Page 77 of The Deer and the Dragon
Raised in a state of hyper-awareness given the quickness of parental mood swings, I was extremely perceptive to every shift in energy, every micro-expression, every twitch of the eye or tightening of the mouth. Through trial and error, I learned both through meeting clients and from the appraising eyes of the hostesses that they felt one way about the golds, the prints, the brands and another way entirely about classic neutrals and clean lines. One look screamed new money, and the other whispered old.
Once the books had taken off, the dams had burst and the money had flowed, but the desire to be perceived did not keep up.
As delicious as it had been to taste fawning and gawking, it wasn’t what I’d wanted. No amount of thin, gold chains with tiny desirable logos on them had brought me joy. I certainly didn’t revel in uncomfortably tall heels with brightly colored bottoms. All I wanted was what I’d been denied—a life without worrying about bills, a life where I could stay inmy pajamas and order sushi, where I could sleep peacefully, where I could breathe without debt sitting on my chest like the fabled sleep paralysis demon.
I looked at the demons in the room and silently amended my thought tosleep paralysis parasitic entity.
The entire room had undergone a glow-up.
Azrames somehow looked hotter every time I saw him. As if his white T-shirt hadn’t already destroyed any chance of platonic thoughts, Ianna had dressed him in the most well tailored gem-blue suit I’d ever seen, complementing his shades of black, gray, and white.
My eyes drifted to my friend. I’d been a petty bitch to assume that the lillith would do Fauna dirty. Somehow, Ianna had managed to capture Fauna’s style while upgrading it. The chaotic Norde was still permitted loose, flowing pants in a deep brown, though now the pleats were structured and intentional. Cream heels with ballet-like laces wrapped around her ankles, paired with a structured cream top. Lyviane’s face wrinkled in concentration as she manipulated fabric and clasps with the wave of her hand to fit Fauna. I would have referred to Fauna’s top as a bra, as it covered her tits, her sternum, and little else, but something told me that Ianna wouldn’t have been thrilled with my lack of fashionable vocabulary.
“And for the princess-in-waiting,” she’d said, smile on her lips.
I thought of Caliban’s diamond eyes and the hair so white it might have been woven from moonbeams as I stared at my reflection. Ianna and Lyviane had collaborated to fit me in a sleeveless, purely white jumpsuit. The top was cut in dramatic geometric shapes, collar plunging toward my belly button on one side while remaining just modest enough to earn my admittance into even the most political of functions. Around the center of my neck was a single, choking band of pearls.
I procured the silver sølje from my pocket. It raisedeyebrows from the demons but a gentle smile from Fauna. I looked to her as I asked, “Can I wear it?”
“You can, and you should,” Fauna said, voice quiet with pride. She crossed to my side as she helped me slip the family heirloom, the evidence of my blood, just above my breast. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to meet Ianna’s gaze, but much to my surprise, there was no disapproval in her eyes.
Perhaps broaches were in season.
After kissing me delicately on each cheek and making whatever empty promises for future brunch, Lyviane examined the three of us approvingly. “And now,” she purred into my ear, close enough that I could smell something that, to my shock, I recognized exclusively from the human realm. She leaned in near my face with the unmistakable perfume of Chanel No. 5, stroking down the length of my arms as she postured behind me, “You’re ready to meet your king.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Pillar. Glass. Light. Plush. Perfume. Luxury. Palatial. Feelings. Thoughts. My brain tossed a word salad of nouns and adjectives between its tongs as my eyes struggled to land on anything. I knew now was not the time to be myself. I tried my best to conjure Maribelle, to keep my mouth closed, to keep my chin high, to act like nothing was too incredible or unbelievable.
I wondered how the royal families of the mortal realms would have felt about taking decorating pointers from Hell. I visualized the images I’d seen of Buckingham Palace and juxtaposed them against the incredible structure before us.
I hadn’t breathed from the moment we’d entered.
The palace was an architectural marvel. While its bones were older than time, elements of magic, of fresh originality, of clean lines, of beauty beyond comprehension kept the air from my lungs.
I counted on my legs to work on autopilot, following the others in our small group as I gaped, and remained grateful that I was not alone on this mission. Quickly upon our entering, Ianna checked another box in my ever-growing list of reasons I admired her.
I understood Fauna’s and Ianna’s clashing personalities.
Half of Fauna’s charm was her devil-may-care disregardfor convention. Yet nothing about her irreverence had a snowball’s chance of garnering the respect of the posh lillith. Ianna’s sweet tooth for power and deference was as forceful as Fauna’s was for candy. The two were never meant to be friends.
I, on the other hand, found Ianna spectacular.
I’d never want to be pals with the demonic stylist—god, no—but I watched her as if glued to the television, like marveling at a panther sinking its teeth into a gazelle as she led us into the palace and directly to the receptionist. The polished man with small spikes on each of his temples recognized Ianna immediately. He reacted with wordless respect and led us to what, in the mortal realm, would have surely been elevators.
Except, these were no elevators.
My pulse quickened as I looked to the others, struggling to keep my calm.
We approached four large squares of sparkling, black space, as if we were meant to step into the stars themselves. Everything inside me told me to turn on my heels, but the others had remained utterly calm.
To my gratitude, Fauna didn’t roll her eyes when I extended my hand for comfort. Instead, she looped a reassuring hand around my waist with her free arm while holding my hand with the other, effectively wrapping herself around me. The assistant stepped into the swirling void, followed closely by Ianna.
I took a half-step forward, wincing against the knowledge that I had to follow the others into oblivion. I was right on Azrames’s heel when he caught me off guard by stopping.
My mouth dropped open as he dropped to a knee and reached for my hand. Fauna released me as I blinked, dumbfounded, at Azrames.
I didn’t breathe as I looked between his serious eyes and the milky fingers caught in his steel-dark palms.
