Chapter 88

“What do you think,” Anton says, laughing and turning in a circle so that I can admire. I do, rather liberally, my wolf pouncing around in my soul.

“I mean you’re always dashing, Tony boy,” I say, crossing my arms and smiling at him. “But you look very fancy tonight. Dressed up suits you!”

“Who knew,” he says with a little smirk, running a hands through his hair, I think a bit bashful. “If I knew you thought so I’d have tried it before now.”

“You didn’t know you could before now,” Orion says, a bit dry, but then he laughs and claps Anton on the shoulder. Then he conjures a glass of red wine out of thin air and offers it to me.

I happily accept and grin between them, again struck by that strange affinity that makes these two seem…so much more than friends in my mind. I mean, not in the way that Laila and I were thinking in the tub. But…I don’t know. Connected somehow.

“But you, Princess,” Orion says turning his attention to me and cocking his head to the side. “Are a bit underdressed.”

“Well, I didn’t have a lot of notice,” I said, putting one hand on my hip and taking a sip of my wine. “Besides, if we’re going to a pool party, then I am perfectly suited for the occasion.”

Anton raises an eyebrow, letting his eyes slip down my form, clearly wondering at this claim. I just barely avoid blushing, turning my face away. I don’t know, just…something about watching Anton as he looks over my body…

Heat rushes through me suddenly. But I ignore it and force my mind elsewhere.

“No pool party, ma’am. Whatever that is,” Orion says, snapping his fingers and gesturing over his shoulder at my wardrobe. “Get fancy. Time’s wasting.”

My face bursts into a grin and I find my sadness quite neatly tucked away by all of this distraction – which was probably the point. I mean, I’m still quite sad and confused, but my long talk with Laila and all of this fuss…

Well.

I really have managed to make some very good friends down here, haven’t I?

“Wear that long sparkly thing,” Anton says with interest, turning towards the wardrobe with me. “Or, no! No, break out those silky little booty shorts –“

“Anton!” I gasp, smacking at him as I stride over to my clothing collection. “I am a Princess, I do not own booty shorts –“

“Then what are those?” he asks, dry, pointing to the shorts in question, giving me a wicked grin.

I snarl and step in front of the wardrobe blocking his sight. “Away, pest.” I let my canines extend in mock threat.

“You need me, Juniper,” Anton says, straightening up and grinning, slipping his hands into his pockets and looking…far too good, with that dashing grin, in that well-cut suit. “I’m your stylist. You’re a fashion zero without me.”

I just roll my eyes and flick a hand at him, turning away and rifling through my clothes, deciding what to wear.

But as I study my clothes my wolf nips at me, making me face the fact that I also turned away because…well. Perhaps because I needed a bit of a visual breather from that boy, before I break into another blush.

Yes, my wolf says, trotting around, tail high. He is so handsome. He is the best one. He is so cute and funny and – hey, if he can change his clothes, do you think he can take them off?

I snarl a bit, swatting at her tail, willing it to lower. Down girl, I murmur. That’s my handmaid you’re talking about.

Oh whatever, she sighs, flopping onto her belly and letting her tongue hang out of her mouth.

Besides, I say, swatting her contrary little rump. Your opinion is flawed. You thought Blythe was sexy, after all.

Ugh, he was, she howls, rolling onto her back and sticking her feet up into the air, kicking them like she’s running. Remember that thing he used to do –

I burst into a blush for real this time and hurl my attention into my clothes search, pointedly ignoring her.

You’re the one who wanted to marry him, she reminds me, sing-song. I just said kiss him a bunch. We always knew he wasn’t our mate, even if…well. Even if we did start to love him.

But I ignore that too, because I don’t want to admit that she’s right. Blythe, he never was the one, was he?

My mate was always here, apparently. Faiza and the development of my magic pretty much confirms it, or at least gives me a very convincing hint.

I take a moment to peer over my shoulder at the group of people in the room, my eyes lingering especially on Orion, all tall and handsome, chatting excitedly to the other girls.

Is it…seriously, is it him?

But I turn away from the question, concentrating on my clothing, deciding that…I’m not sure I’m ready to face anything yet. Besides, I just broke up with my dead fiancé a couple of hours ago.

Can’t a girl get a break?

I decide quite suddenly that that’s what I’m going to do – just…break. Break from all of it, for one night, and not think about anything.

