Shadowspell

“It’s an open bar,” Kimber said, “so order whatever you want.”

She ordered a martini—the bartender didn’t bat an eyelash—and Keane ordered a beer, but I stuck to Coke. Living with my alcoholic mom took a lot of the appeal out of alcohol for me. Kimber was the only person I’d ever told about what I considered my shameful secret, and I think she understood intuitively why I didn’t order alcohol. Keane was another matter.

“Coke?” he asked me incredulously. “Are you serious?”

I was blushing again, but it was way too dark in the club for anyone to notice. On the one hand, I didn’t want to seem like a baby. On the other hand, I wasn’t much of a conformist. Just because everyone around me was drinking themselves stupid didn’t mean I had to.

“You have a problem with that?” I asked, glaring up at him. My glare got a lot of practice when Keane was around.

“Leave her alone,” Kimber said, startling me by coming to my defense. “She can drink whatever she wants.”

The bartender slapped down a glass of ice with a splash of Coke in it. I picked it up and took a sip, pretending to ignore Keane.

“Quite a party you’ve got here,” Keane said, and even at the decibel level he was shouting, I could hear the disdain in his voice. “You sure they don’t mind breathing the same air as a lowly commoner like me?”

I smacked his shoulder, thinking I should have snuck out on my own. I could have handled the door-under-the-chair trick myself. Of course, that would have meant making my way to the party alone, which was a bad idea (a) because with my sense of direction, I’d have been lost in five minutes flat, and (b) because, hello, people were trying to kill me. Keane might not be a professional bodyguard like Finn, but I’d seen how good a fighter he was, and I trusted him to protect me. I figured sneaking out with him at my side might be a bit reckless, but wasn’t completely moronic like running off by myself would be.

“Could you just try not to be a jerk for maybe fifteen minutes in a row?” I asked him as he swigged his beer.

“It’s all right, Dana,” Kimber said with a smile. “Remember, you’ve told me all about him. I knew not to expect genteel manners.” The smile turned into a smirk very like Keane’s second-favorite expression.

“Wow, you really know how to insult a guy,” he said. I think he was trying to sound bored, but it’s hard to sound bored when you’re shouting over music.

Kimber’s eyes sparkled. “Actually, I do, but I’m trying to be a gracious hostess.”

Keane gave her a patently lewd once-over. She looked absolutely fabulous in a slinky red cocktail dress and strappy heels. Even though he was being deliberately rude about it, I couldn’t help noticing the spark of masculine appreciation in Keane’s eyes. I felt a quick stab of jealousy. He’d given me an approving look when he’d first caught sight of me in my party dress, but nothing compared to how he was looking at Kimber.

I was being a total dork about this. Keane was certainly hot, and he was occasionally a nice guy, but I wasn’t interested in him, not in that way. And Kimber was a full-blooded Fae, so of course she was prettier than me. I had no excuse for being jealous.

“Looks like you’ve got all the graciousness money can buy,” Keane said to Kimber. “I bet that outfit cost more than I make in a year.”

I opened my mouth to tell him to shut up, hoping Kimber would someday forgive me for bringing this asshole to her birthday party, but she’s pretty good at putting on her bitch face when necessary. Apparently, right now she thought it was necessary.

“Are you suggesting that I’m a snob?” she asked with an arch of an eyebrow. He gave her a “well, duh” look, which didn’t seem to faze her in the least. “One of us is acting snobbish right now, but it isn’t me.”

I “accidentally” stepped on Keane’s foot before he could lob another verbal grenade. “Why don’t you sit here at the bar and be broody and superior,” I told him. “Kimber and I are going to the ladies’ room.” It was the one place I could think of going where Keane and his attitude wouldn’t be able to follow. “We’ll be right back. Right, Kimber?”

She laughed and finished her martini in one big gulp. “Right-o!” she said. “Lead the way.”

Keane looked like he was about to object, but I turned away before he had the chance. Kimber took over the lead after a few feet, since I had no idea where the ladies’ room was. The music, the darkness, and the reek of roses combined to make my head throb. Maybe I should have stayed home after all.

The crowd pressed in on us, and I was jostled every other step. Most of the people here were Fae, which meant practically everyone was taller than me and I couldn’t see anything but the people directly beside and in front of me. All those bodies radiated a lot of heat—especially the Fae, whose body temperatures run higher than humans—and I was once again dripping with sweat, my hair plastered to the back of my neck. I didn’t dare look to see if my fancy silk dress showed sweat stains, because I had a feeling I already knew the answer.

Kimber and I finally broke through the crowd and slipped into the ladies’ room. I almost breathed a sigh of relief until I realized the situation had not improved. The ladies’ room was almost as crowded as the rest of the club, and though it was festooned with roses just like everywhere else, it wasn’t the scent of roses that clogged my nose. The air was so thick with smoke you could cut it with a knife.