Chapter 103
Elara's POV
The music ended. Applause rippled through the ballroom, polite and measured.
I barely heard it.
My face was burning. Not the kind of flush you get from dancing. This was different. Deeper. Like my skin was too tight, like I was standing too close to a fire.
I needed to get away from Kael. Away from his hand on my waist, his scent, his eyes watching me like he could see straight through the mask.
I pulled back slightly. "I need to use the restroom. Just to... freshen up a bit."
Kael's brow furrowed behind the white mask. His gaze dropped to my face, lingering on my cheeks. "You don't look well. Your face is very red."
Great. So it was visible.
"I'm fine," I said quickly. "Just need a moment."
"I'll come with you."
"No." The word came out sharper than I intended. I softened my tone. "I'll be quick. I promise."
He hesitated. I could feel him weighing whether to insist.
Finally, he nodded. "Don't take too long."
I turned and walked toward the hallway, forcing myself to move at a normal pace. Not too fast. Not like I was running away from something.
But my heart was pounding way too hard for someone who'd just danced one waltz.
I passed groups of masked guests, their laughter and conversation blurring into background noise. My vision felt slightly off. Not blurry exactly, but... unfocused.
What the hell was wrong with me?
As I reached the corridor leading to the restrooms, I glanced back over my shoulder.
That's when I saw him.
Second floor. Leaning against the railing overlooking the ballroom.
Black half-mask. Tall frame I recognized even from this distance.
Dylan.
He was staring directly at me.
And he was smiling.
Not a friendly smile. Not even a smug one.
It was knowing. Satisfied. Like he'd just watched something he'd been waiting for.
My stomach dropped.
I forced myself to look away and kept walking.
---
The moment I turned the corner into the empty hallway, my phone vibrated in the small clutch I'd been carrying.
I pulled it out with shaking hands.
Encrypted message. From Cole.
"Must meet immediately. Important discovery about the person you're looking for."
My breath caught.
Cole never used words like "must" and "immediately" unless it was serious. Really serious.
I typed back quickly: "Is this about Wild Hunt movement?"
The reply came within seconds.
"Discuss in person."
Damn it.
I stared at the screen, my mind racing. Cole had information. Potentially about Wild Hunt. About the people who wanted my family dead.
But right now, I could barely think straight.
The heat in my face was spreading. Down my neck. Across my chest. My breathing felt shallow, like I couldn't quite fill my lungs.
I shoved the phone back in my clutch and pushed through the restroom door.
---
The bathroom was mercifully empty.
I went straight to the sink and turned on the cold water. Splashed it on my face. On my wrists. The shock of it helped, but only for a second.
I looked up at the mirror.
My face was flushed. Deep pink spreading across my cheeks and down my throat. My eyes looked too bright, pupils slightly dilated.
This wasn't normal.
I gripped the edge of the sink, trying to steady my breathing.
Think. Focus.
Cole's message. I needed to meet him. But I also needed to get back to the ballroom before Kael came looking for me.
And I needed to figure out why my body felt like it was overheating from the inside out.
I splashed more cold water on my face, but it wasn't helping anymore.
Fine. I'd go back out there. Find Kael. Get the damn card. Then I could leave and meet Cole.
Just hold it together for a little longer.
---
I stepped back into the hallway, scanning the ballroom entrance.
Where was Kael?
I spotted him near the edge of the dance floor, his back to me. He was talking to someone in a purple mask. Probably another guest.
Good. That gave me a moment to—
"Elara!"
I turned.
Alice was walking toward me, holding two champagne-colored drinks. Her silver mask sparkled under the chandelier lights. She looked excited, almost bouncing on her heels.
"Oh my god, you were amazing out there!" she said, grinning. "Everyone's talking about you and that mystery guy. You two looked incredible together."
She thrust one of the glasses toward me. "Here. You must be exhausted. Drink something."
I took the glass automatically. My throat was dry. Really dry.
"Thanks," I managed.
