It was becoming clear that they were not going to the party as “friends.”
Thea couldn’t say she was disappointed. Her heart thudded in her chest as Tristan took her hand and kept it, leading her through the crowd. It was just that she hadn’t expected it, and now that it was happening, she was flustered. And the little lady was not used to feeling flustered.
To avoid saying something stupid, Thea bit her tongue for the first several minutes, instead using her mouth to smile demurely. It was a good look on her. Her lips were painted a warm red, and above them the golden fox mask covered her face from cheek to forehead, surrounded on all sides by honey-colored curls. They were coming undone already, escaping in long tendrils from the decorative clips that were supposed to hold them, but the wilder look was more fitting with her costume. A lace collar encircled her neck, and the unusually low neckline of her rust-and-white gown was drawing stares from the young men they passed....and some not-so-young men. Their gazes made her feel bold, like she had a kind of magic power over their attention. But her smiles were not for them.
“I used to be,” she answered, in response to his questions about apple bobbing. “But I think this outfit will put me at an unfair disadvantage.” What she really meant was, I am absolutely not getting as soaked as that little boy, though she was surprised to find a small part of her was still intrigued by the childish game. Not as intrigued as she was by the sport Tristan presented her with, next, however.
Her smile turned sly as she watched him drink, then took a more ladylike sip of her own flask. If you could ever call drinking from a flask ladylike. Her face twisted briefly, unused to the strength of whatever was in that bottle, but she took another sip anyway before slipping the flask into the top of her corset with a wink. “No pockets,” she said casually, taking Tristan’s hand again as they walked back down the hill.
THUMP. Alethea turned, following Tristan’s gaze, and stifled a gasp. “Cal!” she exclaimed, releasing Tristan’s hand to offer help to the newest castle guard, “Are you alright?” It was a credit to her that her first instinct was not to laugh. She knew the Ker was having a rough time of her transition to life on Shaman, and did not want to add to her misfortune. Leto was beside her at once, helping push the red-headed woman to her feet. “Did buddy throw you, like a proper horse?” the wolf asked playfully, her smile showing a flash of teeth. It was an unsettling expression to those who did not know her.
Leto’s lips closed abruptly as a flash of green and blue streaked by, crashing into Tristan’s boots. All eyes turned from the fallen guard to the squirming waterfox, who was customarily energetic as she bounced around, greeting those gathered around her. The wolf answered her “brr” with an affectionate snort, bemused. “You have gotten bigger,” she commented, sniffing the creature’s mouth, which smelled very strongly of sugar and apple. “No less excitable, however.”
“Do you think Thoth is here?” Alethea asked generally, but directed her doubtful look to Tris. A party like this seemed...very unlike a think Thoth would do. But perhaps, in costume, he would go unrecognized? “We should find him.”
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