I felt horrible after that thought. I was equally horrible to Jamie. But I only smiled at him and we went to the bar.
Everywhere I looked there were multi-colored spotlights and laser installations. They painted the dancers, crept on the floor, crawled along the walls. While we were moving toward the bar, I had time to look at every corner, but Xanor was nowhere to be found. Not in the booths or on the balconies. I doubted a guy like him would hit the dance floor.
We kept getting lucky. As soon as we approached, the seats at the bar were freed up. Two girls in dresses so short that they could easily pass for long tops jumped out of high chairs and rushed into the crowd moving to the rhythm of the music. We hurried up to take their places and order drinks.
“Drinks are on me. We haven’t yet had time to celebrate your career takeoff.” Jamie held out his open palm to the bartender to scan it, but he shook his head and nodded, clearly pointing at someone.
“Today, everything’s on the birthday girl.”
I followed his gaze to the booth on the second floor, located in the heart of the nightclub, where a beautiful dark-haired girl was surrounded by stylishly dressed guys and girls in brightly colored outfits. They were like her entourage, and she was the queen, accepting gifts and congratulations with a condescending expression on her face.
There was a mountain of gifts next to her, and she wasn’t even paying attention to it. Her face seemed vaguely familiar but I couldn’t remember who she was.
I quickly forgot about the beautiful brunette when the bartender put a cocktail in front of me and Jamie began to bombard me with questions.
“How was your weekend in Alicantar? Did the Horoses bother you much?”
Oh, if you only knew. But all that information was too personal to share, even with a close friend like Jamie.
“Everything was fine. Felicia is wonderful.” I was trying to sound neutral. “You could only dream of such a client. She’s so easy and pleasant to work with.”
“And Garanor?” He squinted, looking inquisitively at my face as if he intended to catch and memorize every emotion.
“What about him?” I shrugged, trying to look indifferent, even though the thoughts of the imminent date with him weren’t leaving my head. I shuddered. “I don’t work with him. He’s too busy to be bothered with all the preparations.”
“And what about the other brother?” Jamie emptied his glass in one gulp and asked the bartender to pour more tequila for him.
At this rate, I’d have to take an aerocab to Atorra, because Jamie would no longer be able to give me a ride.
I had no time to answer his question or to try to avoid it, because at that very moment, with every cell of my body, every hair that stood on end, I felt the presence of a Dark One nearby.
No, I wasn’t a Dark One and I wasn’t able to smell anyone, but without even turning around, I knew exactly who was behind me. The expression on Jamie’s face and his round eyes only confirmed my guess.
In the next moment, I heard a familiar voice full of irony.
“Look at that! A fairy!”
I turned around and met his gaze.
“And an ordinary human,” Xanor said listlessly, glancing at my friend.
His eyes were dark and dangerous. This made me feel like shivering and trembling. But I didn’t allow myself either. Instead, I straightened my shoulders and just smiled.
“Hi, Xanor. And you are here, too.”
“And I’m here, too,” he repeated, looking at me as if we hadn’t seen each other in years.
He was especially interested in my legs, my knees... I lowered my gaze and hastened to pull down my dress and hide my lace stockings. I didn’t want to wave a meal in front of a hungry beast.
However, Xanor quickly pulled himself together, and, pushing some guy off the chair, he took his place to my right.
“I understand that you’re also invited.”
“A friend of my friend’s friend managed to get us in,” I lied without batting an eye.
Coldheartedly. Without blushing. To a Dark One!
“You have so many friends, Elenia.” Xanor grinned. “And this is...”
“Jamie Lozano,” he introduced himself, looking Xanor in the eyes. “Also Elenia’s friend. A close friend.”
I was getting nervous. What was with all these clarifications and emphasizing? Of course, I wanted to attract Xanor’s attention, perhaps even make him jealous, but it was certainly not in my plans to give Jamie problems.
And that was what Xanor’s face looked like now. Problems. For my friend.
“I also recently tried to make friends with Sonorina Lei. It didn’t work out.”
