Page 7 of Trick Me
The transformation from the cool night air to the warm, perfumed atmosphere is immediate. Magic tingles against my skin as we step into a magnificent foyer.
The ceiling vaults so high it might as well be the sky, held up by columns that look carved from single pieces of white stone shot through with veins of gold. A chandelier that must weigh tons hangs from the center, crystals catching and throwing light in ways that create small rainbows on every surface.
The space feels mostly empty, as if everyone has already been drawn deeper into the mansion.
To our left, an older man in a black tuxedo with a crisp white shirt stands beside a pedestal. His face is deeply lined, and he wears a polite smile as he extends his hand expectantly.
I watch as Tamsin nudges Max with her arm, and he pulls out what looks like translucent invitations from his jacket pocket, handing them to the attendant.
“Welcome Mr. Fhearchair and Ms. Redthorne,” the man says. “We have entertainment to the left, food to the right, and the bar is just up ahead.” He gestures to each direction as he speaks.
Tamsin and Max exchange another glance, some unspoken question between them. Sera and I look at each other too, smiling.
“Can ye point us in the direction of the hostess? We would like to thank her for the invitation,” Max says.
The attendant bows slightly. “She will find you, when the time is right.”
Oh, mysterious, not that I’m surprised.
The attendant then turns to Sera and me, expecting our invitations. We step forward and we hand them over.
Once he lets us through, Sera gasps, and for once, I don’t have a better response.
“This is either the best party ever, or we’re about to become cautionary tales,” I say.
“Both. Definitely both.”
Then we enter the ballroom, an enormous space Sera insists is two stories tall. Dim light bathes the room in front of us, and I’m awestruck.
People are dancing in a way that would have made my grandmother clutch her pearls. Bodies pressed super close together.
Every kind of supernatural must’ve been invited to the All Hallows’ Eve Ball. I spot a guy with skin so pale it practically glows and is definitely giving vampire vibes. Another woman has eyes that flicker like candle flames when she laughs.
“Wow, this place is incredible,” I murmur.
We turn to the bar first. There’s a half-moon-shaped, white marble counter that seems to glow from within. Behind it, instead of shelves, bottles float in midair at various heights, rotating slowly, their contents shifting colors.
The bartender is almost impossibly beautiful, the kind of gorgeous that makes you aware of all your own flaws. His features are too perfect to be human, eyes that shift from green to gold to silver between blinks, movements that make pouring a drink look like a choreographed dance. He’s wearing what might be a vest made of black scales, and his hair is as white as snow.
“Ladies,” he says with a deep voice. “Welcome.” Then he gestures to a menu that materializes on the bar’s surface, written in golden script. “And what can I start you with?”
Sera and I lean in to read the options ranging from Moonlit Venom to Dragon’s Breath to Phoenix Fire and so much more.
“Siren’s Song sounds safe-ish?” I suggest.
“Safe is relative here,” the bartender says. “But it’s a good starter. Won’t permanently alter your perception of reality.”
“That’s reassuring,” Sera says dryly. “Two Siren’s Songs, please.”
He reaches for a bottle that definitely wasn’tthere a second ago, pouring from a height that should splash everywhere but creates a perfect stream. The liquid is silver-white and literally glowing, leaving trails of light in the air. When the man slides the glasses over to us, frost spreads across the marble in their wake.
“To making terrible decisions in beautiful dresses,” Sera says, lifting her glass.
“To not dying at our first fae party,” I counter.
“That’s the spirit. Low bars are easier to clear.”
We clink glasses and drink. It tastes like… I don’t have the words. Sweet and citrusy with a strength that lingers on my tongue with a hint of bubbles. Cold that burns down my throat but leaves warmth spreading through my chest and into my limbs.
