Текст книги "Pure"

Автор книги: Jennifer L. Armentrout

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Текущая страница: 16 (всего у книги 24 страниц)

There was a stretch of silence. “That is out of the question. I am sorry, but I cannot agree to that.”

“Perhaps you just some need time and motivation. You want that Council seat very badly. I could make it happen.”

Seth dropped his head, his breath warm against my neck. I tried to move back, but there wasn’t anywhere to go. “Do you know what they’re talking about?” he whispered.

For a second I had to think about what he was asking. I felt kind of out of it. “No clue.”

“I do not believe my mind will change,” Marcus finally responded. “It is late, Minister. And this conversation is over.”

Seth’s lips brushed against my neck, right under my ear. I jerked from the unexpected touch, and then socked him in the stomach. He chuckled softly.

Telly laughed mirthlessly. “My offer stands until the end of sessions.”

“Good evening, Minister Telly.”

We ducked into the adjoining room, shutting the door just in time. Telly exited seconds later, followed by Marcus. Seth and I stared at each other. There was something in his eyes, mischief definitely, but something else. He prowled toward me, grinning.

I put my hand up, flattening it against his chest. My pulse sped up. “Playtime is over, Seth.”

He placed his hand over mine. “Sounds like a bit of bribery going on.”

“That doesn’t surprise me.” I gave the room a brief glance. We were in another sitting room. How many of these things were there? “I’m a little surprised over how much Marcus dislikes Telly.”

Shrugging, Seth went to the door and peered out. “All clear.” He paused, grinning over his shoulder. “Unless you want to stay here a little while. That couch looks comfy.”

I shoved past him. “Can’t you think of anything else?”

He followed me out. “No. Not really.”

“Wow. You’re so multi-dimensional, Seth.”

Chuckling, he sidled up to my side and dropped his arm over my shoulders. “And you’re such a killjoy.”

CHAPTER 20

OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS, SETH CONSUMED MOST OF MY time. I saw very little of Aiden and Marcus. Once, when Seth wasn’t attached to my hip, I hung out with Laadan while she got a mani and pedi for the ball. I opted out of the indulgence.

People touching my feet creeped me out.

Seth and I had snuck into one of the training classrooms between practices and sparred with some of the halfs the other day. I think we caused more mayhem than anything else, but I’d enjoyed fighting people other than Seth. Goofing off eased some of the pent-up frustration of being in this place, and the growing unease that occupied each day closer to my Council session.

But time with Seth hadn’t been all fun and games. We’d spent most of our training sessions working on avoiding the use of elements in battle. Throwing balls of flame around really wasn’t an indoor sport, so we were forced outside.

We also argued. A lot.

He got pissy because he claimed I’d been watching Aiden when he’d shown up one day during our practice and worked out alongside us. Seth also claimed that I’d drooled on myself.

Not true.

Flushing with embarrassment and anger, I’d stormed off and left him standing in the middle of the field we’d practiced in. A short hour later, Seth reappeared with hamburgers and fries—my favorite—and I kind of forgave him. He’d had hamburgers; what else could I have done?

I still had no recollection of how I’d ended up in the maze. Not knowing what’d happened—or why a pure would do that—nagged at me. So did the conversation we’d overheard between Marcus and Lucian. I couldn’t shake the feeling that those two events were connected.

But that could just be my paranoia.

Today’s practice had been cut short as Seth had something important to discuss with Lucian. When I’d asked what it was, he’d told me not to worry my pretty little butt over it and to go hang out with Laadan.

I hate boys.

And I couldn’t find Laadan anywhere.

Even though it irked me that no one wanted me to roam around alone, I didn’t want to end up a pure’s compulsion toy again. Thinking about that filled me with enough anger I could have put my fist through the wall. After checking out a million sitting rooms, I gave up on my search for Laadan. Another long and boring evening staring at the white walls in my room awaited me.

With barely restrained aggravation, I turned the corner and froze.

