Page 25 of Ethereal Shifters

“I really fucking hate this academy and its rules,” he grumbles, moving closer. He stops in front of me, running his hand down my throat to grip it. I like when he does this. “Meet me on the roof, Sun. I need to taste you.”

I laugh, leaning in as I walk past. “Maybe it’s fair I taste you this time.”

His groan follows me into the bathroom, and I smile for the rest of the night.

“I’m still goingto be really surprised if they let us through the door,” I mutter. If they don’t, every plan we have thought out is going up in smoke.

Annie is far more confident than me, but this is her world. It’s the world of the rich and privileged in Starlight City, and I don’t know anything other than I don’t want anything to do with them. Except one of my mates is them, and that life is dividingus right now. “There’ll be so many people here they won’t notice us. If they do notice you, most of them will be scared and leave. Which isn’t a bad thing. Plus, you can do that invisible thing and just make us slowly disappear when we get in there.” She shrugs. “This party will be full of drunks by the time we arrive late, and they won’t be looking for problems. The biggest issue is the ranger guards, but I’ve solved that.”

“You have?” I arch an eyebrow.

Her cheeks brighten. “I’m very rich now and it’s easy enough to pay them to look the other way. The rangers outside are all paid by me, and all the extra help too. Kos’s parents got the list of hired rangers for the event for me when I asked and told them it was because it was my first social gathering since Kos’s death, and I needed to be sure it was protected well.”

“Damn. I’m impressed,” I admit, and she grins proudly. I touch one of the photos of Annie’s parents on the dresser, seeing how much she looks like her mother. This is one of Annie’s parents’ houses, almost like a holiday home. Somewhere they regularly went just to be themselves and be a family. Now, it’s furniture covered in white blankets and photo frames with ghosts in them that make my best friend cry. I can’t protect her from the memories, but I hope to be there if she needs me.

“Anyway, my mother had a lot of dresses and very good taste. I know she would be glad we are reusing them. I had the seamstress use the materials from the dresses and alter them to fit us.” She looks at the photo and turns away quickly. “I knew that these would be perfect for us, and I need new memories here. I need things to remind me of my parents, you know. It makes me angry. It makes me remember to be mad. Because at the end of the day, the alpha sitting on the Starlight City throne caused their deaths. I want him off that throne as soon as possible and killed because of it.” She sounds fierce and her Nexus flashes in the depths of her eyes.

“I’m pretty sure my Nexus’ bloodthirstiness is rubbing off on yours.” I wink.

She laughs. “Your Nexus is a bad influence.” Her laugh drifts off. “We all need to make this world better.” She runs her hands down her dark blue dress. It’s the exact same colour as the night sky, but it’s elegant, with puffy sheer sleeves and a skirt that moves with her. Her hair is pulled up in a messy bun, the blonde pulled back and the bun showing the red dyed ends. A black, very expensive diamond crystal flower is clipped in the centre.

Annie comes over and hands me a box. “What’s this?”

“Open it, please.” I click the box open and there is a diamond flower hair clip, no particular flower, but it’s lovely and it’s the same as Annie’s.

“I can’t accept this, Annie. It’s real and a fortune…and I don’t have expensive things. Even just wearing it tonight would be?—”

“Wait.” She stops me, closing the box. “This is a family heirloom from my mother and her sister. Basically, they were made for my ancestors, and two women in my family tree should always have them for luck and life. There is only me left now, and my mother’s clip has sat in a box. I called you my sister, and I meant it, so it means you should have this. We will pass it on together.”

“Annie,” I whisper. “Are you sure? I’ll treasure it, but maybe you should keep it for a child or?—”

“I’m sure. Anyway, who said I’m having kids?” She shakes her head and picks it up. I turn for her to slide it into my hair. “There, perfect.” She rests her head on my shoulder. “I’m so glad for you in my life, Gwen. I didn’t know how much I needed a sister until you turned up.”

“Me neither.” I rest my head on hers for a moment, and she backs up. I turn back to the mirror. Annie gave me a choice of three dresses, and I went with the most distracting she offered, one that she wasn’t even sure her mum had ever worn, andsomehow it looks far more distracting than I had in mind. It’s a skin-tight red dress that cups every bit of my curves, falling down to the floor, with a slit that goes straight up to my thigh. My boobs look, well, bigger than they are and pushed up. The back drops straight down to my hips, and the dress is held on by tape and pure miracles. How the hired stylist somehow managed to get it on me in the first place was like watching a magician at work. I feel like it might fall off at any second, but I’ve been assured that it won’t.

My hair is dead straight, falling straight down to the middle of my waist, and two braids are holding the flower clip in. I’ve chosen light makeup, but my lips are blood red like my dress. I barely recognise myself, and that’s a good thing because I’m walking into a party full of people who I need not to recognise me at all.

“You look like your mates are going to pass out when they see you.” Annie laughs.

“They won’t pass out.” I straighten my shoulders. “Drool a little, maybe. I’ll be happy with drooling.”

“Girl, they will drool. Onyx might be crawling on his knees to you when he sees you like this,” she suggests.

“A girl can hope,” I mutter under my breath. “Meet you downstairs?”

“Yes. I’m just going to make sure this place is locked up and grab the invites. You have a weapon, right?” she asks.

I pat my upper thigh and nod. I have my Nex dagger strapped to me, and I’m not going anywhere without it. She goes off to the living room. I glance once more at the view of Starlight City from this high-rise, admiring how beautiful it is before going to the lift and pressing down. The lift takes me out to the top of a small staircase, and my heels click as I walk down them. I’m not used to walking in heels, and I feel I’m going to fall at every moment,but I keep my back straight when I see four of my mates waiting for me. I didn’t expect to see them here.

Hollis is leaning on one of the pillars in the entrance hall, his arms crossed, his expression unreadable.

“Fuck me,“ Alek mutters, rubbing his jaw.

Finn stares at me like I’m a Goddess. “Woman, you literally have me begging, I mean begging, in that dress to take you back to the academy. Take you anywhere that’s not that party so we can be alone.”

Rhodes is silent, his eyes tracing my dress and me like he is memorising me.

“I’ll see you after the party.” I clear my throat. They don’t answer, they are still staring.

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