’t know?”
“I have a question for you, too, Sibyl. Does your sister know you’re crazy about her fiancé?” I asked calmly.
I had to put in a lot of effort for my voice to sound this cold and even. Just like Garanor’s.
“What a ridiculous accusation!” She snorted nervously.
“It’s not an accusation, I’m just stating the obvious. You want the older brother, but he doesn’t want you. Come on, Sibyl, even I, who barely knows him, can see how sick he gets at the mere sight of you.”
I knew this would make her my sworn enemy, but I could no longer be silent.
“Enjoy the rest of the party, Sonorina Solt.” I finished my glass of wine and promised myself that next time I’d definitely throw that reptile into the pool. Or the fountain, or the city sewer. These were all acceptable options.
Having squeezed through the rows of guests, who were standing around the pool in a tight ring, I went onto one of the many paths and hurried into the depths of the garden. Lanterns scattered across the lawns illuminated my path. My eyes were full of tears and I was angry as all hell.
“Elenia, wait!” Xanor caught up with me and grabbed me by the waist. He pulled me closer to himself and whispered in my ear. “Gotcha, birdy. And where are we going to fly off to? How did you like the performance?” He noisily sniffed the air near me. “I’d put you in a cage, Lenny, and keep you in my bedroom. What do you say?”
My vision darkened from rage. Not really understanding what I was doing, I turned around and slapped him.
The tense silence that followed my slap exploded with a dull roar.
“Elenia, what the hell?!”
He grabbed my wrist, probably afraid that I’d hit him again.
I pulled my hand out of his grip and hissed.
“You can put your girlfriends in cages. But I’m not your girlfriend, Xanor, and I won’t allow anyone to treat me like this!”
“Like what?” He almost spat out. “What’s gotten into you? Did I say something wrong? Lenny, come on, you...”
At this point, I wanted to growl.
“I what? I’m a single mother who has a kid with a Dark One? Does that give horny bastards like you the right to fuck me?”
He was irritated.
“Lenny, stop being dramatic. It was just a harmless joke.”
He made a step toward me, squinting at me viciously. He stretched out his hand, still intending to grab me. But I staggered away from him. Away from the temptation to hit him again. I wanted to do it so badly! So much so that my palm itched.
“A joke? So, yesterday, when you tried to get me into bed, you were just joking?”
“I didn’t notice that you were resisting.” He grinned. “Seriously, Lenny, what’s up with you all of a sudden?”
Idiot.
“First of all, I’m not Lenny. It’s Sonorina Lei to you. No more Lenny, baby, or sugar! Second, no matter what you imagined, I didn’t allow you to touch me. And I certainly won’t allow it now. Don’t touch me!” I shouted when he tried to restrain me again, putting all the feelings that had been brewing in me for the last few days into words. “You don’t know anything about me, Sonor Xanor Horos. The fact that I have a daughter doesn’t give you the right to treat me like a whore who can be fucked five minutes after you’ve met her!”
Somewhere deep inside me, the voice of reason was trying to stop me, but it was drowned out by my rage.
“What does your daughter have to do with anything? I like you, that’s all.”
“You like me as a bedroom toy.”
“Like a woman,” he retorted sharply, glaring at me so hard that I probably had every chance of turning into one of the lanterns sticking out of the lawn.
“Well, then treat me like a woman, and not like some stripper!”
“As if you know how I treat strippers!”
“As if I care!”
He grabbed my hand, pulling me to him with force, and whispered, with his breath burning me: “As I said, I like you, Lenny... Sonorina Lei! But I don’t like this show you’re putting on. The other performance was more entertaining.”
“Well, maybe you should get to know that fairy better then!” I said, leaning toward him, so he wouldn’t think I was afraid of him. “And you don’t even have to look for a cage. She has her own!”
“Thanks for the advice.” He pulled back. “That’s exactly what I’m gonna do!”
He turned around and left, disappearing into the twilight, and I remained standing on a little path in the middle of a deserted garden, with my heart pounding furiously and the realization that, having just succumbed to my emotions, I violated the most important clause of the agreement — I pushed Xanor away from me.
This is a disaster.
Chapter 14
Elenia
I didn’t return to the party. I sat in the gazebo until late in the evening, until Oli found me.
“How long have you been here?” Leaving a glass of some sparkling drink on the step, she settled down on the bench next to me.
“The last couple of hours.”
“What were you doing?”
Scolding myself.
“I’ve just been sitting here in silence,” I answered quietly, numbly staring at the lonely flickering lantern, scattering cold reflections on the flower beds.
There was almost no light in this part of the garden, which was why I didn’t even immediately realize that it was Oli who decided to keep me company, and not Sibyl with another dose of her poison.
And I was glad it was her. I didn’t think I would’ve managed to hold myself back if Sibyl decided to attack again.
But I ruined everything.
I let my feelings get the better of me. The contract should be considered terminated, which meant that I was out of work again. But that wasn’t important. The most important thing was that with my reckless behavior, I deprived Lita of her treatment.
I should have slapped myself instead of Xanor.
I’m such an idiot!
“Lenny, you look so pale... Is it because of that performance?” Oli asked cautiously.
“Among other things.”
“It was rather unpleasant for me as well.” She shivered. “I don’t know how could Sonora Gallardo be such a fool to arrange something like that when the house is full of Dark Ones. Felicia wasn’t happy about it either.”
“And what about Horos Senior?” I asked unexpectedly. Unexpectedly even for myself.
“Garanor doesn’t need a mask, he has his face for that. Detached and cold. Sometimes, it seems like he doesn’t know what it means to have feelings. I’m more than certain that the performance left him indi
fferent, just like everything else in his life, except for his beloved business and politics. I’m afraid it won’t be easy for Felicia with him.”
She sighed heavily and, tearing off a bright red flower from the bindweed that climbed the dome and railing of the gazebo, she began to twirl it in her hands.
“I saw Xanor followed you, and then returned, either angry or irritated... Did you have an argument?”
I stayed silent, not knowing how to describe what happened between us. To say we argued would be putting it mildly.
“I’m not asking out of curiosity,” Oli added, seeing that I was in no hurry to answer. “It’s just that the Dark Ones… you have to be careful with them. All of us have to.”
Nobody would know that better than me. But I was an idiot.
“Thank you, Oli.” I smiled, lightly squeezing her hand. “For the warning, and for your company.”
“You’re welcome.” She waved her hand and then added: “He isn’t here anymore, by the way. He said goodbye to the hosts and rushed off somewhere.” Oli jumped to her feet. “To be honest, I’d also like to get out of here. Today has been a long day and I’m tired. Wanna go back to Monson? I want to sleep, I’m beat.”
I wanted to hug her, but I held back. I wish I could restrain myself next to the Dark Ones that easily...
“I hoped you’d say that.”
“I’m glad that you and I are on the same page.” She smiled.
She grabbed my arm, and we went to the aerocar in order to quickly fly away from this place.
Xanor had left not only the Gallardo party but also Monson. I found out about this the next morning when I woke up. Although I didn’t really get much sleep. I spent the night somewhere between disturbing nightmares and equally disturbing reality from which I really wanted to escape and into which I didn’t want to return at all.
But morning came and I had to go back to it.
A Deal with the Dark Fae: Enemies-to-Lovers Standalone (Cruel Intentions Book 1) Page 12
