Page 32 of Wolf Queen Ruin
Marcel’s hand caught mine before I could step away.“A word of caution, Ms.Rookwood.The Shadow Fang has a complicated history.Those who seek it rarely find what they expect.”
My blood chilled.He’d just confirmed he knew exactly what we were after.
“Shadow Fang?”I yanked my hand away from him.“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Of course not.”He grinned, one too full of teeth.“Give Damien my regards.And do remind him that some cures are worse than the disease they claim to treat.”
With that cryptic warning, he melted into the crowd, leaving me unsettled and my stomach tied in knots.I made my way toward Damien, who had extricated himself from Vivienne and was now speaking with one of Selene’s assistants near the central platform.
As I approached, his expression shifted, a softening that felt starkly different from the cold politeness he’d been showing Vivienne.
“There you are, honeybuns,” I said with genuine relief, sliding my arm through his.“Did you register us for a viewing?”
“Just completed the arrangements,” he replied, his thumb brushing a small circle against my arm.“Selene has graciously agreed to allow us a private examination of several pieces, including the cartographic artifact.”
The assistant—a slender being whose features changed every few seconds—made a note on a tablet of what appeared to be thin crystal.“Madame Selene will receive you in the Meridian Room in thirty minutes.Please be prompt.Her schedule is quite full this evening.”
“We appreciate her consideration,” Damien said.
As the assistant glided away, I leaned closer, speaking quietly enough that only Damien could hear.“Marcel knows about the Shadow Fang.And he knows that we know about it too.”
Damien’s expression remained pleasant for any watching eyes, but the rigid line of his shoulders conveyed tension.“I see.”
“Does Vivienne know anything?Because she and Marcel seem chummy.”
“We’re doing fine,” he deflected, not at all answering my question.“For now, we should focus on our meeting with Selene.She’s no fool.She’ll be watching for any signs of ulterior motives.”
“So we stick to our cover story?Scholarly interest in ancient cartography?”
He nodded.“The closer we stay to the truth, the better.You do have expertise in authenticating artifacts, and I am genuinely interested in the First Convergence period.”
“And when we examine the map?”
“We’ll need to memorize as much detail as possible,” Damien said, scanning the room.“Selene won’t allow photographs or sketches of her most valuable pieces.”
Great.So our entire mission depended on our ability to memorize an ancient magical map during what would likely be a brief, supervised examination.And if we memorized it wrong, well, at least I looked pretty, so the evening wasn’t a total waste.
“So what’s the plan until our meeting?”I asked.“Should we continue circulating?Maintain our cover?”
“Actually,” Damien said, his hand finding the small of my back with now familiar ease, “I believe another dance would be appropriate.The temporary enhancement from the moonpeach should be fading.Another dose before our meeting with Selene might be advantageous.”
I raised an eyebrow.“You really are drugging me for better performance.”
“I’m merely suggesting we utilize available resources to optimize our chances of success,” he corrected, the corners of his eyes crinkling.“But I must admit that watching you experience moonpeaches for the first time is…unexpectedly entertaining.”
I tried not to roll my eyes, but it was really, really hard.“Lead the way to the magical performance-enhancing peaches, but if I start turning blue or sprouting extra limbs because I ate too much, I’m holding you personally responsible.”
A genuine laugh escaped him, low and rich.“The things that come out of that mouth always surprise me.”
I grinned up at him.Did that mean he’d been laser-focused on my mouth all evening?
We crossed toward the nearest table.My senses, already heightened from the first moonpeach and all the enhanced champagne, sharpened further.Colors intensified.The midnight-blue floor now rippled with starlight, and the multi-colored masks throughout the ballroom gleamed like captured rainbows and moonbeams.
The music transformed from sound into something I could almost see, like ribbons of melody weaving through the air, twining around dancers in iridescent patterns.
“Is it supposed to feel this intense?”I murmured.
Damien’s hand settled at my waist, the coolness of his touch somehow more pronounced than before.I could feel each individual finger through the fabric of my dress, five distinct points of contact that sent little sparks of awareness across my skin.
