I knew what I was in for. I understood that with Xanor, who was used to getting everything quickly, I wouldn’t be able to play games for long. And I agreed to that. But yesterday, I... Well, I broke.
I could continue to scold myself as much as I wanted, but that wouldn’t change anything. Should I try to apologize for calling him a horny bastard? As soon as I thought about it, I realized that it’d be a pitiful sight.
While I packed my things I mentally prepared for a difficult conversation with Garanor. Then, having had breakfast, Lita, Dina, and I went to the beach, where we ran into Felicia and Oli. The Solt sisters were delighted with my baby, and Lita, although shy, was clearly enjoying the abundant attention.
“She’s adorable!” Oli picked her up and whirled her around, and Lita burst into laughter. “Ah, those pink cheeks! So kissable!”
Felicia straightened the shawl that had slipped from her shoulder and smiled at her sister.
“Garanor had to leave early, he’s giving an interview to a Thorns journalist at noon,” she said casually. “I don’t know where Xanor is. Although that’s quite in his style, to suddenly appear and to disappear just as suddenly.”
Thorns was a financial magazine, one of the most famous digital economic publications in the world. If I remembered correctly, last year, the Horos brothers took first and second place on the list of the richest and most eligible bachelors in the world according to the magazine.
I didn’t know why I remembered this. I quickly threw this garbage information out of my mind and I was glad that at least until the evening, Garanor wouldn’t have time for me. And then, maybe, he’d have some other urgent matters to attend to and he wouldn’t have time for a completely unimportant and certainly not urgent Elenia.
After lunch, we put the luggage into the aerocars and headed back to Kadris. Having agreed to meet with Felicia tomorrow at noon and start storming the wedding dress shops, we said goodbye. Dina, Lita, and I were returned to the capital by the same middle-aged man with whom we flew to the Gallardo’s yesterday.
I spent the entire evening shuddering every time I heard my phone, but fortunately, neither of the Horoses was in a hurry to contact me. I could understand Xanor. He probably already forgot about my existence and found himself a dozen other fairies or just as beautiful human girls. But why hasn’t the elder nightmare appeared yet? I was getting nervous. Was he too busy? Or maybe he hadn’t yet found out that I screwed up? Or did he just decide to torture me by ignoring me?
If so, then Garanor was more deserving of the title of “Monster of the Year” rather than “Ruler of Grassor”.
Monday morning. I was drowning in coffee. I slept badly, as the events from Alicantar were going through my head over and over again. My phone was still silent, and no one fired me, so I was waiting for Dina to come over and was getting ready to meet with Felicia. She was supposed to be here after her morning class. Therefore, when I heard the intercom buzz, I glanced at my watch and went to open the door, glad that Dina managed to leave early.
Having turned on the camera, I froze. It wasn’t Dina who was standing at the elevator door, but Aurora.
“Elenia, let me in. We need to talk,” she said, adjusting her already perfect hairstyle. “I know you’re home.”
How did she know that? Where did she even manage to get my address? I hadn’t even given it to Jamie. And even if I did, I knew that he wouldn’t betray me like this.
I wasn’t going to hide from Aurora. If she wanted to talk to me, then I’d let her talk to me. I had exactly six minutes for it while I make some more coffee and drink it. Three cups were, of course, too much. But I needed to be full of energy today to get Felicia the best dress in the world. Perhaps that’d improve my chances of keeping my position as the planner of the wedding of the year.
However, as I had already noticed, Felicia wasn’t the one who made the decisions. So if Garanor wanted to fire me, he’d do it in the blink of an eye.
I’m starting to freak out again.
By the time Aurora came down to my floor, I somehow pulled myself together.
“What do you need?” I asked instead of greeting her.
“What, you won’t even invite me in?” She grinned.
I let her in and silently went to the kitchen. Casting a glance at Lita playing with holographic cubes, I offered Aurora a cup of coffee.
“I won’t refuse. And I can’t help but notice that you’re well settled here, Elenia.”
