Laurel

2:39 Sky

I had enjoyed more than one fantasy of taking Laurel to a ball since she had claimed me as her mate. I had read more romance novels than I wanted to admit and had always imagined attending a ball, especially with a lover on your arm, would be a night of wonder and passion and the magic only possible between lovers.

No one told me dress shirts were impossibly stiff, with collars worse than any choke hold I experienced. The bow tie felt like it was going to strangle me at any moment, the cumber brunt thing Brydel had fixed around my waist made me want to stand like I was being racked in a torture room, and not how Laurel said it would be in her 'playroom'. The shoes pinched my feet and were too firm for me to get a feel of the ground underneath me. The leather soles too smooth and slippery and I hated it. I longed for my soft tunics and roomy leggings. These clothes were even less comfortable than Wyrm scale armor to wear. Then my eyes caught Laurel's and the dreamy look in her eyes as she tried to be subtle as she checked out my body under the outfit. It all felt worth it. All my complaints vanishing into the air.

Delia was a perfect vision. Her and Brydel looked made for each other and would be excellent as subtle spies, blending in better than Auris, myself or Laurel could. I was one of a kind on this plane, Auris was a legend out of time, and anyone with any magic would sense Laurel and be drawn to her. I was glad Brydel and Delia would be less noticeable in a crowd. We might need any advantage possible tonight. At least I could rest easy now that Laurel had put protection spells on all of us, and opened a communication channel for all of us. Even separated, we were tied tightly together. Now to just get through the night safely, find Titania and try and gain favor. Simple as far as missions went. I felt like I had swallowed bricks of cave crab dung. I took a deep breath as we prepared for our entrance.

Laurel and Auris entered the room first arm in arm, making a very flashy attention getting couple as they entered together. Auris was practically preening like a peacock in his strange choice for formal wear. He did look good, and there was certainly no one else dressed like him this evening. Laurel's ethereal gown was breathtaking, especially when she was walking and it floated around her body while trailing in an ever shifting cloud behind her. I entered quietly, the claim marks would let those who knew how our family worked, I was hoping we could separate and gain more information, rather than stay together in a larger, more intimidating group.

I would float between the two "couples" while also leaving myself open for interested persons to come to me. Auris was probably the last Fae alive to naturally come across one of my kind before. Aside from the Unicorn, who never moved from her safe haven. Some would shun me based on the prejudice to my kind, others would be drawn just to say they saw me. A stamp on the unique creature card, like how finding bugs, moss, and water that would glow in the Sunless world with only their own natural bioluminescence, were some of my only positive memories from that first life. Strange and unique beings always attract attention. Not always good attention though.

I had only ever read about sharks. Giant cold blooded killers endlessly swimming in the ocean with jaws full of rows and rows of razor teeth, how they circled their prey, studying them before going for a killing strike. As I made my way through the room, staying nearby to my family, I felt like I now understood how it would feel to swim among sharks. With blood in the water. Brydel and Delia were doing gloriously, a delegate from most of the major shifter groups had approached them, and were working slowly through all the required polite small talk.

I watched Delia, she had the warmest smile I had ever seen, I knew she was putting on a show, doing her part to work the crowds with Brydel. I was jealous of her warm looks, kind eyes, and frequent touches with the crowd they had under their thrall. By how the others were subtly tilting their heads while Brydel spoke, I gathered he was the most powerful alpha in the mix. Or they sensed his connection to the most power in the room. Either way, they were all showing more than enough respect for me to worry a little less for the Alpha and Luna of our group.