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Tara really has outdone herself when it came to outfitting us for this party. The loose fabric on Ashe disguises the gun he’s got tucked in a holster at his lower back, along with a blade along his lower leg, and the slender tool kit we’ll need to get through Aeternaphiel’s security systems.
As for my own outfit, I thought I’d be uncomfortable with a dress so revealing compared to what I wore in the late 1800s. Instead, the white, breezy wrap dress with a blue floral print and short sleeves has me craving to run barefoot through the trees. The wrap style covers enough of my decolletage to give me a sense of modesty. That modesty is obliterated by the fact that each time I move, the dress slips around me enough to reveal my leg up to the middle of my thigh. I almost demanded a different dress from Tara, but then Ashe saw the dress. The combination of hunger and adoration in my mate’s eyes changed my mind.
“Welcome!” Alfonso Giuliani’s voice booms towards us as he strolls out of the open double-entry doors. His eyes drink me in and I fight the urge to hide behind Ashe. Sensing my discomfort, Ashe steps ahead of me, reaching his hands out to shake Giuliani’s.
“Thanks for having us,” Ashe says smoothly, before turning and tucking his arm around my shoulder, effectively cutting off any chance Giuliani would have to touch me. He jerks a thumb behind us towards Rhys and says, “Sorry about the plus one. You don’t really say no to -the- Rhys, vampire rock star. Might end up as his next meal, you know?”
Giuliani’s eyes darken for a moment as Rhys laughs loudly and saunters up to us. Then Giuliani’s expression brightens to a more welcoming one.
“Of course,” Giuliani says, almost friendly enough to hide his displeasure. “My daughter loves your music.”
“Oh?” Rhys says, arching a brow and pointedly looking over Giuliani’s shoulder into the house. “Is she here by chance? I love getting to know my fans.” The purr shifts Rhy’s innocent words into something more salacious. If he wasn’t supposed to be creating a disturbance, I would elbow him.
“No.” Giuliani’s sharp reply has me fighting to look at Rhys, but our host invites us inside the house before Rhys can make any more waves in these hot waters. “Come, let me introduce you to the other guests for our luncheon.”
We follow along, and my eyes go wide at the display of wealth within the house. There are crystal chandeliers, marble floors, and artwork I recognize as originals. There’s a mix of modern and classic furnishings, with plush furniture and low tables in the formal rooms we walk past. I’m so busy taking in the rooms that Giuliani’s introduction catches me off guard.
Fortunately Ashe is paying attention. Beyond us, there are six other people. I vaguely recognize all of them from the event last night, but even now I can’t recall their names. Four are men and the other two are women who don’t appear to be with anyone. One of them, a shrewd-looking blonde, glares at me when Giuliani lingers too close to me. She seems appeased when I tuck myself against Ashe’s side, making it clear I have no interest in the much older man.
Rhys’s presence causes a stir, just as we’d hoped. Rhys is known for being hard to pin down, which means he’s built an air of mystery around himself and his personality as a modern day rock star. From fuzzy memories, I know that half of his fans doubt his claim of being a vampire while the other half obsess over it.
“When will William be joining us?” one of the men asks as he settles back on a plush couch and crosses his ankle over his knee. His miffed expression makes it clear his opinion on Rhys monopolizing the second woman’s attention.
Ashe and I do our best to keep our expressions at an appropriate level of interest, but my stomach twists. Soon, the same being that betrayed Eris and is currently the cause of her and myself dying will be in the same room as me. I send a quick prayer to the goddess that the illusions I cast over Ashe and me will hold and we won’t fail so early on.
“I am here now,” a new voice says, drawing the room’s attention. Giuliani moves to stand beside Aeternaphiel—or William Egress as he’s known by. He claps Giuliani on the shoulder, and the man adopts the fawning expression of a beloved hound. “Introduce me to my guests, my friend. I must know how I can be of help to you all.”
How about handing over the container you’ve stored your soul in, so we can hurry up and kill you and I don’t have to be more nervous than I already am?
Because the moment I see him, his perfectly coiffed hair, strong jaw, sun-kissed skin, and lean figure, the nerves I’ve been ignoring burst into the forefront of my mind. Ashe rubs my shoulder where his hand rests and waves of calm radiate down our bond. By the time Giuliani reaches us, I worry I’m going to ruin everything by puking. No amount of social etiquette lectures my family gave me could prepare me for facing an archangel who is directly responsible for my impending death.
“Mrs. Farr, how lovely to meet you,” Aeternaphiel says, clasping my hand in both of his. His hands are unexpectedly rough, and images from Eris’s memories ricochet through my mind. Aeternaphiel leading a charge against demons; Aeternaphiel training Eris in multiple weapons; Aeternaphiel seducing Eris the night before he betrayed her. His blue eyes narrow and he tilts his head, a slight smile on his face. “Have we met before?”
Magic prods against my mind, testing my illusions for weaknesses. If I were a high magic user like my family was, he’d be able to see the threads of magic holding the spell together. As a wild magic user, though, the illusion becomes a part of the person or object disguised. He’ll be able to tell we have something hidden behind illusions, but Ashe and Ambrose assured me that it’s the norm now for wealthy humans to use magic as regularly as they do makeup. The archangel has enough power that he could break our disguises, but the goal is to avoid giving him a reason to.
I force a bright smile onto my face before shaking my head. “I think I’d remember meeting someone like you,” I say, managing to keep my voice steady. “Wren Foster is a friend of mine, if you’ve met her. She was kind enough to introduce me to Alfonso last night.”
Aeternaphiel’s eyes brighten as the suspicion melts away at Wren’s name. “Ah. What a shame about her father,” he says before flicking his gaze to Ashe and Rhys. I did my best to mask Ashe’s vampire scent. Hopefully, between my efforts and Rhys flaunting his presence, Aeternaphiel will dismiss my mate. The archangel looks back to me. “He never seemed to accept he was mortal.”
I startle before covering it with a nervous laugh. “Don’t all billionaires forget that?”
Does Aeternaphiel know the true circumstances around Oberon’s death? If so, how?
Ashe saves me, pulling the archangel’s attention to him by shaking his hand. “Timothy Farr. Wren Foster said you might be able to point us in the direction for investments. Alfonso was kind enough to invite us, but I’m hoping to find some advice.”
Aeternaphiel releases my hand before shaking Ashe’s, and my shoulders relax. We’ve passed the first test. My mate and Rhys have our backs. “Of course,” Aeternaphiel says warmly before stepping away from Ashe and me. “Everyone, why don’t we move this to the back patio? I have arranged a wonderful lunch for us while we discuss the various projects you are all passionate about. Perhaps our unexpected musical guest can provide some entertainment?”
Ashe gives me a subtle nod. Rhys’s presence is certainly helping keep the attention off of us. We linger, taking up the rear of the small procession through the house. As we pass through a drawing room, the sudden presence of magic makes my breath catch.
“What is it?” Ashe whispers, looking ahead to be sure no one has noticed we’ve stopped.
“Wards,” I reply distantly. I peer around the room looking for anything. The dark hardwood floors are polished to the point they reflect the warm light coming through the windows, and the sleek, angular sofa seems intentionally placed to direct attention away from the fireplace against the wall. The fireplace itself is clean, without even decorative candles to fill it. The mantle matches the dark floor, but unlike the rest of the surfaces in the room, there’s nothing atop it.
It feels too obvious.
Shaking my head, I give Ashe a tight smile. “I can’t pinpoint it, but there’s something close.”
Ashe’s expression is hard, his eyes full of determination. “Then it’s time for Rhys to up his ante and give us that distraction.”