“We’re just friends, it’s not what you think,” I quietly enlightened him.
The atmosphere was heating up.
But Xanor paid attention to me.
That’s what you wanted, Lenny, so congratulations, have fun.
Xanor leaned toward me and whispered into my ear: “Glad to hear that, Lenny.” Then he loudly offered us to join him, pointing to the balcony of the birthday girl.
“No, we—” Jamie stuttered, but I quickly interrupted him.
“If you insist...”
“I don’t insist, Lenny, I demand.” He smiled, and so did I.
My phone was vibrating in my purse. Sliding off the chair, I took it out and glanced at the screen. Damn it, was already ten! Time just flew by. But there was no way I could just vanish now and fly to Atorra.
“Any problems, Lenny?” Xanor asked.
“Is everything okay with Lita?” Jamie frowned. However, he had been frowning for the last fifteen minutes.
I turned very pale. And what else could I do, after having made such a difficult and, possibly, dangerous decision, as to ignore the future ruler of Grassor?
I dismissed his call, turned off my phone, and answered cheerfully: “Everything’s perfectly fine.”
“Well then, let’s go.” Having downed his glass of whiskey, Xanor got to his feet. “I’ll introduce you to my friends and the culprit behind our unexpected meeting, Lenny.”
Chapter 16
Elenia
Xanor led the way. I was slightly shaken. Jamie was in a bad mood. I knew him well so I understood what he was experiencing. But this was definitely not the time or place for any explanations and serious conversations.
We walked across the dance floor and everyone moved to let us pass. More precisely, to let Xanor pass, almost bowing to him. I couldn’t imagine what would happen if Garanor had attended this event. They would’ve probably fallen on their knees before him or something like that.
“And here’s our birthday girl.” Climbing the stairs, Xanor came up to the brunette in the red blouse.
At the sight of him, she jumped up on her stiletto heels and offered him a kiss on the cheek. He took a small velvet box from a guest, smiled languidly, and then looked at me and Jamie. His gaze grew colder by several degrees.
And then I remembered where I saw her. On the covers of magazines, in numerous advertisements, and even in a couple of movies. How did I not recognize her immediately? Narcissa Castaldo was a world-famous top model, an aspiring actress, and even a singer. The long-legged muse of great artists, with a face that even fairies could envy.
“I see you brought company.” Narcissa nodded discreetly at us.
“Narsi, this is Sonorina Lei. She’s the one who’s organizing the wedding of the century. Elenia, this is Narcissa.” Xanor introduced us. “And this...” Frowning, he tried to remember my friend’s name. Was his memory really that bad? “Sorry, I forgot your name... Um, Jimmie?”
I could hear Jamie grinding his teeth in frustration. My palms were itching to splash a couple of cocktails into Xanor’s face.
“Sonor Lozano,” Jamie said grimly.
“Ooh, so official,” the guy sitting on the right side of the birthday girl said.
He looked nice, mannered, about twenty-five years old. His dark hair was slicked back, and he was wea
ring a rather ugly unbuttoned shirt and tight pants. I assumed he belonged to the world of high fashion, too.
“And this is Vinny Medina,” Xanor introduced him.
“Just Vin.”
“He’s a photographer, Lenny,” Xanor decided to add.
“A photographer?” Vin snorted. “I’m the best in all of Kadris, if not in all of Grassor!”
“Modesty will definitely not be the death of you.” One of the girls sitting on the leather sofa giggled.
And Narsi, giving me a prickly, icy look, pondered thoughtfully.
“Lenny...” Then, as if coming to her senses, she smiled again and invited Xanor to sit down next to her.
But he pretended not to hear her and returned to me. Well, to Jamie and me. But he mostly ignored him.
Suddenly, the sofa was freed up. Xanor introduced us to a couple more friends. He tried to introduce us to some girl, but then he again had a memory lapse, so he decided against it. The girl was clearly offended.