“How did you find out where I live now?”
While the coffee maker was making the strong, aromatic drink, I loaded the dishwasher and glanced at the intruder.
“I have my sources and useful connections. How’s your daughter?”
“She’s fine. Have you come to talk to me about her?” Turning around, I crossed my arms over my chest.
Aurora put her snakeskin clutch (how symbolic) on the coffee table and stared at me.
“No, I came to talk to you about the Horos wedding.”
“Yes?”
“I advise you to give up on it, girl.”
The word girl sounded like an insult.
“I tend not to follow useless advice.” I stared at her without looking away. I didn’t owe her anything.
For a year and a half, I had worked at Felicidad, giving it a hundred and ten percent of myself. And what did I get in the end? Fired.
“I would if I were you...” She paused again and then continued in a rather threatening manner. “Before the press finds out about your talent. Or should I maybe go to the police straight away? Which option would you prefer?”
You wouldn’t!
I wanted to throw that cup of coffee into her face and get that gloating smirk off it. Or even better — to slam the coffee maker on this bitch’s head, and then a few more dirty plates, just for good measure.
Having calmed down, I quickly found a solution — to intimidate her by using Garanor’s name. However, after giving it a quick thought, I decided against it. I wasn’t going to hide behind him, especially now, when my future was so shaky and uncertain. I could figure this out by myself somehow.
“You’ll do no such thing.” My voice sounded confident and firm.
“Why is that?” She raised an eyebrow. “I told you, Elenia, I have connections and acquaintances. You can lose not only your job but also your freedom. With just one snap of my fingers. Think what’ll happen to this adorable baby then.” She nodded toward Lita.
Over the past few days, I had managed to get scared so many times that now I had already developed a kind of immunity to all kinds of threats. And even more so to the petty ones regarding my child.
Turning away from this snake, I poured coffee into cups, after which, with a short grin, I served one to her.
“Nobody will believe you. I have blockers, as most fairies do, which means that I’m simply unable to use magic. That’s first. Second, even if we assume that someone is interested in your fairy tale, how do you think Felicidad’s clients will react? How many projects have I done over the past year and a half? If my memory serves me right, it was twenty-eight. Imagine what will happen when our, or more precisely, your clients start thinking that I’ve influenced their emotions... With your blessing, of course.”
“I didn’t give you my blessing!” she hissed angrily, squinting.
I just spread my hands and shrugged.
“You can’t prove that. If you dare to push me into the abyss, you’ll be going there with me. The reputation of your agency will be irrevocably damaged. No clients will want to work with you... Drink your coffee while it’s hot.”
I saluted her with my coffee and took a long sip. Her face was crimson. And I was ready to start spitting fire. But, on the other hand, I was a decent person and I didn’t spit at people, although some deserved it.
“You shouldn’t have threatened me, Elenia. You’ll regret the day you decided to cross my path.”
She left. I finished my coffee and massaged my temples, unable to deal with the feeling th
at there was some kind of an iron hoop around my head, which was shrinking more and more every minute.
This day didn’t start well. I was scared to imagine how it’d continue.
Chapter 15
Elenia
“Well, what do you say?” Felicia twirled in front of the mirror in a luxurious and very shiny wedding dress.
Oli and I assessed the garment.
“No, it doesn’t feel right,” Oli said doubtfully.
I shook my head.
“Take that thing off as soon as possible! It makes you look like a bride; it doesn’t emphasize your individuality at all. If I were you, I’d try on that dress.” I pointed at the masterpiece of tailoring, which I noticed as soon as I crossed the threshold of this high-end store.
The shop’s consultant, who had been hovering around us this entire time, immediately rushed to the clothing rack and pulled off a dress with wide straps.
Felicia bit her lip.
“Isn’t it a bit too simple? Don’t you think I’ll get lost in the crowd?”
“Just try it on.” I smiled and returned to the transparent screen, at which there was also a coffee table.
