Chapter 3
1456 Words
3
We sat at the same table but picked up different menus. Only my wine list included the vintage. Still, as I looked over the many delights laid out before me my mind wandered back to that enigmatic man and those dark, searching eyes.
“Adi!”
I shook myself out of my reverie and turned my face to the fuming Leilah. “Yes?”
She frowned at me and stabbed a finger against her own menu. “Are you going to order or go to the buffet?”
I studied the items again, but my stomach gurgled in a most dangerous manner. My face blanched and I set the menu on the table. “I think I’ll get some fresh air first,” I pleaded as I rose to my feet.
Leilah rolled her eyes and resumed her inspection of the ‘wine’ list. I meandered through the other guests and stumbled out into the clear night sky. A bright moon hung over me as I strolled toward the edge of the veranda. The noise from the party still scratched at my ears, however, so I ventured two tiers lower where the sounds faded into the background of the night.
Even in the soft light the flowers still looked lovely, and I couldn’t help but find the veranda on that tier and gaze out on the expanse of natural and artificial majesty that stretched out before me. Everything was so calm and quiet, like a painting, but with all the wonders of a scratch-n-sniff sticker. I sauntered along the railing and found myself along a winding path through bushes and trees. Small clearings broke the monotony and the trail opened into hidden gardens with fountains and the occasional gurgling brook.
The lush air rejuvenated my stomach, but not my sense of direction. I turned around and retraced my footsteps, but I soon discovered that there was more than one stair leading to the upper terraces. For my part, I’d forgotten which one had led me down to this level, or at this point which level I was on.
I came across one of the verandas and paused in front of the stone railing. My stomach was now making grumbling demands of me while my mind scolded me for not paying attention. I draped my arms over the top and sighed.
“Are you okay?”
I yelped and spun around to find the handsome Eric Haldor standing behind me. He was even cuter up close, and his eyes were even darker. The black pupils stood out like eclipses in the sun of his eyes.
I clutched my hand over my beating chest. “I’ll have to answer that question as soon as my heart attack is over.”
He gave me a mischievous smile as he joined me at the railing. “Sorry about that. I’m not accustomed to being able to sneak up on Basileus’ guests so easily.” He held out his hand to me. “The name’s Eric.”
I shook his hand. “I’m Adi.”
“And a human,” he mused as he studied me with those strange, alluring eyes. “I noticed you were a guest of Miss Succo’s party.”
“Your guess is correct,” I confirmed as I leaned on the railing. “But what brings you out here?”
“I could ask the same question of you.”
I shrugged. “Food, mostly.”
He lifted an eyebrow. “Do you often go in search of your food in the wild?”
I snorted. “Only when the fridge is empty. I was actually on my way to the ballroom when I sort of ended up here.”
“Then you seem to be lost,” he commented as he nodded at the house behind me. “The ballroom is on the other side of the house.”
I shook my head. “I’m not lost. I know where I want to go, I just can’t seem to find the right set of stairs.”
The corners of his lips twitched upward. “Isn’t that the definition of being lost?”
I grinned. “Only if you’re in a hurry, otherwise it’s just a detour to where you’re going.”
That got a chuckle out of him. “Then would your detour grant you a few minutes to enjoy the scenery with me? There’s no sight in the country more beautiful than the view from these balconies.”
My eyes twinkled, and I have to admit my heart thumped a little as I gave a nod. “I think I can make some time.”
Eric was right about the view. The trees had been specifically groomed to part and reveal the whole of the garden at our feet. Step after step of lush color stretched out like a rainbow carpet all the way to the rocky water far below us. A soft breeze blew upward, moving the flowers like an ocean wave of brilliant color.
I leaned my arms on the railing and breathed in the sweet scent of a thousand different flowers. “Wow.”
He nodded. “Indeed. It’s the work of a hundred years and twice that many gardeners, or so Basileus modestly informs his guests.”
Something other than the gardens caught my attention. Movement out of the corner of my eye forced my gaze behind us. I looked over my shoulder and frowned as I found only the dark shadows of the foliage.
Eric followed my gaze and found me staring at the vine-covered wall behind us. “What is it?”
I furrowed my brow as I shook my head. “I don’t know. I thought I saw something moving behind you.” I looked ahead and shrugged. “Probably just my imagination, or one of the other guests.”
He studied me for a long time in silence. So long, in fact, that I squirmed under the attention and was glad for anything, even the funny question that came. “Do you have any unique abilities, Adi?”
I snorted. “Nope. I’m as normal as they come, though there was that one time a witch sneezed a bunch of magic powder into my face. It was her homemade snuff recipe and she’d inhaled too much.”
“Then you don’t come from a line of mystics or the like?”
I lifted an eyebrow at him. “Not that I’m aware of, though I had a great-uncle who thought he was a poodle. The family couldn’t get him to stop chasing cars.” I leaned closer to him and narrowed my eyes. “Why?”
He stared ahead and shook his head. “Just curious how you came to have such a unique job.”
I shrugged. “I saw an advertisement and applied. It turned out to be a polite old vampire, and when she tired of me, I was passed on to one of her friends, and so the cycle continued until I found myself leaning on a railing on a fantastical island speaking with a werewolf.”
The corners of his lips twitched upward. “Your life certainly isn’t boring then.”
I snorted. “Miss Leilah wouldn’t tolerate a boring life, and at this point I don’t know what I’d do with one, myself.”
He looked out on the view with tired eyes and pursed lips. “A boring life…”
I leaned over to catch his eye. “Should I be the one asking if you’re alright?”
A bittersweet smile slipped onto Eric’s lips. “I’m still here.” His face fell and he lifted one hand to study the palm. “I’m still here…” I couldn’t think of anything to say as I looked on him with pity. He shook himself of his strange reverie and pushed off the railing. “I should go. You can find your way back through there.” He pointed at one of the nearby stairs. “Go left at the top and take the third set of stairs, then go right and the first flight you come to will get you back to the ballroom.”
My heart fell. “Aren’t you coming back?”
He backed away from me and shook his head. “Lone wolfs don’t have much to do at parties, but I hope you enjoy yourself.” He turned and hurried away, and soon the foliage had swallowed him.
I remained at the balcony for a moment reliving our conversation and wondering if I’d said something wrong. Finally, I shrugged and went on my way, though my thoughts lingered on the strange and handsome man.
- Writer
