Page 12 of Glass Hearts
“Why, thank you, Prince Archer. I hope this is the beginning of many more dances together.” The sister bows in respect, batting her eyelashes. Her mask is see-through with delicate lace, which shows more of her face than any other ball goers donning proper masks. She is quite pretty. But she doesn’t hold a candle to the flame that was Carmella. We have had so many women fling themselves at us tonight, which is a common occurrence at every event the council holds. But not one has held my stare and attention likehers. I nod to the sister and walk away to find my brothers.
“Where are you idiots at? Has anyone seen the duchess?”
“We haven’t seen her either. I think she left. We are heading back to Sylas’s room. Meet us there.”Koi sent through the mind link. I don’t miss the disappointment in his tone.
The ballroom, though full of patrons, feels empty without her magnetic and graceful presence. I may have been a bit too forceful in my questions. Maybe I scared her off?
She scares me. Not one woman has made all my brothers, including the reserved and stoic Sylas, chase her like a puppy. I have had my heart broken before. The last time I was this enraptured, she tried to stab me in the heart. So, I am not sure I can trust the Duchess.
Leaving the ballroom, I head to the prince’s tower of the castle, where many moans and giggles float as I walk by, other party goers having more success than I.
Sylas is already pouring four glasses of whiskey as I enter the room. Grayer, the normally talkative one of the bunch, is sitting pensively looking out the window as more guests continue to leave the castle. Koi is next to him, also staring off into space.
“So it appears the duchess has us all a little riled up, I take it?” Three sets of eyes glare at me.
“What did you say to her, Archer? I saw how you manhandled her into that corner. Looked like you were whisper yelling and shit,” Koi accuses me as he gets up right in my face.
“I asked about her intentions. And you were the beast that also grabbed her into the shadows. Maybe you were too forward and scared her off?”
I hear Sylas sigh in the corner. He hands us each an amber-filled glass. The alcohol gives a pleasing burn as we all take a moment to breathe and cool our tempers.
“I don’t think it was anyone who scared her off. I met her on the balcony. She mentioned we wouldn’t see her after tonight. What I can’t seem to figure out is the game she is playing. Why come to the ball at all? She didn’t dance; she barely spoke with anyone. She just floated about the room. The sneaky little vixen was even putting hors d’oeuvres in her clutch, for heaven’s sake.”
“She said that we wouldn’t see her?” Grayer looks crushed. Grayer has never wanted to take a serious partner, let alone a wife. So, his looking devastated is a curious reaction.
“Maybe it’s for the best, brothers. It seems we all had our eyes on the little vixen. No good would have come of us fighting over who gets to take her as his wife,” Sylas says matter-of-factly.
We have shared women before. What can I say? A little voyeurism doesn’t hurt anybody. But sharing one bed partnerfor one night of passion differs from looking for a future wife who will become a future queen.
I take off my tailcoat and place it on the chair, getting comfortable to sit down on the couch. We are all sitting in silence, drinking our whiskeys, apparently all thinking of the enigma that was Carmella. Loosening my buttons on my dress shirt, my hand stills in shock as I notice a significant missing pendant.
“FUCK! Where is my glass heart!?” I jump up.
Sylas is the first to check for his heart, also missing. Both Grayer’s and Koi’s are missing, too.
“Even my pockets are empty, except for this weird black crystal ball. I had a few coins in there! What even is this little ball!?” Koi freaks out beside me.
I check my pockets and, sure enough, I also find a black crystal orb. It is translucent, yet seems to be filled with smoke. Or is it shadows? Then I spot the engraved “S.”
It all comes to me; it isn’t my first rodeo with conniving females. It’s why I can’t trust them. They are all liars. My blood boils. “Not sure why I hoped she was anything different,” I say under my breath before speaking to my brothers. “Well, boys,” I said with a dry, grating chuckle, “it looks like our duchess has sticky fingers.”
Sylas nods while inspecting the crystal. “It appears so,” is all he says as he takes another large sip of his whiskey. Finishing it up in one gulp. He pours another.
“There is no way! It’s not like she could have hidden anything in that tight little number she had on?” Grayer questions.
“She had a larger-than-normal clutch. Did she also touch you all at some point? On the chest or shoulder?”
We all nod to Sylas. “The little thief seemed to know exactly what to do. So this wasn’t her first time stealing. I think this little glass orb is her calling card.”
“Calling card? That seems like a bad idea. It would get a person sent straight to the Obsidian Isle if caught?” Koi ponders, still looking at the glass orb, brushing his thumb along the engraved ‘S.’
“The infamous hoodedArt Thief of Velorawould always leave a calling card of an engraved arrow, shot into the wall where their precious piece previously hung. It’s a shot to the ego, or perhaps a chance for the perpetrator to evoke fear,” I reply, recalling the elusive thief whom authorities never caught. He would steal precious art pieces from the rich, and if they wanted their priceless pieces back, they would have to either hand him gold coins or make a hefty donation to the folks down in Harsekeep—the poorer district of Eldor City.
“Fuck,” Koi says. The poor brute looks heartbroken while his half-brother Grayer is grinning like a maniac. I look at him and raise my eyebrow in question.
“She is a wicked little thing, isn’t she? I want to find her and make her mine. What a delectable little treat indeed.” Of course, the psychopath would find this a good quality in a woman.
Sylas shakes his head like a tired father. He has always been the unspoken leader of our group. Sure, it’s because he is a little older than us by a few years, but he has also always had the desire and natural ability to lead.