After a touch, the screen came to life, and models in wedding dresses began to flicker on it one after another.
Ilara Todos’s wedding and evening dress salon was considered one of the most famous in Grassor. If not every, then certainly every second bride dreamed of having a dress from this place. But not all could even afford a veil from Ilara. For Felicia, money, of course, wasn’t a problem, so we decided to start our search for the best dress in the world here.
“What about this one?” Oli pointed to a dress with a skirt made of snow-white feathers.
“Original, extravagant, but definitely not suitable for a wedding of this scale.” I immediately dismissed her suggestion.
“Perhaps it’d fit Sibyl better... But yeah, you’re right, it’s definitely not Felicia.”
We continued going through the most exclusive models, without worrying that someone would interrupt us during such an extremely important task as choosing a wedding dress. While we were here, the store was closed to other visitors. One employee helped Felicia change her clothes, and another brought us espresso, champagne, cakes, and tartlets. Everything was so tiny that I could hardly taste it.
“This one is very beautiful and unusual.” I pointed to another model on the screen and shuddered when I heard my phone quietly beeping in my purse.
“Dinner at the Atorra at nine.”
Damn it!
So he remembered I existed and invited me to dinner. Surely a goodbye dinner. Something like the last meal before execution. I wondered if Garanor would throw me out on the street or if he’d send me to the police station after dinner. Or maybe he’d agree to give me another chance?
At nine! As if he didn’t remember that I had a small child! But he didn’t care. He didn’t give a damn about anything except his plans.
I could, of course, say that if he needed something from me, we could meet at my place again. But the mere thought of being alone with him again unsettled me and caused a hurricane of feelings, some of which were incomprehensible even to me.
It was definitely better to go to a restaurant. I’d prefer a public execution over a private meeting with him.
Oli clicked her tongue softly. She, too, stared at her phone, quickly typing a message and shaking her head.
“Did something happen?”
“One of my classmates!” she said. “She’s a cool girl. However, she’s obsessed with Xanor and is always trying to meet him. I told her so many times that he’d use her for a day or two and then dump her. But she’s still a fan! She somehow found out that Xanor would be hanging out with his friends in Mad tonight and now she’s trying to get me to go there with her and introduce them. What a fool!”
“And?”
Oli frowned.
“I said I was busy. Laura is my friend, and I wouldn’t like to see her cry. I already told her it was better not to mess with the Dark Ones. Better safe than sorry.”
Useful advice. Words of wisdom.
But not for me.
Mad was a popular nightclub. I visited it a couple of times with the guys from the agency. I wondered when Xanor would be there. Garanor’s timing was so bad.
I bit my lip, wondering whether it was worth it, but then decided that it was. No risk no reward, after all.
With this life-affirming thought, I returned to my phone and broke one more rule — I texted Jamie and invited him to come with me to Mad at eight.
The Dark Ones weren’t the only ones who liked to hunt.
The answer from Jamie arrived literally a second later. As expected, he was up for it. I was overwhelmed by the realization that I had just, without hesitation, made the decision to use my friend to get closer to Xanor again.
Bad, bad Elenia.
Even the excuse that I was doing all this for Lita’s sake didn’t make me feel better.
Felicia’s appearance distracted me. She looked really lovely in the dress I suggested. It was made of light fabric, richly embroidered with silver, ice-like patterns that evoked thoughts of the coming winter. It flowed around her slender figure, falling down in light pleats and ending in a short train.
It really suited her, but something was still missing.
“Cool!” Oli gave thumbs up. “That’s honestly cool, but...”
“But something’s not right,” Felicia said, as if reading my mind.
And I had to agree. I was crazy about this dress, but it wasn’t me who was getting married, and we weren’t choosing an outfit for me.
“So, we’re gonna keep looking.” I smiled encouragingly at Felicia and showed her other models that I liked.
