Chapter 9

I woketo the sound of my sister's screeching.

"Rowan! Wake up!" Ana's voice carried up the stairs.

I popped upright, the Menacing Menagerie long gone. Probably off to menace some trash bins. Hopefully not the one in Maximus's kitchen.

With bleary eyes, I stumbled out of bed as Ana strode into the room. Her blonde hair was pulled up high, and she was dressed in an evening gown of royal blue.

I blinked. "What the heck?"

She twirled. "I'm going to a ball!"

Bree walked in behind her, dressed in siren red with her hair pulled back in a complicated twist. "Me too."

"And we'll kick ass and take names." Ana grinned dangerously and drew a sword from the ether, twirling it for effect.

"You're going with me tonight?"

"Not with you. Beside you. You're after the witches and the prize. We're backup to make sure they don't mess with the guests or any other innocents. We'll just blend in with the crowd and monitor. Jude's orders."

"Blend with the crowd?" My gaze scanned them. They looked beautiful, but… "You guys still look like you're ready to throw down."

"That's because we're always ready to throw down. But those people don't know us. They'll just think we're awkward."

Awkward wasn't the word I'd use for them. They really did look beautiful. Insanely beautiful. Perfect dresses, makeup, hair, and all of that layered on top of kickass bodies. It was just that I also knew how deadly they were.

"You're right, I'm biased."

"Exactly." Ana waggled her brows. "And wait until you see Lachlan and Cade. Meeeow, can those two wear a tux."

Yeah, of course their boyfriends would look hot as hell in tuxes.

"I bet Maximus will clean up pretty nice." Bree gave an exaggerated leer.

I stifled a giggle, but couldn't hide the blush.

Ana's brows jumped. "Rowan! Spill."

"There's nothing to spill." Not yet, at least. I wanted to hold on to it for a little while longer. See if it went anywhere. "Why are you here?"

"To get you dressed!" Bree raised her arm, and only then did I notice the black bag slung over it. She held it out to me. "A dress for you."

"Maximus said he could have conjured one," Ana said. "But that it would have been ugly as a hound's backside. So we picked this out, and Hedy made a couple of modifications. You'll like them." She grinned knowingly.

I reached for the bag, my fingertips trembling just slightly.

We never dressed up, and to be honest, I didn't entirely hate the idea. Anticipation shivered through me as I unzipped the black plastic. Shimmering golden fabric fell out, waves upon waves of it.

"Oh my fates," I breathed. "It's beautiful"

It gleamed like gold, soft and silken, and I pulled it out. There was just so much of it.

"Wait!" Ana held out her hands. "You need to shower first."

I frowned, then sniffed myself. Yep. A shower was definitely in order. Quickly, excitement shivering through me, I hurried to the shower and jumped in. To my credit, I only thought about Maximus being naked in here twice.

Okay, maybe three times.

Four.

But I was clean and out in minutes. Ana and Bree stood in the doorway of the bathroom, oblivious to the idea of privacy.

"Hair first," Bree said.

"Is this a makeover?" I asked, suddenly nervous. "This seems like a makeover."

"Just going to polish you up some," Ana said. "You'll look fabulous."

"And wait until you see the special features on your dress," Bree said.

I nodded. It didn't take them long to do up my hair and makeup, though they wouldn't let me look in the mirror. When it finally came time for the dress, I was vibrating with anticipation.

It fit like a dream, smoothing down over my torso and falling in massive waves around my legs, all the way to the floor. Somehow, it was super light—I actually felt like I could run in it—but there was still a ton of fabric around my legs.

"It's a proper ball gown," I said.

Ana picked up a bag off a chair. My backup potion bomb bag. She plucked a bomb out of it and held it up, grinning. "And now it's time for the special features."

She dropped the bomb against my skirt, and it disappeared into a hidden pocket that was nestled amongst the waves of golden fabric. I couldn't feel the weight of it, but when I reached in, the bomb rose to my fingertips, as if propelled by magic.

My eyes widened, and I looked at Ana and Bree. "Oooh, a murder dress."