Up ahead, a female servant trembled on her knees. She’d dropped a stack of dishes on the carpet. The man towering over her wore the unmistakable—and terrifying—garb of a Master. I’d only seen one once before, and that had been when Mom had brought me before the Council when I was seven.

I’d never forget the blood red tunic or how they shaved their heads and allfacial hair.

The Master kicked one of the empty plates, shattering it. “You careless, stupid half-blood. Is carrying plates too complicated for you?”

She cowered, lowering her head and clasping her knees. She didn’t speak, but I could hear her soft cries.

“Get up.” Disgust dripped from the Master’s voice. The girl didn’t move quickly enough for his liking. He reached down and grabbed a handful of her tangled hair, yanking her to her feet. Her gasp of surprise and pain brought forth a cruel laugh from the Master and something far worse. He lifted his free hand to hit her.

I didn’t even think.

Rage propelled me into action. I struck out, catching the Master’s fist before it landed a blow. The Master whirled around. Lack of eyebrows gave his startled expression an almost comical aspect. He recovered quickly and tried to pull his hand free.

I held on. “Didn’t your mother ever teach you not to hit a lady?”

Anger and contempt filled his eyes, sharpening them. “You dare to touch me and interfere in a situation that does not concern you? Do you have a desire for the elixir, half-blood?”

I smiled, tightening my grip until I felt the bones in his hand rub together. His lips thinned in pain, filling me with sick satisfaction. “Oh, I’m not just a half-blood.”

“I know what you are.” He wrenched his hand free, lips curling with disgust. “You think that will save you? If anything, that ensures that one day you will be under the Masters’ control… or worse.”

His words should’ve scared me, but they just pissed me off. “Go screw yourself, you eyebrowless freak.”

The Master laughed as he twisted back to the silent girl, but then he swung around so fast I hadn’t a chance to raise my hands in defense. The fist intended for the servant ended up smashing right into my jaw.

Fierce pain exploded along my face as I stumbled back into the wall. My eyes immediately filled with tears; the throbbing sent darts of dizziness through me. I held my jaw, almost certain he had broken it. And then Seth was standing in front of me, a towering inferno of fury. I don’t even know where he’d come from or how he’d gotten there so quickly.

“That will be the last thing you ever do,” Seth snarled. He threw back his hand. Not to hit to the pure, but to killthe pure.

Many times in practice I had seen akasha start to build in his hand, but always as just a small ball of energy. When he’d taken down Kain, Aiden had blocked most of it, but now it was all that I could see. The blue energy shot from somewhere under the sleeve of his shirt, filling his hand, crackling and snapping blue fire.

Pain forgotten, I pushed off the wall and grabbed Seth’s other arm. “No! No!”

“Get back, Alex, now.”

I got in front of him, blocking the Master. The mark of the Apollyon stood out in contrast against his pale face. “You can’t do this, Seth! You need to calm down.”

“Do it,” urged the Master. “Seal your fate, Apollyon. As your bitch’s fate has been sealed.”

Seth’s eyes glowed, his lips pulled back in a snarl. Akasha spread, spitting flames.

“Ignore him,” I balled my hands in the front of his shirt. “Please! You can’t do this!” This wasn’t working. He wasn’t listening to me. His arm went back, readying to release the most powerful element known to man. I twisted around. “Get out of here! Now!”

The servant took off, but the Master stayed, daring Seth with his smile as if he had no sense of self-preservation. Then it struck me—he wanted Seth to do this, knowing that for a half to kill a pure in any situation meant death.

Possibly even for the Apollyon.

I turned back to Seth, hands trembling. I pressed against his chest as if I could somehow burrow my way into him and make him understand that the penalty for hitting me wasn’t capital punishment. I could taste the fear in the back of my throat; panic overshadowed the physical pain.

Seth shuddered and then his arms swept around me. I almost cried out in relief. The Master’s cruel laugh echoed around us, seeming to hang in the air long after he left the hallway.

