People chattering, couples slowly moving on the dance floor, a soul-sucking melody haunting the immense ballroom and a ghastly breeze of nouveau riche reeked in the atmosphere when I arrived at the semi-formal. My short, orchid, silk dress was making me look under-dressed when compared to the posh gowns the other girls were wearing. My subtle pearl necklace and earrings were paling among all the diamonds shining around. I least I was taller than most of the women here, in my nude, strappy sandals. I reached into my pearly-white clutch and scooped my phone out, wondering where the hell is Will. I know he loved arriving late, but the ball started an hour ago.
"Isn't is supposed to be a semi-formal?" Asks Bee and I just shrug. She was looking stunning in her tight, red cashmere dress and red-bottoms. Her hair was flowing in gentle curls along her bare back, just like mine. Her red lips were tugging at every wannabe-princess we passed by as we walked to our table. Well, my table as it had a little piece of paper reading "DeGreys" in cursive letters. But because I chose her as my plus one, she's staying among hunters tonight. It greatly helps that she partly figured out what I am, so the imminent discussion that will be held tonight won't bewilder her too much. But she won't be a little stunned nonetheless, when she'll meet my family and realise that I'm the most normal out of them.
As I haven't talked to neither my brothers since I've seen them a few days ago, neither met with my mother since that day at the hospital, I'm prepared for anything tonight. I know I'll have no one to count on, as my brothers are surely on their side if they didn't contact me since they went to meet with our father. But it's not like this didn't happen before, so as long as the knives won't be in my mother's close proximity, nothing out of the ordinary will happen tonight.
The last few days I've stayed in my room and did absolutely nothing. Bee practically begged me to attend tonight's event, but I see on her face that she understands now why I wished to skip it. A big, loud rabble of people who didn't come here for anything but to show their richies off. There's a donation box by the door, an a little squad of photographers taking photos for those 'kind-hearted' people who can't wait to bloat on their social media accounts about how altruistic they are.
"Didn't expect to see you here, Ad," says Jez when Bee and I sit at the table. "And who's your lovely friend?"
Jez was showing off his charming smile and my friend suddenly blushed. "Béatrice, nice to meet you." She says haughty and my brother's eyes blink at her daringness.
"Jeremy," he introduces himself and gently takes my friend's hand in his. "The pleasure is all mine," he softly speaks as he places a little kiss on Bee's hand. I roll my eyes and take a sip from the glass of champagne in front of me. My brother is a shameless flirt, but as innocent as my friend looks, she is as a little, cunning vixen when it comes to boys. My brother doesn't even know what he is getting himself into, but it'll be fun to watch.
"Where's Jonty?" I ask, interrupting the small talk they started.
"Lady Sophronia Tasso and her oldest daughter approached mum when we arrived and started praising her latest art. I've seen you walking in and found the perfect opportunity to evade their boring conversation." He explains and I look around. Jonty was still trapped in that boring talk with Miss Sophia lolling on his arm like ivy on old buildings.
Mother suddenly switched her eyes to meet me and a grimace appeared on her lips. Of couse she prepared her next strikes in the few days I've been laying low and now she'll come to avalanche them all over me as soon as she gets rid of Lady Tasso and her exaggerated praise. Suddenly I don't feel strong enough to face her, and because Bee and Jez are getting along so well, I may as well make my way out of this ballroom. I excuse myself and leave the table with my champagne glass. I drink it at once at place it on a waiter's empty trail. Just as I was about to pass the exit doors, someone's voice stops me.
"Leaving so soon?" That mocking tone make my blood boil in my veins and I turn gracefully to face him. Dressed in a pair of suit pants and a black shirt, Thomas was shamelessly looking at me up and down. "I thought you'll at least save me a dance."
"You have some balls to approach me after..." he closes the distance between us in a moment and I immediately jump away from him. Some idiot opens the doors and pushes me right into the damned Elf. My hands fall on his chest and he uses the opportunity to curl his hand around my waist and keep me from distancing myself again. I hit him but he's just a stupid rock that won't budge.
"After I saved you from that naggy shifter?" He says and places a kiss on my cheek, before whispering in my ear, "How dared he claim something that's mine?"
His words just annoy me even more and I push him away again. But he just giggles at my attempt and digs his fingers into my side. His other hand was playing with my hair and I wished I could stuck it up his ass. "Let me go, Thomas, or I'll rip your hand off."
He laughs hoarsely at my threat and catches the back of my neck between his hand. "You didn't seem so bothered by my touch the other day."
"Let me go," I continue to say but he just digs his fingers deeper into my skin.
"Make me," he challenges me and, as I prepare to spit on him, he tightens his grip on my neck. I'm barely able to swallow and my eyes grow big because I'm afraid he may break my neck the next time I try to fight my way out of his hands. I have always afraid of him, of what he may do, but he never came so close to hurting me deadly before. Now, cold chills run down my back when I look into his hateful eyes and pray silently for someone to save me before he looses his temper.
