She shifted, dodging his initial grab. But then he foolishly snaked his arm around her waist, yanking her to him. Everinne whipped around in his arms, curling her fingers beneath his chin. He grinned down at her, displaying a pair of prominently pointy canines. A vampire, then. Lovely. She flicked her thumb along the band of her favorite ring—ornate silver and etched in runes with a sizable amethyst in the center—and a tiny blade sprung free, lightly jabbing the underside of the offender’s neck. Just enough to warn him.
“Touch me again,” she purred, “and I’ll slit your throat.”
The vampire’s yellow eyes widened, but he didn’t release her. “Sorry,milazk.I didn’t mean to upset you.”
“You haven’t…yet.” She kept her gaze on him, cool and even. “But I’m not your sweetheart.”
“Ah, come now, little faerie.” His fingers dug into her hips, and she clenched her jaw against his unwanted advance. “I only want to have some fun.”
Everinne tilted the tip of her blade, ensuring he felt its bite, and he hissed through his teeth.
His breath reeked of cheap alcohol and stale smoke.
The corner of her mouth curved. “Not at my expense.”
The vampire rolled his eyes but let her go, his hands falling to his side. He turned away from her then, shoving his way through the dense crowd. She waited until she couldn’t detect a trace of his pungent scent before turning back to face Zoryana.
“Do you want to get out of here?” Zoryana asked, carefully avoiding the drunk mortal girl who almost toppled into them. “The vibe is all wrong tonight.”
As much as Everinne hated to admit it, Zoryana had a point. There was no denying her claims. The air in the Grand Cru was infused with a kind of restless energy. Like heightened anticipation just bordering on the edge of danger.
“Besides,” Zoryana added, her gaze skimming the crowd of swaying bodies mesmerized by the hypnotic beat. “I feel like we’re being watched.”
Of course they were being watched.
Everinne wasn’t naïve, she knew very well they caught the eye of almost every male in the general vicinity. Zoryana was striking. Tall and slender with spiral curls down to her waist and jade green eyes, she was never without male companionship. Not to mention she had the demeanor of a goddess and attracted others to her like a summer bee to honey. Everinne was quite the opposite. She was curvy where it mattered and wore ridiculously high heels to make up for what she lacked in height. Apparently, her face was less than approachable. She’d been called a bitch more often than she cared to remember, and had a lengthy list of ex-lovers, some of them whose names she could no longer recall.
She stole a glance at the timepiece on the far wall, where the dials ticked in warning. It was too early and the night was still young. If she went home now, there would be too much time to think. To dwell. To regret.
“I’m going to stay a little longer.” Everinne looked up at the ceiling once more, and a slow smile spread across her face. “The chandelier is calling my name.”
Zoryana pinned her with a look of disdain. “Everinne…”
“Zoryana…” Everinne said, mimicking her tone. “You know you want to do it with me.”
“Absolutely not,” she huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. “But I can’t leave until I make sure you don’t fall to your death.”
“As long as Veros doesn’t find out.” Everinne winked.
She hated it when he called her reckless. Or careless. Or foolish and dangerous. But the truth was, she wasn’t any of those things. It wasn’t as though she didn’t consider the consequences of her actions, because they ultimately crossed her mind once or twice, but she simply didn’t care. Not really. It was incredibly difficult to pretend the world was a beautiful, wonderful place full of hopes and dreams when you knew it to be a lie.
So no, she wasn’t impulsive or stubborn. She was death-touched, and it had led her down a slippery slope of self-destruction.
At least she could admit it, even if her brother was in denial.
Everinne held up her finger. “One spin.”
Zoryana rolled her eyes. “Fine. One spin.”
Everinne pushed through the throng of bodies, smacking away hands that attempted to grab her, as she nudged her way closer to one of the curving staircases leading to the spacious balcony outlining the upper level of the Grand Cru. She climbed the dozens of onyx stairs, ignoring the pain as the leather strap of her shoe rubbed against her ankle. When she finally made it to the top, she gripped the railing of the balcony and stared up at the glass ceiling. She didn’t even care that her feet ached from dancing, she didn’t care about the music that was more like a dull hum. Up here, it was just her and the midnight sky. She feltlike she could touch the stars. Like maybe, for a brief moment, she could be worth more than the pain she inflicted upon others.
But then her magic stirred, dark and deadly, as though it heard her silent call.
She shook the notion from her mind, and carefully shimmied over the edge of the rail. There was just enough space to stand with her toes hanging off the edge, and so long as she kept her hand firmly gripped on the railing behind her, she knew she wouldn’t fall.
The chandeliers of the Grand Cru spun slowly, twinkling and sparkling, alight with a kind of magic of their own. All Everinne had to do was wait for one to get close enough. Her dress wasn’t exactly the right fit to do any tricks, it was far too tight, but she would still be able to spin and twirl. And that freedom alone made it worth every heart-pounding second.
One of the chandeliers floated closer. The crystals seemed to call to her. The curve of its gold loop was just within reach.