He stared down at me, still furious. “I want to kill him.”

“I know,” I whispered, blinking back tears.

“No, you don’t. I still do.”

“But you can’t. It was my fault. He was about to hit a servant and I stopped him. He—”

“Your fault?” he said, eyes widening with disbelief now. He reached out and caught my chin, turning my head to the side. “No. This wasn’t your fault.”

I swallowed, closing my eyes. Crisis adverted… for now. “Is it going to bruise?”

“Most definitely.”

“I think… I’m going to be in trouble.” I stepped back, staring at the floor. This Seth—this hard and lethal Seth—was frightening. “You’re going to be in trouble, too.”

“Yes.” Seth sounded as if he didn’t give a crap about that.

I touched the left side of my face and winced. “Oh, crap.”

Seth pulled my hand away from my face. “I think if we make it to dinner without anyone saying anything, then we’re in the clear.”

“You think so?”

Seth smiled, but everything about him still seemed on the verge of destroying something. “Yes.”

We didn’t make it until dinner.

About twenty minutes later, Marcus and crew stormed the sitting room Seth and I were kind of hiding in. Aiden was with them, his eyes immediately finding me. His gaze glided over my face, stopping on what I knew was a nasty-looking bruise. He came to a complete stop and inhaled sharply. Potent anger rolled off him in waves, nearly as overwhelming as what was still radiating from the one next to me.

“What were you thinking, Alexandria?” demanded Marcus.

I pulled my eyes from Aiden’s, but didn’t look at Marcus. I watched Seth instead. His face was still a picture of hard lines and chilling beauty. “I know I shouldn’t have stopped the Master, but he was going to beat a girl for dropping plates. I had to do—”

The door swung open, revealing Minister Telly and a slew of Council Guards. I stiffened, but Seth stood. “What is this?” he demanded, hands balling into fists.

“What is this?” Minister Telly repeated, striding across the room, tall and graceful, his green robes flowing. He stopped before Marcus and Lucian. “What is it that I hear about Alexandria attacking a Master this afternoon?”

“Attacked?” I sputtered. “I didn’t attack anyone. I stopped—”

“She did interfere with a Master, but she did not attack the man,” Marcus cut in, sending me a dangerous look. “However, he did strike Alexandria.”

Telly spared me a brief glance. “Half-bloods know to not interfere with a Master and their treatment of servants. To do so is a breach of the Breed Order!”

My mouth dropped open. Had I expected to be in trouble? Yes. But not to be accused of breaking the Order.

“Are you serious?” Seth stepped forward, eyes narrowing into thin slits.

“Get your Apollyon under control this instant, Lucian,” Telly spat, “or my Guards will.”

Lucian swung toward Seth, but I knew there was nothing that he could say or do. I grabbed Seth’s arm and tugged hard. “Sit,” I whispered.

He glanced over his shoulder at me, brows raised. “I’d rather stand.”

Gods, he so wasn’t helping matters. Not like it would stop him, but I held onto his arm.

“Minister Telly, I understand that Alexandria should not have interfered, but accusing her of breaking the law?” Marcus shook his head. “I think that’s a bit extreme.”

“That half-blood is extreme,” Telly responded. “Neither of you have any control over her. She’s threatening Masters now? What will she do as an Apollyon? Massacre them in their sleep?”

I laughed. Everyone looked at me. “I’m sorry, but this is ridiculous. All I did was stop him from hitting a girl. That’s it! I didn’t hit him, but he did hit me.” I pointed at my jaw. “And I wouldn’t massacre people in their sleep.”

Telly turned, facing me fully. “You, little girl, have shown no regard for the law or for rules from the moment you could breathe. Oh yes, I’ve seen your files.”

Had everyone seen my files? Gah. I felt exposed.

“You are uncontrollable and a constant problem for the Council,” Telly continued, turning back to Lucian. “She belongs here, where the Council can control her, since neither of you have been able to ingrain a sense of respect in the girl.”

