Women wore silk gowns with skirts that folded onto the ground. Some wore headbands on their braided hair. Others attached flowers to their smoothly parted one. Some even chose to tie a ribbon around the ponytail they expertly asked their servants to make for them.

Some giggled and laughed. Couples were busy waltzing in the middle of the ballroom while musicians expertly led them with an upbeat tune. There were others, though, that sat by the numerous tables that offered free drinks and watched the show, sullen, or bored.

Servants swarmed around the guests. They flied from one busy group to another, refilling their cups or offering refreshments. Osgar was excitedly chatting with a tall lady whose chest almost exploded out of her tight girdle. She was wearing an expensive looking necklace, whose diamonds shone brighter than the crystal chandeliers above us.

I was standing near the balcony, not in the mood to enjoy empty pleasantries. Elsa's servants dressed me in a double breasted crimson vest on top of a plain white s.h.i.+rt. I wore black trousers with s.h.i.+ny black leather shoes. They also tied a black cape around my neck which extended toward my legs. To top it all, they advised me to wear a mask that concealed half my face, the part where I had an empty socket for an eye.

"You look nice," Elsa said as she stood right next to me.

I didn't notice her approach me. I turned to look at her and failed to recognize the lady that had just kicked my a.s.s. She was wearing a black dress that extended to the floor. Her red girdle greatly emphasized her b.r.e.a.s.t.s and waistline. She wore s.h.i.+ny gold bracelets around her forearms. Emerald earrings hung on her ears, visible because of how she tied her hair in a bun behind her neck.

Her eyes looked at me with such fierceness I thought she was about to jump at me right there and then.  Her visible neck made her look vulnerable, feminine, and highly attractive. I noticed a simple necklace lying atop her soft b.r.e.a.s.t.s. It looked like a family heirloom. It had a creature carved into a golden round pendant. I couldn't tell what creature it was from where I stood though.

"And you look like royalty," I said, forcing a smile.

"You don't smile much, do you?" the baroness said after a light chuckle.

"I'm not used to this…" I said, jerking my head toward the mult.i.tude of guests, exchanging pleasantries, laughing out loud, drinking and raising toasts every now and then.

"It will be over before you know it," Elsa said with a warm, kind smile. "Just try to mingle. When I give my speech about my champion winning the Blitz, you make your way out and follow me."

"Mind if I just stand around here, in silence?" I asked, wincing.

"That won't do," Elsa said. I was too busy staring at her bosom to notice her frowning. "You'd attract too much attention by standing around like a hired a.s.sa.s.sin," she went on. "Go talk to to your friend, he might introduce you to some lovely, h.o.r.n.y ladies. Trust me, they're only here for the orgy, they won't care what you tell them as long as you don't mention your l.u.s.t for blood."

"I look like an evil overlord folk love talking about so much," I scoffed then said.

Elsa let out a soft chuckle then looked at the crowd. "If they ask about your mask, say that it's to hide a scar you got from battle. That'll stir them up. Just don't come looking for me, I only speak to my guests once."

I nodded.

"Now if you'd excuse me," she said, giving me a big, ceremonious smile, "I have other guests to attend to. Have a good one out there, Zedd Darkstar."

As soon as she left, the lady with whom Osgar was talking pointed at me. Osgar beamed, pulled the lady by the hand then brought her to me.

"Lady Hartwell," Osgar told the woman as soon as they reached me, "allow me to introduce my dear friend, Zedd Darkstar."

"A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Lady Hartwell," I said. Jory's lessons came in handy when it was about being polite and diplomatic.

The lady extended her gloved hand toward me, looking at me expectantly. I took her hand and gently kissed her knuckles. The woman chuckled then. Her eyes darted from my s.h.i.+ny black shoes to my mask and pomaded hair.

"Why do you hide your face behind a mask, Mr. Darkstar?" she asked.

I told her about my scars– which had disappeared but who was looking anyway? – then she got suddenly very interested in my adventures. She spoke to me as though my mask was one of the most interesting topics of conversation this entire night.

We spoke more about battle and facing danger in the battlefield, after which I excused myself and headed for the opposite side of the room. Osgar followed me there, despite my best efforts to shake him off in the crowd.

"What did she want from you?" he whispered as soon as he caught up to me.

"Probably looking for a mysterious man to hook up with once the crazed s.e.x begins," I said.

"Wasn't talking about her," Osgar said, sounding a little hurt.

"Hold your horses, I'm not interested in the orgy," I said.

"Then why did you dress for the occasion?" he asked, his voice a little loud. "You look like those mysterious rich men who go on a self discovery voyage. You obviously want to horde all the women for yourself."

"I didn't have a choice," I hissed at him. "I was dressed by that crazy b.i.t.c.h's servants."

"So she does want something from you," Osgar said, excited.

"Not here," I hissed at him. "I'll tell you when this is all over."

Osgar grinned stupidly then pulled me aside. "So we're allowed to stay for the rest of the feast?"