Alice studied my face, tilting her head. "Wow, your face is super red. Are you okay?"
"Just hot from dancing," I said.
She nodded sympathetically. "Yeah, it's warm in here. Drink up. You'll feel better."
I raised the glass to my lips and took a small sip.
The taste was... off.
It had the fizzy, light quality of champagne. But underneath, there was something else. A faint sweetness that didn't belong. Almost medicinal. Cloying.
I swallowed.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then heat bloomed in my stomach. Sharp. Immediate.
This wasn't the same warmth I'd felt after dancing with Kael. That had been slow. Gradual. Almost pleasant in a terrifying way.
This was different.
This burned.
It spread fast, radiating outward from my core like someone had lit a match inside me. My skin prickled. A strange, itching heat crawled up my spine and down my thighs.
The flush from earlier? That had been embarrassment. Attraction. Something I could control.
This? This was something else entirely.
I lowered the glass, my hand shaking.
Alice leaned in conspiratorially, oblivious. "By the way, I think I've almost locked down my target too. But guess what I saw earlier?"
I tried to focus on her words. My vision swam slightly. "What?"
"Dylan. He was upstairs on the balcony, whispering with one of the servers. It looked super sketchy." She wrinkled her nose. "His expression was really weird. Like... I don't know. Creepy. Just be careful around him, okay?"
Dylan.
Server.
Whispering.
The pieces slammed together in my head.
I looked down at the glass in my hand.
Oh no.
"Alice." My voice came out tight. "Where did you get this drink?"
She blinked, surprised by the question. "Uh, from one of the servers. I grabbed them off a tray when I was walking past. Why? Is something wrong?"
Not Alice. She didn't do this.
But someone did.
Someone spiked the drinks on that server's tray. Someone who knew I'd be thirsty after dancing. Someone who'd been watching me all night.
Dylan.
The heat intensified. A hollow ache opened low in my belly, completely different from the nervous flutter Kael's proximity had caused. This was aggressive. Invasive. Wrong.
My knees wobbled.
The glass almost slipped from my hand.
"Elara?" Alice's voice sounded distant. "Are you sure you're okay?"
I stared at the champagne glass.
Shit.
I'd been drugged.
---
"Where exactly did you get this?" I asked, my voice barely steady.
Alice pointed vaguely toward the main hall. "Just off a passing tray. One of the servers in the black vests. Why?"
I set the glass down on a nearby table with a shaking hand.
Dylan upstairs. Talking to a server. Looking smug.
And now this drink. With its strange aftertaste.
He'd done this.
He'd planned it.
And Alice, completely innocent, had handed it right to me.
My heart was racing now. Not from fear. From the realization.
I'd walked straight into a trap.
The dizziness intensified. My knees felt weak. The empty ache low in my belly spread outward, making my skin hypersensitive. Every brush of fabric against my body felt too much.
I forced myself to breathe.
Think.
Dylan wouldn't use something lethal. Not here. Not with Council supervision everywhere. That would be insane.
So what was this?
The heat. The sensitivity. The way my body was reacting.
Oh god.
Aphrodisiac.
He'd drugged me with some kind of aphrodisiac.
Panic clawed at my chest.
I couldn't let anyone see me like this. Especially not Kael.
"I..." I swallowed hard. "I'm not feeling well. I think I need to lie down for a bit."
Alice's eyes widened with concern. "Should I get someone? A medic?"
"No!" The word came out too sharp. I softened it. "No. I just need to rest. I'll find a room upstairs. I'll be fine."
"Are you sure? You look really pale now."
I nodded, not trusting my voice.
I had to get out of here.
Find a room. Lock the door. Wait for this to pass.
Whatever Dylan had given me, it wouldn't kill me. It couldn't. He wouldn't risk that kind of exposure.
But I absolutely could not let Kael find me while this drug was working through my system.
I turned toward the grand staircase, gripping my clutch like a lifeline.
Just hold on.
Get upstairs.
Lock the door.
Don't let anyone see you lose control.