Fear stopped me dead in my tracks. “What?”

“That will not happen,” Seth said so low that I wasn’t sure anyone else heard him. But then everyone in the room froze.

“Are you threatening me, Apollyon? Threatening the Council?” Telly demanded. I’d swear he sounded happy about this, but that would be crazy, because Seth would kill him.

Seth would wipe the ground with Telly’s face.

I tore my gaze from the Head Minister and saw the marks of the Apollyon swirling across Seth’s face. And then I realized Aiden had moved, standing on the other side of me. I thanked the gods that everyone was focused on Seth, fearing he was about to lose it. The look on Aiden’s face said he was about to rip through everyone in this room.

My heart sank as I looked between the two guys. This wasn’t going to end well at all. I stood, my knees shaking. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize. You did nothing wrong,” Seth hissed.

“But I did. I shouldn’t have interfered.” I met Telly’s eyes and swallowed my pride at the same time. “I forgot… I forgot my place.”

Seth whirled on me so quickly I thought he might actually zap me. I met his furious stare, willing him to just sit down and shut up.

“Minister, as you can see, Alexandria sees her error.” Lucian moved in front of Seth, his hands clasped together. “She is strong-willed, stubborn even, but she broke no law today. As you know, if she had attacked the Master, I doubt he’d be well enough to spread such atrocious exaggerations.”

“She thinks without acting sometimes,” Marcus joined in. “She is reckless, but she never has ill intentions. As for controlling her, I can promise you that she won’t even speak out of turn for her stay here.”

I opened my mouth, but shut it.

Telly drew another breath before turning to Lucian. “This kind of behavior she has repeatedly displayed is concerning not only to me, but the Council. But that is something you are already aware of, Lucian.” He paused, scanning the room. His gaze, full of condemnation, fell on me. “I will not forget this.” With that, he turned and stalked from the room. The Guards followed him, stiff and silent.

I collapsed on the couch, exhausted. I’d barely escaped the noose with that one. I felt Seth sit back down, but I didn’t look at him.

“Alexandria, what have I told you time and time again?” asked Marcus.

“Enough,” Lucian said. “It is in the past now. It is done.”

“It just happened,” Marcus retorted, “and this one here threatened the Master with akasha, for crying out loud! He is lucky that the Master didn’t report him.”

“What did you expect?” Lucian countered wearily. “He will defend what is his.”

I sent my stepfather a death glare. “I am not his. Would you please stop referring to me as a possession instead of a person?”

Lucian smiled. “Either way, Seth cannot be blamed for defending her. Or would you rather he’d allowed the Master to continue to beat Alexandria?”

“That is preposterous, Lucian!” Marcus’s hands balled into fists.

They went back and forth for a little while. Eventually my head ached as badly as my jaw did. On the positive side, Seth began to relax and no longer looked like he wanted to wipe out an entire village of pures. Once I’d gathered I wasn’t in thatmuch trouble, I slipped out the double doors and breathed in the brisk air.

I didn’t roam off too far, staying just around the corner from the sitting room. I kept thinking about what the Master had said. My fate had already been sealed? Had the Master known something or had he just been taunting Seth?

“Alex?”

I turned to the sound of Aiden’s voice. His eyes were a flinty silver. “Hey,” I murmured. “I know I messed up again and—”

“I’m not here to yell at you, Alex. I just wanted to make sure you are okay.”

“Oh. Sorry. I’m just used to everyone yelling at me.”

He tipped his head to the side, eyes a dark gray. “I understand why you did what you did. Honestly, I wouldn’t have expected you to do anything differently.”

“Really?” I looked around skeptically. “Are you on drugs?”

Aiden smiled, but then his eyes flickered to my jaw. The smile faded. “Does it hurt?”

“No,” I lied.

He looked like he knew better. Before I knew what he was doing, he reached out and brushed his fingers around the edge of the bruise. “It’s swelling. Have you put ice on it?”

