Chander surveyed the pair and his mouth thinned. “You mind explaining that?”
“Sure,” Baxter replied. “You’re a demonic bookworm. We’re a couple of neglected sheets of your book. I’ve been dog-eared.”
“And I was somehow torn out and lost,” Ben supplied as his shoulders dropped, making his tattered page costume appear more pitiful.
“You’re both insane,” Chander decided. His wings were tucked closer to his body as he strode past them.
“Tonight’s going to be fun,” Baxter told his other half.
“Especially since Chand can’t stop drooling over Alaric’s costume.”
“Well, going as a pizza delivery guy with a bright-green jacket was pretty much an idea with an audience of one. Chand worships at the altar of sauce and pepperoni.”
“Come on, let’s go check out the rest of the crowd since we have to vote for the contest.”
“It’s too bad none of us can win—Eduard’s zombie costume is disgusting and awesome,” Baxter commented as he strode forward, careful not to step on the grayish fabric of Dravyn’s ghost attire.
“Meanwhile Cass took the easy route and simply borrowed one of Arvandus’s uniforms to go as a fallen knight.”
“Definitely cheating,” Baxter remarked as he took Benton’s hand. “Duc might not have come up with the most original idea, being a skeleton, but I like that his bones are black like Albrecht’s once were.”
“Meanwhile Albie just switched out his regular cloak for a red one.”
“He’s Little Red Cap and Arvandus is the Big Bad Wolf.”
Benton rolled his eyes. “I know that; I’m just saying it’s not that awe-inspiring.”
“Brynn, you have whiskers. How’d you do that? They look real,” Baxter called out as they got near the food tables where the Skeleton Lord was anxiously surveying the spread.
“Chand used magic,” Brynnius revealed. “I even went to the pet store and had a charm made for my collar.”
Baxter dutifully leaned in to read it and smiled. “Awesome.”
“The only problem is, I smacked Cleopatra with my tail,” Brynnius lamented.
“Cleopatra?”
“Yes, Noirin’s costume is beautiful. Kendrick’s her Marc Antony. Make sure you see them,” Brynnius responded.
Baxter turned to see if he could locate her when his gaze landed on two men standing together. One of them was in a sexy yellow dress while the other was not only in a lionish costume but had a suit on top. “What’s up with Evergreen and Dudley?”
“They’re Beauty and the Beast,” Brynnius explained.
“I can’t even with you,” Dra’Kaedan muttered as he strode to the buffet and snagged a cupcake. Behind him his other half, Brogan, was dressed in a regency tailcoat and sharp vest in navy. Meanwhile, the Grand Warlock could barely get close enough to grab food as his costume jutted out with trays filled with sweet treats.
“What’s wrong?” Brynnius asked.
“Brogan is Prince Charming,” Dra’Kaedan said with a purse of his lips.
“What’s up with your costume?” Benton inquired, politely ignoring the dragon rolling his eyes behind the diminutive sorcerer.
“I’m a sweets display,” Dra’Kaedan revealed as he snagged a petit four from one of his own trays.
“He’s going to run out of food before the night is over,” Brogan predicted.
High King Aleksander D’Vairedraconis joined them with a cane in one hand and his other laced with Rafe’s. They were in top hats and dressed spectacularly in a mixture of their dragonskins. “Hey, guys.”
Benton chuckled. “Circus ringmaster is the perfect costume for you guys.”