I nodded. Osgar's smile widened. He looked like a child who was allowed to go to the carnival and enter the adult shows he was always forbidden from watching. He threw his arm around my shoulders and looked around the room.

"So which one strikes your fancy?" he asked, still grinning from ear to ear.

I brushed Osgar's arm away then looked at him, scowling. "You go find yourself a woman or two," I said. "I have no interest in what comes after the baroness's speech."

Osgar's smile disappeared. "You're no fun, Zedd Darkstar. If it doesn't include summoning demons to wreak havoc, or evil lords hiding the only means for us to get out of here, you don't get involved, do you?"

"What did you say?" I asked. My eye suddenly narrowed to a slit.

"That you're no fun," Osgar said defiantly.

"Not that part," I said. "The part about our only way out of here, what is that about?"

"Oh," Osgar's eyes widened. His jaw dropped, but he recollected himself quickly. "Ah, nothing," he said, dismissively. "I was just adding it to make a point."

"Why do I have a feeling that you're hiding something, Osgar Murkwaters?"

"Me?" Osgar said, pointing at himself stupidly. "I'm just a petty thief and an amateur bounty hunter. I got nothing to hide but my failures and neverending shame."

We heard the soft tingling of a spoon hitting a gla.s.s then. Music stopped, and the baroness made her way to the middle of the ballroom. Her gaze travelled through the entire place, landing on some then nodding, fleetingly smiling at others. The audience slowly quieted down, and everyone turned to look at the hostess.

"Welcome," Elsa said, her voice gently traveling to the back of the circle people have made around her. I stood in the back, waiting for the signal to move.

"How does she always look so ravis.h.i.+ng?" a woman in front of me whispered to her friend. They both had their hair tied in a bun behind their neck, in the same fas.h.i.+on as the baroness. They also wore the same type of dress, albeit with lower quality in the fabric and the embroidery on the girdles and the sleeves.

"I hear she has connections to the underworld," the other whispered back. "They provide her with youth potions. I hear they use virgin blood mixed with unicorn tails."

"Nonsense," her friend answered. "Unicorns don't exist!"

"How would you know?" the other shot at her. "It's not like your husband can work hard enough to get you a token to the underground market."

Their conversation extended toward beauty tips and how the baroness sacrificed virgins by herself to bathe in their blood. What women did for beauty… I never understood their obsession with clear and flawless skin. All they needed to do was show a bit of skin and compliment a man.

My eye drifted into the audience. The baroness was still speaking about the Wolf-Fights and her recent victory at the Blitz. I noticed someone at the back of the line, a girl with short, curly hair. She wore a plain dark green tunic with long sleeves. She stood out because of her attire that didn't belong in a feast like this one.

No one seemed to notice her beside me though. Women in the ball were very critical of each other's attire, yet none of them turned to look at her. She seemed very interested in the baroness's speech. Or perhaps she was interested in the baroness, period. Something about her appearance seemed familiar. I turned to Osgar who was still standing next to me.

"Have you seen that girl before?" I asked, jerking my head toward her.

"Who?" Osgar asked. "There are too many."

"The one with the simple green tunic," I said. "Short hair, wide eyes."

"I don't see anyone with that description there," Osgar said then shrugged.

I turned to look at the place where she last stood. She had disappeared from sight. My heart began pounding against my chest then. Something was about to happen, I could feel it. I started shoving people aside, making my way toward the baroness.

I've seen that girl before, I knew it. I just couldn't remember her. People protested as I pushed them to go forward, but I ignored them.

With the corner of my eye, I noticed the girl approaching the baroness from her right. I had to make sure I kept my eye on her, lest she disappeared again. Her short hair and plain appearance reminded me of someone I'd met just recently, someone who has no difficulty blending in with crowds.

"Watch where you're going!" a woman's sharp complaint pierced my eardrums.

I winced and looked at the woman to apologize then immediately turned to keep an eye on my target. She disappeared once more, leaving me standing in the middle of a crowded circle, trying to find her again. My eye darted in all directions. I was taller than most, so I had no difficulty looking over their shoulders for my target. Yet, she was nowhere to be seen. Even if I activated my senses, I didn't know her particular signature. I wouldn't be able to pinpoint her on time.

The baroness's eyes landed on mine after the commotion I created. I had an idea just then. I reached out to her mind and felt heavy psionic resistance. I nodded at her, and she understood.

'What is it?' she asked.

'Someone's after you,' I replied. 'Get out of there, right now!'

Elsa seemed to understand the urgency. She clapped her hands and asked for the night's most expected event to start. As soon as she finished, she made to exit he circle. I saw the girl then. She was ten paces away from Elsa, closer than I was.

I noticed the knife she'd drawn from under her sleeves. I saw her flick it toward the baroness. There was no time to warn her about the imminent danger. I had to act then try to capture the girl later.

"Stop!" I said.