Total pages in book: 209
Estimated words: 196141 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 981(@200wpm)___ 785(@250wpm)___ 654(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 196141 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 981(@200wpm)___ 785(@250wpm)___ 654(@300wpm)
32.
It Starts With a Drop of Blood.
—∙—
Kyle is struck by the sight of Cindy in person, who is shorter than he expected. She wears a black strapless dress with gemstones on her neck, reflecting purples and greens, and her hair is done up in a tight bun that shows off a pair of black hoop earrings.
“And he cleans up mighty well!” she goes on, waltzing up to his side and hooking her arm in his. “Come on inside, sugar. I’ll show you straight to the booze, which, let’s face it, is really the point of these stuffy gatherings. Tristan, why are you always keepin’ the good ones to yourself?”
Tristan, appearing still stricken, eyes on Kyle, says, There is no reason for anything anyone does anymore.
Kyle stares back at him. “Tristan?”
“Don’t mind him,” says Cindy, “as there isn’t any rhyme or reason for anything he says whatsoever. Hey, you don’t mind if I steal your date, do ya?” she throws back. “Didn’t think so.”
Kyle is peeled away from Tristan’s side before he’s ready to go, dragged into the main banquet hall by Cindy’s forceful arm. The enormous room is dim, loud, and full of unfamiliar faces as they pass through a maze of round banquet tables, each dressed up nicely with red tablecloths and matching centerpieces made of glass and wood, each one a unique sculpture. So many eyes fall upon him at once. It is a stark contrast to his experience of walking through the Devil’s Mouth in terms of environment, but the faces and eyes are no less threatening. Each face he sees is hungry and ambitious. And his Reach infiltrates every one of them with ease, bringing out flashes of greed, of pride and dark arrogance, of resentment toward everyone in the room, of lust and jealousy and confusing malice. Everyone in this room has an agenda. Do they all come to these social gatherings in hopes of fulfilling their dreams through Lord Markadian’s power? Is the Vegasyn world just another reflection of the human world and its toiling, never-ending game of politics and power?
Cindy introduces Kyle to several people along the way, but he retains none of it, his eyes scanning the crowd for Tristan who had been left behind. For some reason, it’s all he can think about. That twisted look in Tristan’s eyes, like he was betrayed. Did he think Kyle had been corrupted so easily, changed, a new person since he let him go? Kyle hated to believe that Tristan would so quickly think less of him, even if he had tasted blood.
Then Kyle at once resents the notion. Why should he care what Tristan thinks of him? They are no longer lovers. Tristan gave up his right to hold any sway over Kyle’s life choices when he staged his death and fled their sanctuary. Kyle doesn’t even care what reason Tristan gave for doing that. If Tristan truly loved him, he would have fought harder for what they had built over those twenty-six precious years. He wouldn’t have let it burn to ash in the morning sun.
But the resentment only makes Kyle hurt worse.
Is he still a teenager inside? Begging for Tristan’s approval? For Tristan to notice him across a crowded classroom?
Is part of Kyle still living in that cabin in the woods?
Did he ever truly leave?
“You’re one lucky guy,” says Zara in her dry tone, a woman Kyle distinctly remembers from his trial. She also wears a black dress, though hers comes up to the neck, with flowing sleeves that show only her pale hands and black fingernails. “I haven’t in my lifetime seen anyone get that close to a death sentence under Lord Markadian’s hand and not meet their end.”
“He’s a hot topic in my office these past few weeks,” admits Cindy after a slurp from her glass. Kyle also holds one. He has no idea where it came from.
“If any cute guy under a certain age passes under your nose, he’s a ‘hot topic’,” says Zara, rolling her eyes. “It has nothing to do with his controversy. He’s lucky he still exists.”
“Lord Markadian’s mercy is plentiful.”
“Not that plentiful.” Zara kicks back her own glass, eyeing Kyle with skepticism.
It’s just then that Kyle finally spots Tristan through the crowds of faces, several tables away. He’s watching, his eyes like grey-blue icicles, perfectly still. But the second they make eye contact, he vanishes, swept away into the crowd. Kyle turns, searches for his eyes again, but he’s nowhere to be found.
“Have you considered coming to Texas?” asks Cindy, tugging on Kyle’s arm. “We can make use of your talents in the Dallasade domain. Isn’t it real close to your native mortal hometown?”
Kyle’s still looking for Tristan. “Not really.”
“Texas is a big place,” agrees Cindy, gnaws on her lip, then says, “I’ll leave you my number, okay? Direct line. I really want to show you everythin’ my domain has to offer.”