Ana and Bree grinned widely.

"It's been enchanted," Ana said. "You won't feel the weight of the potion bombs in the pockets, and they'll come to you easily when you reach your hand in."

"Wow." I took another bomb from her and dropped it in a pocket, then another. She was right. I couldn't feel them at all. "This is amazing."

I couldn't store potion bombs in the ether like I did with my sword because it was expensive and difficult to enchant an object that way. Sticking the electric sword in the ether had been worth the expense, but it was too difficult and pricey to do it with potion bombs that were one-time-use items.

But this dress…

"Holy fates, this thing is amazing." I'd filled all the pockets, and it still looked like a normal dress. No, scratch that. It looked like a fabulous dress.

I moved to the full-length mirror on the door and got my first good look. My jaw nearly dropped.

Yep. It was a fabulous dress. And I looked fabulous in it. Beautiful and mysterious and dangerous. My hair was swept back and my eyes done up in shimmery gray shadow.

Even better, I was deadly in this thing.

Bree stepped forward, my favorite flat-heeled black boots in her hands. "Even better, you can wear these with it. The skirt will cover them. And then you'll be ready to run for it when you need to."

Grinning, I took the boots. "Practical and comfortable."

As much as I admired high heels in shop windows, actually wearing them—especially on a job like this—was a death wish. I tugged on the boots and stood, swishing in front of the mirror. No matter how I moved, I couldn't see the boots.

"The dress is even supposed to be easy to run in," Bree said. "Ours are enchanted too. We tried and it's great."

Ana and Bree tugged up their ball gowns to show that they were also wearing boots. I smiled at them, pretty sure that this might be the best moment of my life.

"Thanks guys." I hugged them both.

"Got your back, sis," Ana said.

"Always," Bree added.

On the windowsill, the Menacing Menagerie sat, grinning widely. They might not have made the dress, but they seemed to like it. I waved at them, feeling a bit like Cinderella myself. Fortunately, their promise to make me a dress had been a joke.

My sisters and I climbed down the stairs to the main living area. I spotted Maximus first. Tall and handsome, he wore a perfectly fitted black tux. And holy fates, did he look good.

So good that I hardly even noticed Cade and Lachlan, who also looked pretty fantastic once I spotted them. I only had eyes for Maximus, though.

As soon as he saw me descending the stairs, he stopped.

His brows rose and his eyes flickered.

I glided toward him and stopped a few feet away.

"You look beautiful." His voice was rough.

I blushed, then wished I hadn't. Awkwardness made me step back. "So do you. Look good, I mean." Oh my god, idiot. "Ready to kick ass?"

He grinned. "Always."

Bree, Ana, Cade, and Lachlan took separate vehicles to the ball, while Maximus and I got into a big old limo that looked like a carefully preserved relic from a more glamorous era. The wisps swooped about as we climbed in.

"Wow." I slid in over the soft leather seat, marveling at how my dress moved so smoothly, never getting caught on anything and never tangling around my feet.

"I thought we'd do it up right." A sexy smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Not every day we go to a ball."

"I like how you think."

"And if we provide good entertainment for the Intermagic Games, the Order of the Magica may cut you a bit of slack."

I smiled. "It's all about perception, and even little things can twist someone's perspective."

"Exactly."

We rode along in silence for the rest of the way, each of us shooting an occasional glance at the other. Once in a while, I spotted white wisps through the window, keeping track of our progress for the viewing audience. I shifted, suddenly feeling awkward.

I was enjoying the adventure part of this whole thing—even the deadly bits—but I did not like being on TV. Or whatever the magical equivalent was.

By the time the limo pulled up outside of the palace, the sun had fully set. The driver opened the door, and Maximus helped me out. It was all for show, though. Not that he didn't have the manners, but I didn't need help. My dress almost helped me move. Never getting in the way, never a burden.

It was fantastic. Maybe my new thing would be fighting in ball gowns.

