Page 29 of A Dream of Stars and Curses

‘Will I be able to sense the Veiled like that?’

Kate said other Veiled can sense each other like Sunitha did, but I didn’t feel anything. Granted, I’m not Veiled, but since my super sight lets me see through their magic... I thought maybe I’d have this superpower, too. I’m disappointed and glad that I don’t—disappointed because it would have been neat, and glad because my sight already invades their privacy too much as it is.

Kate stands with me and slowly walks me to the door. ‘Perhaps? Right now, you have barely met anyone. Maybe, as your experiences with different Veiled grow, you’ll begin to pick up on subtle signs.’

I’m in absolutely no rush. If this is something that may or may not come with experience, I’m happy to let it surprise me.

Stepping out of her comfy house feels a little like I’m leaving a safe cave, and now the whole world opens up before me. I go home, hoping I’ve left enough time for Bonnie and Sunitha to talk.

But as soon as I unlock the door and step inside, that heavy feeling is back, and I wish I’d asked Kate to search the house after all.

I feel like a goddess in my dress. It arrived the day after I ordered it—I paid extra for next-day delivery because I didn’t want to risk it not turning up in time. It’s a gorgeous thing made of black lace and tiny glittering gemstones; I feel like I’m wearing the night itself when I put it on. It’s too beautiful for me. I’ve no idea when or if I’ll ever wear it again, but tonight, at least, I feel breathtaking.

I can’t begin to imagine what Leverett will think when he sees me in this. Possibly nothing, but... Even I can admit I look gorgeous tonight, and I’m not one to care about looks.

I really hope I’m not the only one who dressed up. To be on the safe side, I didn’t do anything special with my hair or make-up, so my hair is its usual messy bun—which looks oddly elegant with this dress, like this fabric will make anything look incredible—and my make-up is my usual foundation-and-eyeliner combo, the one I can throw on in roughly ten minutes before I need to go to work. Little effort.

No big deal.

But when there’s a knock on the door and I know it’s Leverett, it feels like a bloody massive deal.

He explained to me that many vampires don’t have cars since they can turn into fog and fly, so he’s taking my and Bonnie’s car to drive us to the party. The thought didn’t even cross my mind until he brought it up. How long is this drive? How awkward will it be? Me, sitting all made up next to him as he drives, pretending this is normal. Just me going to a Veiled party with a vampire. Nothing to be nervous about.

I wish my racing heart got the memo.

Lady bounces around me with her tail wagging when I open the door. I have to hold her back so she doesn’t throw herself at Leverett. What if he’s wearing a fancy suit he can’t get dirty? As far as I know, my dog’s paws are clean, but with the way my luck has been going she’ll drag a long smear of dirt down his legs, and then I’ll owe him a small fortune in cleaning bills. So I wrestle with my dog with one hand while I open the door with my other.

And that’s how I greet Leverett: awkwardly crouched over to keep my dog off him.

‘Hello, Es—’ I pretend his voice fails him because of how I look and not because he wasn’t expecting my dog. But then he chuckles, and the illusion dies. ‘And hello, Lady.’

My dog barks in greeting and, happy to have been acknowledged, waddles off into the living room, leaving me just a little bit breathless from the sudden change in energy and very unsure of what to say.

‘Now she leaves.’ It’s not elegant, but it buys me precious seconds to get my head on straight. I clear my throat and straighten. ‘Hey, Leverett.’

He didn’t go to the same effort I did, but somehow he still looks fancier than I do. Must be his hundreds of years of experience shining through. He’s dressed in all black—suit trousers, a casual shirt, and a jacket. It’s a simple outfit without making me feel overdressed, and he looks incredibly sexy in it.

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