I had actually, but I’d grown bored holding the ice bag Seth had rifled together. Staring at Aiden now, though? I completely forgot what he’d just asked me. His fingers were still against my cheek and that was the only thing in this world that mattered.

“You still show so much strength.” A small smile appeared on his lips. Then he dropped his hand, the heady connection brief. “No other half-blood would have done what you did.”

“I don’t know why you keep saying that.” I leaned against the smooth wall as if it could somehow ground me back into reality.

“It’s the truth, Alex. And I’m not even talking about what you did for the half-blood. It’s what you just did in there. I know damn well what it took for you to apologize and say what you did. That took strength.”

“It wasn’t strength. I was scared out of my mind, actually. Maybe a little irrational, you know?”

Aiden glanced away, toward the labyrinth. From here, all I could see were the tips of the vine-covered statues. “I was wrong.”

My breath caught in my throat. “Wrong about what?”

He turned back to me, eyes silvery. “About a lot of things, but I always thought your irrational nature was a flaw. It’s not. It’s what makes you so strong.”

I stared at him, my heart doing all kinds of crazy things in my chest. “Thank… you.”

“Don’t thank—”

“I know.” I smiled even though it made my jaw hurt. “Don’t thank you for that, but I did.”

Aiden nodded. “I better get back in there. Don’t wander off too far, okay?”

I nodded and watched him turn around. He got to the French doors and stopped. Turning around, the expression on his face was unreadable, but his words were precise.

“Part of me wishes Seth had killed that Master for touching you.”

Dinner was served early on the night of the ball and the mad bustle of servants drove me up to my room. My nerves were stretched tight from my impending Court session, my run-in with a Master’s fist, Seth’s psycho akasha killing power, and Aiden’s parting words.

Part of me wishes Seth had killed that Master for touching you.

Two days later and I still couldn’t forget what he’d said.

That had been a serious statement, but what could it mean? Did it matter? No, I told myself. Even if Aiden loved me as much as I loved cake, it didn’t matter. There was no future there, only death and despair.

A soft knock on the door pulled me out of my thoughts. Since Seth never knocked, I knew it couldn’t be him. I scooted off the bed and went to the door.

Laadan stood in the hallway, dressed in a beautiful deep green dress that clung to her hips before billowing out around her in soft, wispy material. Her hair was done up in an intricate twist, adorned by several fresh rose blossoms.

I glanced down at my sweats and shirt. Gods, I never felt more boring and ugly in my entire life. And here I thought Lea was the only one who could evoke such feelings.

Laadan smiled faintly. “If you’re not busy, which I can tell you’re not, I want to show you something.”

I glanced back at my bed and shrugged. It wasn’t like I had anything to do. We passed several servants on the way to her room on the floor above, and Laadan smiled at each of them graciously.

Once inside her room, she circled one arm around my shoulders and steered me to an overstuffed chair by her closet. I sat down and pulled my legs up to my chest. “You… wanted to show me your closet door?”

Laadan’s laugh was throaty and infectious. I found myself smiling at her. “You’re so much like your mother.” She shook her head as she leaned against the doors. “The things you say—it’s like hearing Rachelle speak.”

My smile faded a bit and I wrapped my arms around my knees. “My mom never said half of the stupid stuff that comes out of my mouth.”

“You’d be surprised.” She paused as a soulful look crept across her features. “Do you know what your mother loved most about the Council sessions?”

“No.”

Laadan spun around and threw open her closet doors. She stepped back and spread her arms in a sweeping gesture. “All the dancing and beautiful dresses.”

Curious, I leaned forward to get a look inside the closet and nearly fell out of the chair. “Wow. That’s a lot of clothes.”

She gave a saucy grin over her shoulder. “A girl can never have too many clothes. Come on. Take a look.”

I pulled myself from the chair. The gowns caught my eye. Like being under a compulsion that’d turned me into a girlie girl in under two seconds flat, I stepped forward and ran a hand over the soft material.