I grinned at the idea and took in the palace. It was fantastic. Situated right in the supernatural district of London, it rose five stories high, towers and turrets reaching toward the stars. It was a relic that had somehow survived the WWII bombing that had destroyed much of London. The white stone gleamed in the light, along with the pale gray tile on the roofs. Hundreds of windows glittered with lights from within. Swirling, colorful ball gowns passed by them.

Night-blooming roses lined the path up to the massive, sweeping front stairs, giving the place the most amazing scent. Fairy lights glittered in the trees—real fairy lights, since this was where magic could be out in the open—and gave the place a truly magical air.

Not just the magic that we all used day to day. But the fairytale magic that humans talked about. The romance and glitter and feeling that anything could happen.

I blinked, suddenly feeling like maybe I was actually Cinderella.

My gaze went to Maximus. My prince.

Heat rose in my cheeks. Not just because of Maximus, but because that thought was totally insane. I was here to kick ass and take names. To save the day. Just because I'd spent so much of my life locked up that I was now in a fantasy land over every little thing didn't mean that it was a good idea.

I shook the thought away and focused on the job at hand. My gaze snagged on four figures slipping through the grand doors. My sisters and their men. Good. They were here.

I searched the crowd then, my eyes widening slightly at the sheer number. When we'd first arrived, I'd only had eyes for the fairy-tale magic of this place.

Now?

Holy fates. Now, I was noticing all the dangerous supernaturals. Cinderella's prince sure had some iffy friends. There were supernaturals of all varieties—witches, fae, vampires, shifters, mages—and most of them were really freaking powerful. They wore their magic like they wore their finery. Out and loud. Signatures collided in the air, scents and sounds and feelings. Some of it was good, some of it bad.

All of it was strong.

I slowed my breathing and tried to get control of my magic. No reason to flaunt it like these morons. They were like a bunch of freaking roosters, strutting around.

Maximus also kept his magic under wraps. He let the scent of cedar and the taste of whiskey run free, and I had to admit to enjoying it. But the rest of it, he hid.

He looked at me and held out an arm. I took it, unable to conceal the little grin of pleasure. I might be here to win, and stop the bad guys, but I was going to enjoy doing it.

Together, we made our way to the main steps, ascending in unison. As we entered the foyer, the white wisps flitted around our heads. No one seemed to notice or care. Or maybe they couldn't see them.

We entered the main ballroom at an upper balcony that encircled the entire dance floor, hovering twenty feet above the revelers. The arched ceiling overhead was painted with gold and hung with dozens of chandeliers. Instead of candles, more fairy lights flitted around the crystal and gold.

Between the sheer magical opulence and the dangerous nature of the partiers, it almost made my head spin.

"Do you have any idea what Cinderella looks like?" Maximus asked.

I shook my head. "Not really. Glass slippers, though. She'll be the only one wearing those."

We leaned over the balcony railing, searching below for a woman in glittering glass shoes. The dancers swept around each other, somehow all moving in unison in some kind of waltz or other old-fashioned dance. The band was made up of men and women wearing tall white wigs, curls piled high. Florian, the ghost librarian, would fit right in here.

"I don't see her," I said.

"Let's dance. Get a better view."

I nodded, my heart skipping a beat at the idea of dancing. We descended the wide staircase into the party below, and I felt like I was in a historical romance novel. I was all for this. Especially since I got to wear my boots and carry my potions.

When we reached the bottom, Maximus swept me into a spin that took my breath away. We twirled around the dance floor, not once stepping on each other's feet.

I laughed. "How did you learn to dance like this?"

"Movies. And dancing is a lot like fighting. At least, fighting well." He grinned, so devastatingly handsome that I couldn't look away.

And he had a point. Fighting well took grace and timing and skill.

I blinked, suddenly realizing that I really wasn't doing my job. How embarrassing would it be to lose the competition because I was distracted by a pretty dress and dancing? I shook my head slightly and began to search the crowd, my gaze dropping down to feet whenever I got a chance.

Skillfully, Maximus took us on a loop around the dance floor that twirled us by most of the other revelers, giving me a good view of many pairs of feet. We were near the edge when I thought I caught a flash of something sparkling and clear near the ground.

