Chapter 32: The game

“Ready?”

Luna smoothed her hand down her gown, she stared ahead at the hall where Moira’s ‘party’ was being held. She knew what the party was really all about, she knew ‘party’ was just a fancy word Moira had used to disguise what it really was. A slaughterhouse for her.

Not slaughter as in kill, but slaughter as in chipping away at Luna’s essence with biting words. Luna knew the night was going to be one of the most tedious nights of her life, which was why she had brought a friend with her.

Luna took in a deep breath, she kept her gaze on the hall’s blinking lights ahead as she responded to Rita beside her.

“Like I was born to it.”

“Attagirl,” Rita muttered under her breath, but Luna heard it.

As if of one mind, the two women started walking toward the hall.

“I’m starting to rethink this grand entrance thing,” Luna muttered to Rita as they neared the hall.

“Too late, honey, that dress you’re wearing is a grand entrance dress,” her friend replied, “I made certain of it.”

Luna smoothed her hand down her dress again. It was an original LeFerv dress, a one-of-a-kind. It was silk, embroided with the finest beads in the fashion industry, it started round her neck, flowed down to be snatched with a flower brooch at her waist, and flowed down again to sweep down her legs to the floor. The color was golden, a molten gold that shimmered underneath the lights and looked like a melted ring.

Simple gold jewelry glittered at Luna’s ears and her wrist, her hair was piled up atop her head, a few tendrils falling down about her face.

Luna knew she looked a sight, and she was counting on the dress and the overall ethereal effect of it to help her through the night, but she knew it wouldn’t be completely helpful.

They got to the hall, the doors opened from inside as soon as they stepped to the doors. Like the first party, this one was also strictly by invitation. So she and Rita didn’t need to introduce themselves, they were greeted by the two doormen who had opened the door for them.

Luna and Rita stepped into the hall, soft music was playing through the speakers as they entered. Heads turned as soon as Luna stepped in. Somehow, Rita had made herself disappear into the background. Intentional, Luna knew, on Rita’s part, so that all the attention would be fully focused on her.

And it was, Luna thought with sudden nervousness as she stared at the people staring at her. All eyes, not excluding one, were turned on her. They stared openly at her, conversations stopped, laughing and drinking ceased, and all activities came to a halt for a moment.

Luna remembered the first time such attention had been directed at her, hers and Justin’s wedding ceremony. All eyes had been on her, the bride, then too, and just like now, all of them had been thinking one singular thing. Poor girl.

Luna hadn’t known it yet, but most people had pitied her more than envied her during her marriage to Justin. They had all known who Moira was, and they had all known what she did to her debtors. Moira had dealt with each of them at least once.

Now, Luna didn’t need anyone to tell her what she saw clearly in the faces of the people staring at her. Poor girl. Like Luna, they knew what tonight meant, they knew it wasn’t all champagne and idle chat, they knew it was doom for Luna.

Luna waited a beat, letting the stares go on for a bit longer, before finally stepping forward, and breaking the spell.

“Well, that was riveting,” Rita muttered beside Luna as the chatter started to resume slowly again.

Luna inclined her head slightly. “Yeah,” she blew out a small subtle breath, “riveting’s the word.”

“Yeah, probably not for you though,” Rita said, snagging two flutes of champagne from the tray of a server passing by. She stretched one towards Luna.

Luna collected the champagne and just held it as she looked around the room.

“Looking for someone?” Rita asked suddenly beside her.

Luna turned to look at her friend, her brows furrowed at the look in her eyes.

“What?” Luna scoffed slightly.

Rita’s lips curved slightly. “Oh, please, you know you can’t lie to me, I’m like your Kahlan Amnell, your mother confessor. I see all the truth you might try to hide from other people, you’re searching for Justin.”

Luna scoffed. “And tell me why I would be doing that,” she said.

Rita shrugged. “You tell me, you’re the one looking for him.”

Luna gave her a look. “You’re funny, you’re a real hoot,” she said dryly.

Rita’s lips curled amusingly, she took a sip of champagne from her glass.

“I just call them as I see them, honey,” she said after drinking. “Your eyes are roaming the hall in search of Justin. Why? Now, there could be a lot of reasons for that, but if I’m to put my money on any two, it’ll be first, because seeing him is much better than seeing any of the other people in this room, myself excluded, of course.”

Luna gave her friend an amused smile. “Of course.”

Rita inclined her head. “No matter how much of a beast he is, Justin is still far better and less nauseating to deal with than half the people here.”

Luna nodded. “Okay, I’ll bite. What’s the second reason you’re willing to bet your hard-earned money on?”

“That there’s a part of you that wants to see him,” Rita replied, her eyes on Luna. “You don’t understand that part of you, but it’s there.”

Because Rita had somehow hit the metaphorical nail on the metaphorical head of the feeling she’d been battling with all week, Luna scoffed and deflected instantly.

“Yeah, right. Maybe I’m just looking for his mother instead, you never know,” she said and spread her hands a little, the champagne in her cup sloshing a little.

“Drinking already?” a voice said suddenly from behind her.