“You like them?” She tugged on a deep purple dress in crushed velvet.

My fingers lingered on a red silk dress. I couldn’t see the cut of it, but the color was divine. “These are the kinds of dresses you’d give up your firstborn child for.”

She laughed, dropping the purple dress and gently unhooking the red one. She held it up between us. “Why are you so dead set against going to the ball?”

I shrugged, eyeing the sleeveless dress. It had scalloped edging around the bodice, a high waist, and a skirt cut to cling to the legs. “I don’t even know why I’d be invited since halfs aren’t.”

“But you are different.” She hung the dress on the closet door and smoothed out the silk. “Being an Apollyon sets you apart from the rest of your kind, Alex. Once you Awaken, I’ve been told that both you and Seth will even be able to attend Council sessions.”

I hadn’t known that, but I seriously doubted at eighteen I needed to be in that kind of position of power. Maturity didn’t happen overnight. My eyes and mind were fastened on thatdress. “There’s not going to be anyone there I know. And no offense, but my idea of fun isn’t spending a night with a bunch of pures.”

“None taken.” Laadan pulled out the skirt. The hue of the red caught the light, casting a faint glimmer over the dress. “Seth will be there. So will Aiden.”

I looked at her sharply. “Why would I care if Aiden will be there? He’s a pure. Where else would he be tonight?”

Laadan smiled faintly. “Would you like to try it on?”

“No thank you.”

“Humor me, why don’t you? Your mom wore a dress like this once, and I only have a little while before I’m due downstairs.”

The yearning to try the dress on was a physical ache, but I shook my head. Laadan persisted until I found myself standing in front of a full-length mirror with the red silk dress on. She stood behind me, hands on my shoulders. “You look beautiful.”

The dress was stunning. It was made to fit me—or at least altered to do so. The silk hugged from my chest to my hips before gliding out around my thighs. I twisted to the side, grinning. The back looked just as good as the front. Red was definitely my color. For a moment, I let myself drift into a dream where Aiden actually saw me in something this elegant and sexy.

And what if Seth saw me in this? Even my dirtiest imagination couldn’t capture his response accurately.

“I should probably take this off before I ruin it.”

Laadan pulled me away from the mirror and sat me down in front of a small table full of makeup and other suspicious-looking things. I started to stand, but she planted her hands on my shoulders again. “Alex, there is no reason for you to stay in your room tonight while everyone else is enjoying the ball. So be still and let me do something with this hair of yours.”

“I don’t want to go.” I twisted around so I faced her.

She turned me back around and picked up a brush. “Why? Is it because you have your session tomorrow? Wouldn’t that be even more of a reason to relax and enjoy tonight?”

I frowned and tried to ignore the soothing way the brush moved through the tangles in my hair. “It’s not because of the session tomorrow. I just… don’t want to go.”

Ignoring me, she picked up a curling iron and started twisting long sections of hair around the barrel. I gave in to the primping pretty quickly, still having no real intention of going to the ball. It was nice to have someone make me pretty, even if all the hard work would be wasted on my pillow. Chattering on about my mother, she moved on to the makeup and when she was done, I barely recognized the smoky-eyed girl staring back at me.

Laadan had outdone herself.

She’d piled the curls atop of my head, but pulled several thick strands down to cover my neck and tease the bodice of the dress. The curls seemed strategically placed, as they hid the scars.

“What do you think?” she asked, a powder brush in her hand.

I had no idea what to say. The blush accented my cheekbones, making them appear higher than normal. She’d covered the bruise on my jaw without coating my face with makeup. The mascara and artfully applied shadow turned my eyes into the warmest chocolate instead of the dirt color they usually favored. Red stain plumped my lips in a way that begged to be kissed.

“Wow. My nose looks small.”

