Ever since she sat down in the car, Ley felt like her stomach must have been invaded by loads of butterflies. Recalling Landon's expressions earlier, he looked like he knew something she didn't which makes her extra anxious. Maybe the gown doesn't fit as well as she thought earlier? She doesn't really wear these type of dresses often which makes her antsy.
She stole a quick glance at Landon and her throat turned dry at the sight. His hair that's usually loosely-styled was brushed up for the occasion which really emphasized the chiseled lines on his face and those enigmatic amber eyes that pull you in to their depths.
Wait, did she just check out Landon?
She mentally slapped herself at the thought. She stirred her mind away from the distracting shifter beside her and focused her mind on the upcoming troublesome party.
They arrived on the venue shortly and there are already a lot of people going around. She wrinkled her nose at the variety of scents coming from the humans. It doesn't smell bad but it's a bit overwhelming for someone like her who have above average sense of smell.
She was observing the crowd when a hand appeared in front of her. She looked up and saw Landon wearing a captivating smile directed at her. She unconsciously raised her hand and brought it to rest on top of Landon's hand. He took hers and let it hold onto his arm as she guided her towards the entrance where flashing lights cluster.
Ley felt dazed at the overwhelming atmosphere and she struggled to put on a semblance of a smile so that she won't look like a statue beside Landon.
"Relax," Landon whispered while squeezing her hand on his arm which did the exact opposite to her.
She wasn't used to this kind of situation. She was adept at hiding herself but never at being the center of attention. Holding onto Landon's arm certainly brought unwanted limelight to her.
This is just a job.
She reminded herself and felt her emotions calming down. She was just another one of Landon's long list of partners and there was no use getting disturbed over that fact. She distracted herself by observing the humans.
All sorts of word plays and mind games drifted in her ears and it reminded her of a place where every word was a dagger clothed in smooth velvet. It was eerily familiar to the home of the Magicks minus the supernatural. No wonder Sera kept running away from the Territory.
She acted like the perfect doll beside Landon. She smiled whenever someone threw a glance at her. She pretended she was deaf to all the barbs directed at her for being the 'partner of a highly eligible bachelor in the city'. She won't even waste her brain cells to deal with Landon's admirers.
After a few rounds with people, she was left alone with Sebastian as Landon discussed a few things with some influential businessmen.
She looked at Sebastian and noticed that his coal black eyes never once left Landon's body. He angles his position based on Landon that he might as well be his shadow.
The question which had been bugging her from the start popped into Ley's mind again and she stared at Sebastian speculatively.
She never had much interaction with this guy since he's pretty quiet most of the time which makes her disregard his presence but there's no time like the present.
"Can I ask you a question?" she started.
Sebastian glanced at her and nodded slightly before returning his gaze to Landon.
"Why does Landon not bring any security detail whenever he goes to public events?" she asked bluntly.
Sebastian looked at her in contemplation, seemingly deciding whether to tell her or not.
He must have seen the determination in my face since he spoke a few seconds later.
"You could say that we're doing it deliberately. What we aim is to apprehend the mastermind not the hired attackers but we do have a backup in case of extreme circumstances so you don't have to worry about that," he flashed me a smile full of gentlemanly charm but she felt a cold chill in her back instead.
This guy can't be underestimated. He'll probably still be gently smiling even while killing someone.
"That's good to know," she replied while nodding along.
She looked at Landon, mingling with the humans like a fish in the water, and decided to take a few moments away from the stifling atmosphere.
"If Landon looks for me, can you tell him I went to the ladies' room for a bit?"
Sebastian nodded and she hurriedly walked away from the crowd. She finally entered the ladies' room after evading people left and right.
She looked at the mirror and checked if the makeup needs retouching. She looked for the foundation in her clutch to dab a bit in her face but she can't seem to find it. Did she dropped it in the car?
She was heading for the exit when she heard someone spoke.
"You won't feel as good as what you're feeling tonight when you're discarded tomorrow