"Mind if I borrow my daughter for some family talk?" My mother's voice sounds behind Thomas. He finally lets me go and sligthly nods to her, before wincing at me and leaving the ballroom.
"Not even a thank you?" She says as I unconsciously massage my neck.
"I know you invited him," I say and start walking back to our table, arranging my hair to cover somehow the purple marks that must be on my neck.
"Why would I want a nasty monster mingling with my people?" She asks sternly but I can hardly believe her. How else could've Thomas manage to get into here? He was blacklisted from such events ever since he lost his titles and I doubt the Queen also knighted him again, after she supposedly freed him from the Wild Hunt.
"We have to talk," my mother says as soon as we sit at our family's table. Béatrice is dancing on the other side of the ballroom with Will, who I don't know when appeared here. "There's a war coming our way..."
"One you're so hard trying to start," I say and everyone gives me a disapproving look.
"Just listen, Aline," says Jonty and I roll my eyes. I don't know why I ever imagined he and Jez would be on my side for once.
"I'm not talking about your moon-howler friends," mother continues and I keep myself from commenting on her old-school insult. "Someone from another realm grew bored of peace."
"Another realm?" I stay to pounder a second before speaking. "You mean the fae folk?"
Dad nods and then scoops a file from a portfolio that was laying on the table. Bold, red letters were printed over it, the 'classified' nearly making the title unreadable. "Changelings."
Of course I know what these are, as I had many dreadful experiences with those damned look-alikes and their creators. The Darachs have a nasty habit of stealing human children and replacing them with mandrake doppelgängers. But those silly look-alikes start growing sick when magic begins to leave their system, sentencing their foster parents to live their worst nightmare: bury their own child. Hunters tried for centuries to force the fae folk to sign an act that allows us to hunt the Darachs stealing children on both realms, as they usually teleport from this realm before we catch them. But they've been reluctant, as they fear that we may not have the purest intentions at heart. And they have all the reasons to doubt us, given how only recently we've started to work through our differences and agree that we have a common enemy.
But the whole Faedom has a long history with changeling, all recorded in poetry, fables and old wives' tales. But the differences between these mytical kidnappings and the recent ones is that the Darachs target powerful children: Lycans, Alpha's children, rare-bred witches, dhampirs and part-faes. But before, the only children taken were those of fae heritage, whom they could train into becoming Tuatha Dé Danann. Although the most-common myths portray them as dwellers of both worlds, they have a higher role in the fairy community, serving as keepers of the entrances to the other realm. They learn runic magic that helps them have full control over the portals that link the two worlds. They glamour them, create new ones or destroy those that have been discovered by hunters.
The file contained a close observation the newer cases of changelings and some disturbing news. "Unseelies are creating changelings?" I ask, skeptical. "Since when?"
Apart from the Darachs, who rely on troops of brain-washed changelings to fight their wars and help them get control over the Faedom, the other fairies have stopped creating changelings centuries ago. Most of the Tuatha Dé Danann that are today live with their biologocal parents, fae or not, in the other realm, or in the few locations at the intersectiom of the realms where the two dimensions collide and are practically on the same plane.
"Not Unseelies, but the Darachs that have taken over Hy-Brasil's slums. They have headquarters in all Faedom's cities, but this one, in particular, has given us some trouble." Says Jez and I quickly remember our talk in the alley.
"And you want to sell me to them?" My tone was accusing and I saw my mother giving my brothers a death stare. Of course, I shouldn't have known that, but who cares?
"Of course not," dad talks just as my mother was preparing to respond. "We are sending both you and Jeremy to Hy-Brasil as alleged traitors and conspirators for the Darachs. You are to be imprisoned in the King's dungeons upon your arrival. An anonymous tip will tell the Darachs your exact location and will, hopefully, rescue you and give us a way directly into their lair."
I must've looked very confused, because my mother sighed and decided to further explain the mission, "If the Darachs decide to rescue you, you'll be glamoured to look like the sentries we've arrested. If they manage to get you out, they'll either send you to their main lair, or to their new base in the city. Thanks to King Sam's intervention in the city, they allegedly left the Unseelie Kingdom and will most likely send you to their main base of operations. You'll have to ensure us a way inside."
"And stay alive long enough for you to get there," concludes Jez and I nod. I take a look at the file and I just know this is an almost suicidal mission. No one ever got that close to the bastards' lair and lived to bloat about it. We'll just have to make sure that we get there and survive enough for our team to regroup and make their way to our enemy's lands.
"This is why you started this stupid trial? As a decoy?" I ask my mother and she smiles widely like a snake.
"When I heard about your... liasion to the Lycan Prince, I knew I'd need to keep him busy, while you are willingly risking your life."
"Prince Asher can't know about the mission, Adeline," continues my dad and I nod. Of course he can not know! He would take me to Mars, not Australia, if he'd know where is my family dragging me to.
"Of course," I agree. "When are we leaving?"
"Already?"