"Over there," I whispered. "Near the blonde woman and big man. He's definitely some kind of reptile shifter."

I couldn't see her face, not that it would necessarily tell me what kind of supernatural she was. But it might. The man obviously turned into something scaly, from the look of the slight green cast to his skin and the narrow pupils in his eyes.

Maximus expertly moved us into position near them, and I leaned over, trying to get a peek at her shoes. What was Cinderella doing anyway, dancing with a snake shifter?

I was so preoccupied trying to get a look at her shoes that I lost the lead Maximus had created and bumped into the woman. She hissed and turned, her narrowed eyes as snakey and reptilian as her date's.

"What are you doing?" Her words were liberally coated in venom, and I was worried that she might spit some of the actual stuff at me.

"So sorry." I tried to pull away, but she leaned closer, clearly pissed.

"I'm enjoying my time here, and you just bumped into me?" Red started to combine with the green tinge to her skin, and I frowned.

Was she on something? She was more pissed than she should be.

"Why, I ought to—" She pulled her hand away from her date's and raised it, claws glinting in the light.

"Jeez, lady, chill out." The last thing I needed was a scene with some nut job on party drugs.

She hissed again.

Yep, this was going south fast, and for no apparent reason. Except that it made for good viewing, and maybe she was a plant on behalf of the Intermagic Games. It'd be pretty damned hard to get Cinderella's slipper if I was kicked out of the ball.

Quickly, I shoved my hand into one of my dress pockets, hoping I'd chosen the right one. When the little spray bottle rose to meet my fingertips, I grinned and gripped it.

"What are you smiling about?" She leaned close, her eyes crazy.

I yanked the bottle out of my pocket and sprayed her in the face with an opalescent liquid.

Her eyes fluttered half closed, and she smiled as her gaze fogged over.

I turned back to Maximus. "Let's go."

"Hey! What'd you do to my date?" The snake man's voice followed us as we drifted away.

I leaned back and spritzed him, too, watching as his eyes drifted down and his lips turned up in a happy, vacant smile.

Maximus twirled us away, dancing expertly through the crowd. My heartbeat began to slow as we put distance between us and the crazy serpent shifters. Mini crisis averted.

"What did you do to them?" Maximus asked.

"Forgetfulness potion. A bit like what we used on the guard in Switzerland, but in aerosol form. It'll only last a few minutes, but she won't remember us. Neither will her date."

"Good thinking. Getting kicked out would slow us down."

"My thoughts exactly." I searched the crowd, spotting my sisters positioned on either side of the room, their gazes sweeping the crowd, looking for the witches. "Let's do one more circuit, then search smaller rooms."

We didn't find Cinderella or any of our competitors on our last turn around the dance floor, though I did enjoy it. By the time we stopped, my cheeks were flushed and my breathing quick.

"There's a lot more space in this palace," Maximus said. "They could have snuck off to another room, or perhaps be on the grounds."

Just the idea of how much space there was left to cover made me cringe. I looked up at the balcony, turning to inspect the whole thing. On the far side, I caught sight of another flash of clear crystal near the ground. A woman's shoe as she stepped away from the railing.

"Come on!" I grabbed Maximus's hand and pulled him to the stairs.

"Not so fast," he murmured.

I slowed, just a bit, taking it down a notch from an all-out run. He had a point. Part of this challenge was not getting kicked out, and pushing people aside as you sprinted through the crowd was definitely bad form.

We made our way up the stairs as quickly as we could, then over to the room where the woman must have gone. A fancy sign indicated that there were refreshments inside.

Maximus and I ducked inside a fairly large room that was dotted with couches and lined by bookshelves. Food tables lined the edges of the walls. By the time I reached the center of the room, it was clear that something was up.

Fist, the lady with the shoes wasn't here.

There were four figures, though, scattered around the edges of the room but ignoring the tables full of canapés and champagne. They turned to face me.

Two fae and two shifters.

The door clicked shut behind us, and a lock turned.

"Well, crap." I looked at Maximus. "These morons are ambushing us."