My 3 Contract Lovers

[3]

[Bianca]

“O.M.G!” Casey screeched when she spotted me coming out of the apartment building. She was dressed in a plain blue full-length dress with thin straps and her hair had been done similarly to mine.

“I could say the same,” I muttered shyly as I pulled at the ends of the dress I wore. I had to admit the heels did give me some confidence, but not much. Milly’s words of the red-heeled monstrosities that it would be my signature thing didn’t do much.

“Aw, thanks, come on, we don’t want to be late,” she said as she turned back to the car and climbed into the back. I joined her and eyed the driver. “Don’t worry,” she whispered, but I was worried. The horror stories surrounding taxis was what made them almost extinct. Those that still dared to drive in a taxi knew that it was a risk.

“Have fun and good luck,” Milly called out before I slammed the car door closed. Vivian had a smirk on her face, and I was still feeling sick to my stomach.

“So, are you excited?” Casey asked as the driver pulled away from the curb.

“I’m not sure…” I admitted. A part of me was excited, but it had nothing to do with the ball itself. I was excited to be dressed up, I was excited to get out of the slums of Ethis. However, I kept that to myself as Casey started talking about how she hoped this would turn out great for both of us. Although her knowledge about the immortals was somewhat more extensive than mine, no one truly knew what happened at these balls and no one spoke about their contracts. Strange is what it was, but as the driver turned off onto the highway that would lead to the bridge, my anxiety decided now was a good time to kick in. I kept my eyes on the scenery as I tuned out Casey’s ramblings. It was just after half passed five and the sun had already started to set. The sky was still a clear blue but the tinges of pink and yellow made it look magnificent. I took a deep breath and I mentally counted down as I listened to the sounds around me. The hum of the engine, the droning of Casey’s voice. The soft beat that played from the radio. Even the sound of the tires on the road. I felt the panic slowly ease up, only to be snapped back into place by Casey’s shrilling scream.

“There it is!” she exclaimed, and I opened my eyes to see the city of Ethine in front of us and it took my breath away. Highrise buildings that stood tall and proud. It was completely different from Ethis and as we entered the city, the first thing I noticed was how clean it was. The road didn’t have any litter. Although I spotted a few people, the amount of cars on the road was insane. Not only that, but the type of cars. Luxurious and stylish. I felt uncomfortable but yet, that excitement bubbled up as I took in as much as I could. According to the invitation, the ball was to be held at the luxury hotel in Ethine. How many hotels were there? And how were we to know which one? However, the driver seemed to know exactly where to take us, and we seemed to be going higher and higher. It was strange and yet, that excitement remained. Even Casey was silent as she stared out of her window. The driver turned and ahead of us was a building that looked like something out of a fairy tale. I missed the sign as my eyes were glued on the castle. It stood tall and proud but there was so much to look at that I felt the start of a headache as I tried to calm myself down. The driver stopped behind a car, and I wasn’t sure what to do next. Was I expected to pay? I hadn’t made any type of arrangements. All Casey had said was that she would pick me up at quarter past five. I glanced over at her and while she seemed calm, I noticed she was rubbing her hands on her dress.

“Casey?” I whispered and the sound of my voice seemed to snap her out of it as she turned to me and smiled. I inclined my head toward the driver, and she quickly grabbed for the small purse. She pulled out a hundred and handed it over.

“Pick-up time?” the driver asked, and I shuddered at the thought, but Casey was already opening her door and I did the same.

“Not necessary,” I heard her say before she closed her door. I eyed her suspiciously but she was staring at the castle. I closed the door and hurried around to stand by her side.

“Amazing,” I murmured as I looked around. “It looks like a castle,” I added, while Casey giggled.

“It’s not a castle, silly. It’s a mansion,” she corrected, and I wanted to stay outside and take it all in, but she had other ideas as she grabbed onto my arm. “Come on, let’s go,” we started up the steps and a tall man dressed in a black suit greeted us as he held out his hand. Casey dug around in her purse and pulled out her invitation and I quickly did the same. The little red purse matched the shoes and, according to Milly, it completed the outfit. The invitations were taken and set aside on a small table I hadn’t even noticed, and the man stepped aside.

“Welcome,” he said as we passed, but I was blown away by the foyer. It was large and grand in its size with pearly white tiles that shone under the chandelier that hung from the ceiling. The golden walls oozed luxury and the other guests seemed to be mingling around. I couldn’t help but notice that all the men were dressed in similar black suits while the ladies all wore long flowing dresses. I suddenly felt self-conscious about the dress I wore but no one seemed to pay any attention to me.

