Chapter 137 Desperation
“May I borrow your boyfriend for the evening?” the deep bass said as we all dispersed from the foyer.
He had airdropped the images to us. Images that I now consider the best gift I have received from the men so far.
“We will come to a decision about the Miller boy later. She needs a date tonight, and it cannot be either of us.”
Hale gave him a long look. Then he turned for the door with a nonchalant shrug. Mordaine gave me a conspiratorial wink, “Ride with him.”
And then he was gone.
Finn and I stood in the awkward silence. After a short stretch of this silence, Finn cleared his throat behind me. I turned slowly to look at him.
“Is it me, or is your husband acting kind of weird?”
I blinked. He no doubt said that to ease the tension between us, but I was uncertain how I liked the your husband phrase. Those words from anyone else would have made my chest swell with pride, but from him, it made my heart hurt.
I smiled though and slipped my arm into the crook of the elbow he offered. “He just missed you both, I believe. From the moment you left, he has acted a little differently.”
Finn’s brows jumped as the door clicked shut behind us. Our footsteps echoed in the hallway as we headed for the elevator. “Like… how?”
“For one.” I stared up into those glacier eyes as my lips stretched in a smile. “We may, or may not have destroyed your kitchen.”
He halted, and his eyes flashed. An actual flash, as if I had just told him we hurt his dog. “
"Why were you in the kitchen? The Ashbound were supposed to handle all your meals while I was away.”
His naturally husky voice sounded even more hoarse now. Our eyes were locked in the silence of the hallway, but finally this silence was broken by another pair of footsteps, and we turned to find a couple moving towards us.
The woman’s gaze swept up to Finn's face and her cheeks glowed pink. She brought a hand up to her lips to stifle her nervous giggles and I forced my smile away. Because me too, girl.
I glanced at her man though, half expecting him to be mad, but he appeared amused. We all cramped into the elevator, Finn and I, settling at the back.
“They kept us fed,” I whispered to Finn, continuing our conversation. He leaned closer to me. “But I believe Mordaine may have been bored that first day.”
Finn's response was an incredulous smirk, “I can't picture it. Daine, with pots and pans? And you too?”
The elevator moved beneath our feet. “That’s unfair. I helped you in the kitchen once.”
“And chopped one half of a pear for over an hour.”
“Because I had no desire to cut my fingers.”
I paused, realizing we were bantering, like actual friends. He seemed to realize the same thing because he smiled sadly.
Mordaine had apparently arranged a car for us. The chauffeur approached us as soon as we stepped out of the revolving doors of the hotel, and held the backseat door open.
The red carpet was at its busiest when we arrived. But the moment we stepped onto it, all the photographers switched off their flashlights for my sake.
“Thank you. Thank you so much.” I waved and smiled, grateful that they were accommodating of my recent flashlight aversion after I fell from the building while flashes went off.
“You're Okay?” Finn leaned in to whisper as he moved his hand to settle it on the small of my back.
“Yes,” I whispered back, smiling at the cameras, progressing slowly towards the main event area, so the other stars could have a proper red carpet experience.
Finn was about to become real famous. Although we were continents away from home, the news of the mystery man beside Lys Grunder at the Cultural Summit would stir rumors quickly back home.
We moved into the courtyard, taking in the vibrant lighting that reflected against the snow. On either side of the long strip of tarmac running up to the building, there were all kinds of performances that arrested the eyes.
On my right, ribboned dancers spun to drums cracking through the cold, their colored sashes carving through the night air. And on Finn's side were barefoot dancers who blended ballet with traditional Korean dance.
These performers made the long walk to the ballroom a thrilling experience. The guests took pictures, walked slowly to take in every detail.
My shoulders jumped, and I squeezed Finn's hand when one of the performers with traditional Korean masks began to trot towards me.
“Nervous?” Finn smiled as the masked woman halted and turned away.
“A little,” I responded as we finally moved into the building with sky-high ceilings and old world gold lightening. We started up the wide staircase. “That will be tomorrow,” I said, pointing back to the performers outside. “This is the only night I get to rest.”
“I think…” But I never got to know what he thought because someone touched me lightly from behind.
“Tamar.” My eyes lit up. “Do you feel better now?” She was in an electric blue calf-length dress, with a layered skirt that fell from her waist like a wine glass turned upside down.
“Yes, yes,” she waved impatiently, and then her eyes swept up to Finn. She squinted a little, and then turned to look at me again. Waiting for an explanation.
“Finn Banville.” I turned from her to gaze up at Finn, “Tamar Villin, my manager.”
Her squint narrowed even more as they shook hands, and said Nice to meet you. She had apparently not missed the fact that I did not state what my exact relationship was with Finn.
But she made no further comment on the matter as she went on to say, “I did my best to get you and your friends to the same table.” She placed her hand on my elbow as we arrived on the landing with a throng of richly perfumed guests. “Unfortunately though, I could not help much with your sister."
I nearly missed a step. “What?”
“Yes.” We were in an outer hall now, where the guests were beginning to congregate. Ahead of us, the door to the ballroom was still firmly shut, leaving the guests to socialize over wine from a champaign fountain in the middle of the room.
Tamar led us towards one of the balconies where the light was dimmer, but the winter air was sharp. I welcomed it though, because my heart was racing, my vision swimming. Gianna was in Seoul.
“I could not possibly turn down Cedric Claire’s request to sit with you, and your sister just so happens to be his date,” Tamar looked from me to Finn, who was standing very stiffly beside me. One glance at him showed that tonight may end badly.
“Tamar.” I whispered now, breathing slowly. “You could have called me.”
Her eyes narrowed. “I guess the dozen missed calls did not count.”
“I’m sorry.” I began to say.
“There’s nothing to be sorry about, I am not mad. I hear your sponsor was quite keen on having you settled properly. So I assumed you must have met him and you were in a meeting?”
“No. I have not met them.” I insistently chose not to gender them.
“This is rude, stealing your time with your date this way.” Tamar glanced up at Finn. “I'm sorry. It is simply harder to reach your friend than President Miller himself nowadays, so I have to resort to discussing important issues with her outside a ballroom.
Finn smiled, with a slight head shake that it was OK.
“Tamar.” I winced. “You said you were not mad.”
“I am not.” Her ever-efficient eyes scanned our surroundings and then they lit up. “Here they are.” She turned to me, leaned in and pecked my cheeks. “I need to survey the courtyard for your performance tomorrow. There was a delay, but I hear they are almost done setting the stage up.”
And she was gone, before I could say another word. Cedric Claire moved into the shadow of the balcony, cradling my sister’s hand in the crook of his elbow.
“Hello,” I said to both of them and Finn echoed me as they responded gaily. My gaze lingered on my sister as my mind journeyed back to that cave and her silver bullet.
But right now, she had the brightest smile plastered on her face. Her eyes lacked any trace of evil, but that in itself was my sister’s true evil. The ability to pretend and disguise.
Everyone in Silver Summit district knew she was disgusted by the mere thought of Cedric Clair, by his attentions. But here she was, clinging to his arm. She must have been desperate to be here.
And a desperate Gianna was a dangerous one.
I looked behind them, scanning the crowd for moon-colored hair or transparent silver eyes. I found them, standing in a discussion with a group of people who I recognized as royals.
Mordaine seemed to be at his breaking point lately. Hale held no love for my family and Finn was eager to get his revenge on Gianna for what she did to me in the past.
They will kill her.