“No, because the world obviously revolves around you two.” The sardonic voice was scathing and comforting in the most confusing conflict of emotions.
“What did I do to deserve this?” Evie asked the sky as Becky stepped into the light. Her brown hair was down from her usually tight coiffure, gently curling just past her shoulders. A soft pink dress swirling into roses at the hem sat delicately against her light-brown skin. A delicate flush of the same pink appeared at her cheeks when she saw Blade’s blatant appraisal.
“I was about to ask you the same thing,” Becky said, adjusting her glasses on her nose, another gilded envelope sitting between her fingers. “I suppose you both got one of these as well?”
“We did.” Evie frowned, noticing the writing at the top of Becky’s invitation. “What does that say?”
Becky handed it to her reluctantly.
To Rebecka Erring
Looking for a cure?
Briar’s Peak
Tonight
Dress for a formal celebration hosted by the core healer
This invitation permits one person and one person only
She handed it back to Becky, and they glanced at each other with knowing expressions before looking away.
“It would appear whoever left us these sought to lure us with individually compelling reasons,” Blade said, studying and then holding out his invitation for both to see.
Both angling their heads closer, Evie and Becky looked at the invitation Blade held.
To Blade Gushiken
Briar’s Peak
Tonight
Dress for a formal celebration hosted by the core healer
This invitation permits one person and one person only
“That’s it?” Evie pulled the invitation closer, reading it over one more time to be sure. “Yours doesn’t have a reason the way mine and Becky’s do. Why would you come at all, then?”
Blade shrugged, looking sheepish. “It said ‘celebration,’ so I thought there would be free food.”
Becky shook her head at him. “You are a reprobate.” She smoothed her invitation carefully. “This is obviously a ploy to get us all to this place. I say we go inform the boss immediately.”
Evie urged them both to the side of the gravel path, hidden from view of prying eyes. “We’re almost there—we may as well go investigate whatever this is together and then report back to the boss what we find.”
“I don’t like it,” Becky grumbled, uncomfortably pulling at the sleeves of her dress.
“Shocking.” Blade smiled, offering each woman an arm. Evie wrapped her hand around his upper arm, and Becky stomped forward beside them, refusing to meet either of their eyes.
“We’re walking right into a very obvious trap,” she grumbled, pushing the hood of her cloak up over her head.
“True, but at least we know that going in,” Blade said, then raised one brow at Becky. “Why are you even here if you thought it could be a trap? Why didn’t you take that right to the boss?”
Rebecka looked for a moment like a cornered animal before glancing away. “Because…there was a chance it wasn’t. And I had to know.”
Evie smiled sympathetically, showing her invitation to Becky. “Me too.”
Becky nodded stiffly. “Do you think anyone else from the office received one?”
“We’re about to find out,” Blade said, gesturing to the glow of light and noise coming from farther into the wooded path. “It seems the festivities have already begun.”
It was the first time Evie had heard the word “festivities” as a threat. In fact, it sounded a bit like death.
Chapter 41
Evie
There were lights everywhere.
Briar’s Peak was seated at Hickory Forest’s cliff ledge. There was a steep clearing on this side, far enough of a drop that there needed to be a flimsy wooden bridge connecting one side of the forest to the other. The bridge—a generous word for it—had enough planks missing that it may as well have just been two thick ropes tied together. But the rickety thing was hardly the focus.
Not when the decadent opulence spread before Evie’s eyes was demanding all her attention.
The trees surrounding the peak were decorated in floating candles, orbed in light to keep them from incinerating the leaves and branches around them. Music and laughter sprinkled the air like confetti, and warmth brushed over Evie’s bare shoulders as she removed her cloak.
Blade whistled low. “You clean up well, my friend.” His smile was warm, unlike the daggers Becky glared at Blade before slipping off into the fray of people swaying to the sounds of the musicians’ chords.
Evie tsked at Blade, lightly shoving him. “Why didn’t you say anything about the way Becky looked? Your mouth was open for a whole minute when she showed up.”
Blade sighed and rubbed a hand through his thick black hair. “Because the things I was thinking when I saw her in that dress weren’t fit for mixed company.”
Evie ducked away from a drunken couple stumbling past her, no doubt to do some of the illicit things Blade was talking about. “That was more information than I needed, to be honest.”
“You asked.” He smiled suggestively.
“How rude of you to point out things that are absolutely true.” Evie turned away from him, catching sight of Becky before she disappeared into the crowd once more. “Well, I hope she knows what the deadlands she’s doing, because I sure don’t.”
They passed by a long table of unfamiliar dishes, the shapes and colors of the food almost seeming from another world. Even the wine was a thick silver, unlike anything she’d ever seen.
“Magic has some perks, doesn’t it?” Blade smiled, grabbing a glass for each of them.
“Should we be drinking that?” Evie took a whiff of the liquid, amazed that she felt intoxicated just from the fragrance. “We don’t know who’s behind this whole thing—what if these are poisoned?”
Blade took a large gulp of his, and Evie jumped in protest. “You fool!”
He nodded toward the rest of the crowd. “Everybody is drinking them, so unless they are all being poisoned to dance in sloppily drunken circles and show blatant public displays of affection, I think we’re safe.”
Evie took a careful sip, resisting a moan from the euphoric flavor coating her taste buds. “How can anything taste this good?” She made for another large sip, but Blade stayed her hand.
“Careful. It’s not poisoned, but it’s strong. Now, to find the core healer.” Blade searched the crowd, eyes narrowing hard. Evie looked in the direction that he was and smiled knowingly when she saw a handsome blond man kissing Becky’s hand and looking very appreciatively at her figure.
“I’ll be right back,” he growled before stalking toward the two of them.
“But—”
It was too late. Blade was off, nearly throwing himself between Becky and the stranger, leaning down to furiously whisper at Becky. Who, in all fairness, had pure murder in her eyes as well at being interrupted.
“Fine, I’ll do it myself,” Evie muttered, examining the crowd once more for any familiar faces. There was every manner of creature here, from humans to pixies. Pure-white unicorns stood tied to trees, forest sprites dancing around them. Every breath Evie took was magic, living in the air and filling her with warm happiness.
She’d quietly hoped to see Tatianna among the splendor, flitting over with an invitation of her own. Evie had made light of writing out the list of employees who could be traitors for The Villain, but every name she’d neatly cataloged for her boss to review had dug a pit so deep in her stomach that she could still feel it now, weeks later. Such an innocent way to rip apart the people she claimed to care for. She exhaled hard, pushing against the boning of her corseted torso.
These things weren’t built for people with high levels of anxiety, but at least she looked pretty.
A tap on her shoulder caused her to jump and spin with her fists raised. An older man stood there, shoulder-length red hair hanging in his face. He held out a hand, dark robes covering his body. “May I see your invitation, young lady?”