One snap of Xanor’s fingers and our drinks were here. I only pretended to drink, though. Jamie, on the other hand, kept drinking like a fish, just like Xanor.
Narcissa tries to stick to Horos Junior, Vin pestered me with questions, not forgetting to brag about how cool he was and how for one photo session he could get such famous models like Castaldo to sell their soul, body, and everything they had. He didn’t forget to offer me a photoshoot in his penthouse, free of charge, of course, impudently stating that he had not yet had a chance to take photos of a nude fairy.
“Vin, back off,” Xanor said. He had been focused on the birthday girl all this time, but, as it turned out, he was also listening in on our conversation.
“I’m just offering,” Vin immediately started defending himself.
“You can offer such things to your models,” Xanor retorted harshly and with a note of threat.
“Aren’t all fairies models?” I heard from somewhere on my left, and Narcissa’s entourage burst out laughing.
I wanted to jump to my feet and punch the bastard, but Jamie was quicker. He rose abruptly, grabbed the merry fellow — one of Xanor’s friends, whose name I hadn’t remembered — by the collar, and, having raised him to his feet, he punched him in the face with all his might. The unlucky guy fell back on the sofa, almost falling on some girl, and started swearing loudly.
For a moment, everyone around me seemed to freeze, and I closed my eyes, somehow belatedly remembering that Garanor had hired me exactly for this — to prevent the slightest scandal that could leak and in which, even indirectly, Xanor could be involved.
But instead of strictly following all the points of our agreement, I only continued to violate it.
“You bastard! You think you’re so cool?” The dude spat and jumped to his feet, clearly intending to return the punch. “You think you’re a knight in shining armor? You better get out of here with your—”
He didn’t have time to finish as Jamie decided to punch him again. But Xanor turned out to be faster. One quick movement and he was already between them, with harsh words shattering the silence that now hung on the balcony.
“Careful, Adam. If I hit you, you won’t get up again.”
Snakes of darkness appeared around Xanor, wrapping around his arms, one of which was pressed against Adam’s chest, and the other was tightly squeezing Jamie’s shoulder.
“I was just kidding! Why are you all so tense?!”
“And now you’ll just apologize to my friend, and we’ll no longer keep spoiling Narcissa’s party,” Xanor said surprisingly restrainedly.
He and his brother had more in common than meets the eye. At this moment, he looked like Garanor more than ever. Cold, composed, and eerily calm. A man that one should be afraid of.
Adam was noticeably distressed. But not from fear. It was immediately evident that he’d rather have someone hit him again than ask a fairy for forgiveness. I heard that in Grassor, fairies were treated with special disdain, but, to be honest, until today, I had never felt it on my own skin.
But it cut me like a knife.
“Actually, I’m perfectly capable of standing up for my girlfriend myself,” Jamie growled, throwing off Xanor’s hand.
This shocked me. I certainly didn’t expect such a statement. Especially now, when everything was so...
This is a nightmare!
Xanor turned and stared at Jamie.
“So, is she your friend or your girlfriend?” His voice was venomous, cynical, and harsh. “Make up your mind.”
I wanted to disappear, or at least fall off this balcony and get lost in the crowd on the dance floor. But I couldn’t leave now. I had to fix this.
Now.
Damn it! I never thought it’d end like this.
I exhaled briefly and, looking into Xanor’s dark eyes, started talking calmly and firmly.
“Jamie and I are just friends. Nothing more. There’s nothing going on between us and there never will be.” Then I looked at my friend. My former friend would be more appropriate, perhaps. “I’m sorry that you don’t understand this, Jamie, although I’ve never given you even the slightest reason to think otherwise.”
Once again, everyone was silent. Even people on the neighboring balconies became quiet.
My head was buzzing and the music sounded like nothing more than humming. It started to hum even stronger and louder when Jamie’s lips turned into the exact same grin that Xanor had a moment ago.
“You know what... Maybe... Adam, right? Maybe you’re right about the fairies, and...”
