Page 66 of Iris
You’ll do it all in vain.
No one’s going to find out who I am.
I’ve got my loyal Hivemind to feed. I have responsibilities, feeble Monarch.
And I’m here.
To stay
- Queen Bee
CHAPTER
NINETEEN
Xavier
On my second turn through the main two-tiered barge, I lift a minipad from the table of spares. They’re activated by thumb print, and no doubt the fucking Queen of Sabine herself keeps an eye on who registers with a second device.
I’ve heard she’s into micromanaging, and all society matings are sanctioned through her.
But the mini gives me something to do, helps a man like me blend in as I reconfigure it to bypass the print.
As I wait for Iris to arrive.
When Killian said keep an eye on her, he didn’t mean stalk her. He didn’t mean put on a tux and lurk.
It made sense to ask me to do it since I’m the one making the delivery of booze to the ball. He meant if I see her.
He meant case the joint. He meant to then stick about outside, for when she might leave.
I’m with him on wanting to make sure she doesn’t bring the authorities down on us. Neither of us think she will, she’s too young, too hungry for disruption and adventure, too turned onby us to even bother to do that. But that’s just opinion. It’s not fact.
We never thought Tamara would leave her child behind—us, perhaps; Emmie? No—and yet she did. So, opinion and belief don’t equate with cold hard facts.
So here I am. Upping the game. Taking it all the way to next level.
And my personal fact is I’m not here to keep an eye on her for the cause. I’m here to watch her, to breathe her and her world in, in any way I can.
The barges are big and are strung over this part of the river where the land on either side is private. The Borderline of city living and countryside estates, the houses here are mansions, with vast gardens and private river access.
During the day, someone is able to follow the boardwalk along the edges on a walk. And they can pass through the water on a boat or barge, but really, this part of the river lives for the word idyllic, meaning though fishing’s illegal, there aren’t many fish of size to make the trespassing worthwhile. Down to where the river flows into the sea in the dock lands, if you’re brave enough, or up to the real countryside where it meets other rivers that flow into bigger waterways.
But right here, along this stretch, the word opulence doesn’t begin to describe those who own these homes.
The rich who like to stay close to the city and still state they’re rich enough to have their chunk of private land as if they’re in the country.
The Mendelson family own both sides, the other the start of their vast lands that lead to their actual country estate miles away.
But this side of the river is the one with the boardwalk connection to Sabine City. It’s where I delivered the booze to the Mendelson staff. This part of the river is usually empty apartfrom a rowboat, but it full now with the barges that stretch across from one bank to the other.
They’re open, big, rooms to dance, drink and party in, fancy barges with second stories and the three barges are connected by little temporary bridges.
It’s a masterclass of showmanship, and I’m betting they hired someone to come up with the idea and execute it.
The river is a sea of paper lanterns that glow and twinkle. The barges themselves are lit by lantern so they’re dark, with strategically lit up areas, creating a romantic atmosphere, and hothouse flowers with a strong perfume I suspect might be added twine the railings to the bridges.
But the spectacle isn’t just the water and the barges.