“Welcome,” someone said, and I turned to see a woman dressed in a fancy waitress outfit and she held out a tray with something in a fancy-looking glass. This whole place was fancy. Casey immediately accepted a drink, but I politely declined. “The ball will start soon,” she said before she left, and while Casey sipped at the drink, I felt those nerves come rushing back.

“Are we going to dance?” I quietly asked, but Casey shrugged. I had a feeling she didn’t know, so we simply stood around waiting for the ball to start. I heard some announcements and suddenly everyone was being led into another room. I could see the grand doors were open and I suddenly felt like we were being led to our deaths. It was silly, but I couldn’t help but drag behind.

“Come on,” Casey hissed out as I pulled out of her grasp. She rolled her eyes and forged ahead as the room came into view. It was larger than the foyer and there were round tables set up around the room. The same pearly white tiled floors greeted me but the walls looked like glass. Mirrored glass and that made me feel extremely uncomfortable. I managed to spot Casey up ahead and suddenly being apart from her was a bad idea, so I hurried to catch up and joined her at one of the many tables.

“Welcome everyone,” a loud voice said, and I flinched at the sound as I looked around. Finally, my eyes landed on a woman standing on a stage. She was dressed in an elegant black gown that seemed to simmer with every move she made. “Sorry to have kept you waiting,” she added, and I frowned. What time was it? How long had we been waiting around? “For many of you, this is your first time attending our Consort ball, and I would like to wish you a warm welcome,” how strange, some of these people had done this before? “So, for those that have attended these events before, please be patient as we explain everything,” I glanced at Casey, who was staring at the woman on stage. She must have felt my eyes on her as she turned to me and smiled.

“Exciting, huh?” she whispered before she turned away. I, too, looked back at the woman on stage as I waited for her to explain things. This was weird, this whole thing was weird and suddenly I wished I hadn’t even considered coming here. What if something happened to me? What if I wouldn’t get to see my mother again? Regret and guilt cut through me so strongly that I felt faint and lightheaded.

“Here,” I lazily looked to my left and a man held out what looked like a glass of water. I wasn’t about to accept it, but he pointed at the large glass jug on the table and I decided it was safe.

“Thanks,” I managed to say as I grabbed the glass and gulped down the cool liquid. It helped bring me back and I focused on what the woman was saying.

“The immortals are watching and, even now, they are making their choice,” what? “They will not be joining us tonight, and I know that they would normally do so, however,” she paused for a moment, and I frowned. “However, many of them have other engagements that clashed with tonight so…that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy the evening,” suddenly she left the stage and I was beyond confused.

“Well, that sucks,” Casey muttered.

“What?”

“Usually the immortals will join us,” the man next to me said. “They mingle and may even sign their contracts,”

“Huh?”

“I take it, this is your first time?”

“Yes, for both of us,” Casey answered, and I glanced between the two of them as I tried to – once again – wrap my head around this whole thing.

“Well, as Sonya explained, or didn’t…” he rolled his eyes and I felt myself smile. “They have other engagements so…I’m guessing that another hotel put on a ball,”

“Why?” I asked, and now I was even more confused. “I thought…I mean, isn’t it just us?” I wasn’t even sure what I was asking, but the man seemed to understand as he shook his head.

“No, we are a mix from Ethis and Ethine. Our other neighbors, Mendore and Bailey are also holding their ball tonight,”

“On the same night?” someone else said, and I looked over to see three other people staring at the man next to me.

“I know, apparently there was a mix-up with the dates and by the time they realized it, the invitations had already been sent out,” he went on to explain.

“While they join them, then?” I asked and he nodded.

“Yes, but they won’t mingle. One thing you will learn about the immortals is that they are always fair,” I nodded, even though none of that made any sense to me. I wasn’t even sure what the hell was going on anymore and all of this suddenly felt like a weird dream. One that I wished I would wake up from. The first course was announced and set before us, and I gazed down at the plate in front of me. I wasn’t sure what it was, but it tasted rich and amazing. The chatter around the table was lively, even though I couldn’t bring myself to join in. I wanted this night to end as quickly as possible. By the time the so-called ball had come to an end, Casey had managed to organize us a lift with a fellow resident of Ethis. I couldn’t wait to get home, but for some reason, as I glanced at the mirrored glass, a part of me felt hopeful.