I didn’t have time to unpack all the bitterness of that reproach, or rather, I didn’t allow myself to do that. I grabbed Xanor’s hand, realizing that he was about to hit him. And that would be the ultimate disaster.
A total and complete one.
There could be more Dark Ones in this club.
There could be more DARK ONES in this club!!!
Or Xanor could maybe realize what I was about to do...
But I had no choice.
“Don’t, please,” I begged him, ready to use my powers.
I even closed my eyes, concentrating. It felt like I was going to step into the abyss.
I unclenched my fingers before I could make another mistake. Xanor stepped back and abruptly said: “Go away. Both of you, get out before you have to be carried out.”
Luckily, Jamie didn’t have to be told twice. He turned around and stumbled toward the stairs. Adam also disappeared somewhere. And all of a sudden I realized how much I didn’t belong here either.
“I’ll go, too,” I said, and forced a smile.
“I’ll take you home,” Xanor said. I had no desire to object.
I guess this was a small victory.
But I didn’t feel like a winner at all. Rather, I felt defeated, crushed, and somehow broken.
It would’ve been better if I went to dinner with Garanor. I’d still have a friend, and I wouldn’t feel like I had spat in his face.
And he spat in mine in return.
Are you happy now, Lenny?
I walked to the parking lot as if in a delirium.
“How are you?” Xanor asked, starting the car smoothly, almost carefully.
I didn’t even feel it when we took off.
“Hard to tell.”
“How about admitting what you were really doing in the club?” he suddenly suggested.
It was warm in the aerocar, but I wrapped myself in my coat and said to myself: You have to lie.
I had to lie to him.
But my tongue refused to obey, and I gave out before the sirens rang in my head.
“I was hoping to see you. And I asked Jamie to keep me company.”
“That I already gathered,” he chuckled, speeding up and merging onto the upper highway, “I just don’t understand why.”
“We parted on bad terms, and I... got scared.”
“What?” Another wide grin appeared on his face. “Were you afraid that I’d try to take revenge because you
turned me down or something? I didn’t think that I was such trash in your eyes, Lenny. I mean, Elenia,” he corrected himself sharply.
“No. I was scared of getting fired.” I sighed, deciding to be as frank with him as I could. “I was afraid that Felicia or your brother wouldn’t like our quarrel, and the entire situation between us, and that they’d find a replacement for me, to avoid possible rumors and scandals that could appear in the press. I was fired quite recently, and I can’t afford to lose this job as well,” I finished quietly and turned to the window.
I’d rather look at skyscrapers than see his reaction.
“So I’m not that bad after all,” he said absentmindedly.
“Well, maybe just a little.” I caught his gaze in the dark smooth surface of the glass, a small smile on his lips, and I also smiled tiredly, leaning back in the seat.
We flew in silence for a while. I continued to stare out the window, at the kaleidoscope of lights in the night.
“Felicia likes you very much,” Xanor finally broke the silence. “And Garanor won’t fire you.”
“You seem very confident about it...” I cast a glance at him.
He turned sharply and started lowering the aerocar. And after his answer, my heart sank, too.
“He likes you, too, Elenia.”
I immediately jumped in my seat.
“What do you mean he likes me?”
“He likes your ideas and dedication. My brother wouldn’t let just anyone near himself or Feli. And if he’s really interested in your resume and your projects, he won’t part with you so easily,” he explained, and I felt at ease.
Just a bit.
As if. My resume and talent. Hah.
Fortunately, Xanor didn’t know about my other talents, otherwise, he would’ve thrown me out while we were still high in the sky.
He brought me home and even went down with me in the elevator. I, as if on autopilot, thought about how I’d finally let Dina go home, and then... And then come what may.
I opened the door to the apartment, went inside, took off my shoes, and realized that no one was following me.
I turned around. Xanor was standing in the hallway, resting his palms on the door frame, and then lazily pushed away from it.
A Deal with the Dark Fae: Enemies-to-Lovers Standalone (Cruel Intentions Book 1) Page 14
