Standing in the dress from Adrian, the pearl jewelry from Reginald, and the Egyptian bracelet from Dusk, Layla saw a tall goddess stare back at her in the bathroom’s gilded mirrors. She watched as a shimmer of beautifully fierce opal-gold Dragon-scales flashed at her temples, then disappeared – her drakaina awake once more inside her and ready for the night. Exiting the bathroom, Layla saw Dusk and Adrian at the table as Dusk mixed up Old Fashioneds from Layla’s stash. Both he and Adrian paused in their fine suits, staring at her as she emerged. Heat flared in Adrian’s aqua eyes as a flash of luminescence poured through Dusk’s Dragon-scales, his eyes simmering a hot diamond-sapphire. Both men looked magnificent in their new suits.
So good that Layla just wanted to strip all that nice fabric off them and throw them down to the bed again.
Resplendent in a deep midnight three-piece suit with a sheen that looked like silk blended with cashmere, Dusk wore a dark plum tie and pocket square with his sapphire and diamond cufflinks and matching Rolex tonight. The suit was the slim Italian cut he favored, fitting his chiseled body to perfection and accentuating his strong shoulders and deliciously lean waist. Adrian had a more classic look, his three-piece suit a sleek charcoal grey, his vest a lighter grey with a shine that was almost silver, with a tie and pocket square to match. His cufflinks and tie-pin were platinum with fire-bright rubies, smoldering in all that silver and grey like lava beneath stone. Tall and exquisitely handsome, Adrian was all lean, mean grace to Dusk’s robust calm.
And as their gazes pinned her, Layla lost her breath, her heart beating hard.
“Well, don’t you two look nice.” She quipped after finding her tongue.
“Nice doesn’t even begin to describe it.” Dusk chuckled as he finished mixing their drinks, handing them around. “Amalia has woven bee-venom threads through all our outfits tonight. Imagine spider’s silk but make it a thousand times stronger and more resilient to damage. We’re all basically wearing graphene tonight, and she’s got similar outfits for us tomorrow night at solstice.”
“So this is armor then.” Layla stroked one hand down her gown, admiring it as she accepted her drink. “I thought the gown felt heavier and more solid than it had before.”
“And our couture for tomorrow night will be even more so.” Dusk nodded. “Amalia’s doing her part to keep us all safe, Layla; there’s a reason she’s still here at the Hotel. She doesn’t just make pretty things – she’s also known as a master armorer among her kind. Hunter could attack us tonight; we don’t actually know when he’s going to strike the Paris Hotel, even though he promised it would happen on solstice. So I thought a little caution was warranted, and asked Amalia to reinforce our garments with her skills.”
“A good thought.” Adrian spoke with a pleased smile at Dusk, though it was slightly tense now that they were mentioning Hunter. Just then, the gilded Dragon mantle-clock in Layla’s suite chimed six and all of them glanced at it. Turning back, Adrian raised his glass.
“To whatever happens.” Adrian spoke soberly now, holding them with his deep aqua gaze. “I’m ready to fight Hunter, and I know you both are, also. But tonight we solidify our love for each other and our friends, bolstering our hearts for the battle ahead. I know I could never have come so far in my life without both of you this past year. And so this toast is for you… because I love you both so very much, and you make me a stronger man, everyday.”
“Love you too, Adrian.” Dusk spoke softly as they clinked glasses.
“Always.” Layla added as she clinked with Adrian, then Dusk. They sipped together, but their drinks weren’t large and Layla simply thoughtwhat the helland downed hers. Lifting a cheeky eyebrow at her, Dusk did the same; and then Adrian laughed, finishing his drink in one fell swoop also and clapping his glass down on the table.
“Well, I guess we can always get wildly drunk tonight.” Adrian spoke with a renegade gleam in his eyes now. “Don’t have to fight until tomorrow.”
“I could fight tonight.” Dusk grinned back. “Sometimes I fight better drunk than sober.”
“That settles it.” Layla spoke decisively, uncapping her crystal decanter of bourbon and pouring them all one more round. “Shots. Because we’re getting drunk while we can tonight and having a great time. Deal?”
“Deal.” Adrian and Dusk laughed as they all clinked and shot back together. Coughing, Layla decided that fine bourbon wasn’t the best drink for shots, but it had done the job. She found herself grinning as she, Dusk, and Adrian all slammed their glasses down on the table in unison.
And then Layla linked her arms through theirs, Adrian on her right and Dusk on her left.
“Off to the ball, Cinderellas. Let’s go get hammered.”
“The ball’s tomorrow night.” Dusk waggled his eyebrows at her. “And glass slippers ain’t got nuthin’ on Dragon-scales for having a fun time.”
“Come on.” Adrian chuckled as he led them to the doors, ushering them through. “Let’s get to Reginald’s. He hates tardiness more than a headmaster on the first day of school.”
“We’ll arrive when we’re damn good and ready to, Adrian.” Dusk joked back as they exited into the hallway and he shut the doors behind them. “It’s called beingfashionably late.Reginald can take the stick out of his ass for one night to accommodate us.”
“Reginald already has taken the stick from his ass lately, Dusk.” Layla joked as she winked at Dusk, feeling ribald and fun tonight with her primary mates. “He took that stick out of his ass, put it down where he could find it later… and stuck his cock up yours.”
Blinking wide, Dusk erupted into laughter as they made it into the hall.
And Layla grinned, sharing a laugh with Adrian as they headed off to the party.
CHAPTER 14 – PARTY
Arriving at Reginald’s opulent apartment on the fourth floor of the Paris Hotel, Layla felt a beautiful sensation of togetherness fill her. As she stepped into his sky-blue and gold French Baroque rooms, escorted by both Adrian and Dusk in her peacock dress, Layla felt a sweet oceanic breeze flow through her from her Royal Golden Siren’s magics permeating his apartments. Despite how much danger they were in with solstice rapidly approaching, the impromptu party he had orchestrated in his suite tonight was filled with gaiety and light.
And all of Layla’s friends from the Twilight Realm, that she had made throughout the past year.
Everyone wore fantastic new suits and gowns tonight, courtesy of Amalia DuFane. With an attack from Hunter imminent, most of the Hotel’s amenities like Wardrobe, Housekeeping, and Bartending had been shut down already. But as Layla entered, she couldn’t help but admire the fantastic spread of hors d’oeuvres Reginald had procured on short notice, his sea-themed suite lit bright from the exquisite Siren-silk rugs all the way up to the kraken-design crystal chandeliers.
And as they proceeded in, Layla saw the party was a who’s who of the Hotel and all their clans, gathered for the battle ahead. Standing with their elder brothers Atlantos and Typhos Durant, flown in from Deep Harbor, Reginald and Fury were resplendent tonight in a silver-grey suit for Fury with midnight accents and a sky-blue suit with gold for Reginald. Both were utter perfection as they glanced at Layla, their sharp, elegant bone structure the envy of male models everywhere. But though Fury was darkly alluring, Layla found herself struck by Reginald tonight as he lifted a straight golden eyebrow at her, having noticed she wore his pearls. Layla had not thought anyone could pull off a sky-blue suit, but Reginald stood out tonight like sunlight on the sea with his long golden hair clipped half-back and streaming over one shoulder.
As his utterly handsome grey-blue eyes held hers, his full lips lifting in a pleased smile.