Laadan laughed, setting the brush down. “Wait. The only thing you are missing is…” Drifting off to a dresser and opening a large velvet box, she rooted around for a few moments and pulled out a silver chain with black stones surrounding a ruby.

The necklace probably was worth more than my life, but she dropped it around my neck and clasped it. “There! Now you’ll be the belle of the ball.”

I stared at myself, wanting a picture of this moment. I don’t think I’d ever look so… unlike me again. If Caleb could’ve seen this, I think he might’ve complimented me.

Laadan glanced at a clock gilded in gold. “And we’re finished just in time. The ball has only just begun, and you will make a fashionably late entrance.”

My gaze drifted down the mirror. “I can’t go.”

“You’re being silly. You’re going to look more beautiful than any pure-blood in that room, Alex. You’ll belong.”

I stood, shaking my head. “You don’t understand, Laadan. I do appreciate all of this and it was fun, but I… I can’t go.”

She frowned. “Perhaps I don’t understand. Would you explain it to me?”

Slowly, I turned back to the mirror. The girl staring back at me looked beautiful if no one looked toohard or tooclose. If anyone did, the picture of perfection would start to fall apart. There wasn’t a pretty dress in Laadan’s closet that could fix that.

“Alex?”

“Look at me,” I said quietly.” You don’t see… them? I can’t go down there and have everyone stare at me.”

Laadan’s concerned face appeared above my head in the mirror. “Honey, everyone will be staring at you because you look beautiful.”

“Everyone will be staring at my scars.”

She blinked and took a step back. “No. They’re not even—”

“I know they will be.” I turned around, fingering the delicate chain around my neck. “Because it’s what I notice first on someone. And look at my arms, they’re pretty gross.”

And they were. The skin had never quite returned to the original skin tone. They’d paled, like all daimon tags did, but the tiny teeth marks left behind were uneven and red, lining my forearms, starting right above my wrist and ending along the tender skin of the inside of my elbow. The skin was just as uneven and patchy as my neck, but at least the scars on my throat had faded into a shiny color a shade or two lighter than my normal complexion. The bit of cleavage the dress showed off took away from those scars, but my arms totally made up for it.

Laadan suddenly smiled, which I found really inappropriate considering she

should be commiserating about how much of a freak I looked. She moved to her closet and pulled a large box off the top shelf. Taking it to her bed, her smile grew wider. “I have the perfect thing.”

Doubtful, but I followed her to the bed.

She flipped up the lid and pulled out two elbow-length gloves in black silk. “Problem solved.”

I took the gloves gingerly. “I’m going to look like Rogue from X-Men.”

Her nose wrinkled. “Who? It doesn’t matter. Try them on. The gloves will work now. If it were the summer, it would be a tad bit questionable.”

I slid one on and it did cover the scars quite nicely, but gloves? For real? Who wore them but old grannies? “I don’t know about this.”

Laadan sighed, shaking her head. “This is a formal ball, Alex. Have you been to one before?”

“Um, no.”

“Trust me when I say that you will not be the only girl wearing gloves. Now, come on. We don’t have much more time to stand up here and feel sorry for ourselves. You look beautiful, Alex. More so than even your mother ever did.”

I wiggled my fingers in the silk gloves, feeling excitement bubble for the first time. Half-bloods didn’t go to grand balls, and they didn’t have pure fairy godmothers, either. So I’d never really expected to attend anything like this, especially not in this killer dress.

But here I was.

A slow smile crept over my face. “Laadan?”

“Yes?” She stopped at the door.

“Thank you.”

Her hand flew to her heart. “Honey, you don’t have to thank me. I’m just glad I could do this for you.”

“You had this planned ever since Lucian mentioned something at breakfast, didn’t you? That’s why this dress fits so well.”

Laadan gave a sly smile. “Well, I always thought red would be your best color.”

The ball was in full swing by the time Laadan and I made it downstairs. The soft hum of an orchestra filled the corridors as we moved closer to the ballroom. A display of dazzling candles lit the way.