We didn’t find the perfect dress that day, which meant that the search would continue. However, I didn’t know if it was going to be with me or someone else... Returning home at about six, I told Dina that she’d have to stay with Lita today at least until eleven. Although, maybe I could return earlier. For example, maybe Xanor wouldn’t be at the club or he wouldn’t pay attention to me. And maybe Garanor would keep it short, and we’d be done with my dismissal before the appetizers arrived.
“Dina, I’m really sorry for this irregular work schedule. If I keep doing this, you’ll have to transfer to online learning.”
Or, again, she wouldn’t have to, because starting tonight, I’d probably be an unemployed single mother, and I’d have as much time for my daughter as I wanted.
Elenia, you have to calm down!
“It’s all right, Lenny. I have fewer classes now, mostly tests, and my exams will begin soon. I’ll put Lita to sleep and study.”
“You’re a treasure.” I breathed out with relief and picked up Lita, who hugged me back and quietly whispered: “Mommy.”
Just for this little word, uttered with the sincerest and purest love, I was ready to step over my own beliefs a thousand, even a million times. I had a daughter who needed surgery, and nothing else mattered.
Forgive me, Jamie.
Around seven, I rushed to take a shower, and quickly got ready, noticing dark circles under my eyes from lack of sleep. Yes, I was the embodiment of allure and beauty. Fortunately, it could be fixed with a bit of makeup, and in a just-above-the-knee, tight-fitting dark dress and hair styled in a light wave, I even looked like a proper person. A lovely fairy, more precisely.
“I’ll be back as soon as I’m done,” I promised Dina, kissed my baby, and hurried to the roof, where an aerocab was already waiting for me.
In Kadris, unlike in Alicantar, it had gotten colder in recent days, so I put on a coat.
However, I forgot to take a scarf, so I shivered from the cold, but also from excitement. My conscience was again screaming that I had no right to do this — to brazenly use my friend, but I didn’t want to go there alone.
When I arrived, Jamie was already there, waiting for me at the entrance to the club. He didn’t seem happy. At the s
ight of me, his expression brightened a little, and his face reminded me of a kitten.
“Sorry, Lenny, but it’s a private party tonight. It seems like some big shot is celebrating their birthday. They won’t let anyone in. But I know a nice restaurant nearby. Let’s go there,” he offered.
But I didn’t need a nice restaurant. I needed to get inside.
A private party, you say? Well, that won’t stop me.
I cast a glance around and, making sure that we were alone at the entrance to the club, not counting the bouncer, I went up to him and smiled, accidentally opening my coat.
“My friend and I… we’re on the guest list, too.”
“What’s your name?”
There was no way he’d let me in if I told him. And I desperately had to get in there.
“Maybe we can do without names, passwords, and appearances?” I lightly touched the guy’s hand, pretending to flirt with him, while I concentrated on my gift, making him feel sympathy, interest, and leniency.
Toward me and Jamie.
“We can,” he responded after a few seconds and opened the doors in front of me.
Straight into the devil’s lair.
“Let’s go.” I turned to Jamie.
“How did you do that?” he whispered in my ear, dumbfounded.
“The magic of female charms.” I smiled at him and began to carefully look around the club.
I didn’t know what kind of birthday party this was, but the club was full. There were around a hundred people inside, if not more. I hoped that there weren’t many Dark Ones among them. I couldn’t feel their presence like they could feel mine, but they couldn’t go unnoticed.
After a few more minutes, I came to the conclusion that there really were no Dark Ones here. Including Xanor.
Damn it!
For party-goers like him, eight in the evening was too early to make an appearance.
And I needed him to be here now! I hoped I wouldn’t have to come up with some excuse for Garanor. I couldn’t possibly manage to do everything in Mad and still have dinner at Atorra with him, but if Xanor didn’t show up, then there’d be nothing for me to do here. I could ask Jamie to drop me off at the restaurant.
A Deal with the Dark Fae: Enemies-to-Lovers Standalone (Cruel Intentions Book 1) Page 13