I snap my fingers at the decision, magicking my robe and bathing suit away, replacing it with a tight black shirt and a suede miniskirt and tall black boots. I toss back the rest of my mine and set the glass aside as I turn back to the group, running my hands through my long dark hair, wondering if I’ve over-done my makeup, all black and smokey around the eyes –

“Choker,” Anton says, turning and slowly walking over to me.

I lift my eyes to him, a little surprised. “What?”

“This outfit needs a choker,” he says, brushing a single starlit finger across my throat and then around my neck.

I smile a little and make one appear – just a long strip of velvet ribbon tied back behind my neck.

“Perfect,” Anton murmurs, letting the tips of his fingers rest against my skin, drifting them down the length of my neck to rest in that soft space right where my shoulder starts. “You ready to go?”

“What am I in for?” I ask quietly, staring up at him.

“Probably something lame,” Anton says, laughing and glancing over his shoulder. “I don’t think that Orion is a very good party planner. But,” he turns back to me with a shrug. “There will be drinks. And you and I – we make our own fun, don’t we?”

“Yeah,” I say, wrinkling my nose at him. “We do.”

“Let’s go!” Orion calls, laughing and waving me over to where the entire group is standing with drinks in their hands – shot glasses filled with clear liquid. Anton and I quickly join them.

“Oh no,” I groan, even as I laugh and reach for a glass. “What’s this?”

“Memory potion,” Laila says dramatically, twinkling her fingers mysteriously over her glass and making me laugh. “To wipe away this bad day.”

“It’s just tequila,” Cadence whispers, grinning at me.

“What’s tequila,” Orion murmurs, looking suspiciously into his cup.

“Just try it, you’ll love it,” I say, laughing and nudging his arm with mine. Then Cadence raises her glass with a shout and we all follow her lead, clinking them together before shooting the liquor down our throats.

I cough and hack, laughing as much as I grimace at the sharp and bitter taste.

“All right, hold hands!” Orion calls, choking out the words alongside his own coughing, vanishing our cups away. “Let’s go!”

I laugh, taking two random hands, grinning around at everyone, letting myself get lost in the joyful, busy moment. I turn a little to beam at Anton, who gives me a wink, just before Orion vanishes us all away.

Shock fills me when our entire group lands in a dingy bar, all of the dreary patrons turning to look at us with wide eyes. But my surprise isn’t for how small the bar is, or how depressing the atmosphere –

It’s because I’ve been here before.

“You brought us back here!?” I gasp, whirling on Orion as I drop the hands that I’m holding.

“Come on, it’s where we met,” he says with a handsome shrug, grinning at me. “It’s cute.”

“’Ri,” Anton says, shaking his head and spreading his hands wide. “This is…this is not the right vibe –“

I start cracking up as I look around at the rickety bar, the peeling wood walls, the bare shelves behind the bar that hold only shadowroot liquor and whatever passes for beer.

“What, you said we should take her out!” Orion says, laughing along with me. “There aren’t a lot of options for night life in the Underworld. This is the nicest place I know!”

“This!?” Anton says, flashing a hand around at the entire establishment. “This is the nicest place you know!?”

Orion just laughs harder, shrugging.

“No, we can work with this!” I shout out, kind of delighted, beaming around at my friends before striding for the bar. The bartender just stares at me, a glass and a rag frozen in his hands. “Hi,” I say, giving him one of Ariel’s Princess smiles. “Do you mind if we…make some changes here? Just to improve the experience a little bit?”

He stares at me for a moment longer before flicking his eyes to Orion and then back to me. “His highness can do as he pleases, my Lady,” he says, giving me a bit of an awkward bow.

“Thanks!” I say, grinning at him and turning back to my friends. “Okay, everyone! Party’s on!”

“What!?” Cadence calls, shaking her head at me, not yet understanding. “How are we –“

“Oh, I’m going to act in the Prince’s stead,” I say with a happy sigh. Orion raises an eyebrow at me but I just laugh, turning and waving a hand at all the shelves behind the bar. And as my hand passes, bottles appear – wine and beer and liquors – all colors and flavors – everything I can think of – some that I just make up.

The bartender gasps, as do the other patrons in the room, getting to their feet to stare. “How did you…do that?”

“I just called it up,” I say, waving to dismiss the point.

“But you’re not in the palace,” the Bartender says. “You shouldn’t be able to –“

“Oh whatever,” I say with a sigh, flicking a hand to dismiss it as I turn to the room. “Come on, everyone!” I call out, laughing. “Drinks are on me!”