decide to stop by again.” The girl backed away, a small grin curving her scar over her cheek. “You and your pretty assistant.”
With a parting nod, Kallia headed back on their original path, Aaros following alongside. Fortunately, there was no way of getting lost with his knowledge of Glorian’s shortcuts, expertly cutting them right across the street with a bemused expression. “Do you always make friends everywhere you go?”
“Friends, no,” she answered, imagining a glimmer of herself among the Conquering Circus, enjoying a drink and laughing by the fire. Confiding in the red-haired girl everything she could never say to Aaros, even Jack for that matter. It took all of Kallia’s will not to abandon the dinner party altogether so she could turn back. But she had a place to hold. That came first. “Allies, when I can.”
“Allies? For what, exactly?”
“Don’t you know the basics of show business? Everything is war on a stage many people want to claim. So yes, I’d like to gather my allies before the bloodshed begins.”
“Zarose.” It was not the first time Aaros simply stared at her, unsure what sort of world he was entering at her lead. “War, bloodshed, allies.” He shook his head. “Whatever showman’s war you’re anticipating, let’s eat first. To dinner, we finally go.”
10
As expected, they all stared. It’s exactly what Kallia wanted, and she couldn’t have picked a better time to arrive at the mayor’s mansion than if she’d planned it.
“Darling!” Erasmus Rayne rose to his feet like an overeager spectator, flaunting his burnt-orange suit in all its proud glory. “I was afraid you’d lost your invitation. You’re just in time for the second course!”
From the look of Mayor Eilin at the head of the table, he’d probably been hoping she had lost her way altogether—especially when he caught full sight of her. A beastly monster frothing at the mouth could’ve stomped into the room, and his look of horror would’ve been no different.
The other dinner guests bore similar expressions. Shock, discomfort, a bit of disgust, especially from the scowling young woman sitting beside the mayor. Her golden hair had been spun into a tight bun, and her dress had a sleek champagne hue to its fabric that covered her arms and went all the way up to her neck.
Kallia’s dress, in contrast, left little to the imagination. She ought to feel more shame, she knew, for such a deliberately un-Glorian choice. Mostly, she was relieved to have gone with a strapless dress. The room’s air had grown uncomfortably warm under the candles lining the mirror-paneled walls, with more than a dozen bodies packed inside. Two more, now.
“Apologies.” A thrill coursed through Kallia as she tugged Aaros toward the two empty seats at the end of the table. “We were a little caught up in some business of our own.”
Judge Silu choked on his drink, while some gazes fluttered away. Others peered even closer. As Aaros pulled back her chair, she couldn’t miss his slightly amused smirk.
“What business could you possibly have already?” The mayor scoffed. “The competition has not even begun.”
“Mayor Eilin, the competition began the moment you let those flyers run to print and studded your whole city with them.” Kallia relaxed into the thick velvet of her chair. “And besides, I’m not one to rest or toast in celebration of something I haven’t won yet. Surely everyone who’s earned their place has been practicing?”
“Practicing how, exactly?” a red-haired man a few seats away asked after a long sip of wine. “This is no talent show, sweetheart. Each round revolves around a prompt and props. You can’t practice spontaneity when all you need is a sharp mind.”
The rest of the party murmured in agreement. Kallia drummed her fingers delicately over the table. “Then I hope for your sake you’ve been doing all you can to keep your mind sharp as a knife. Sweetheart.”
He’d raised his empty glass for a refill, and lowered it with a glower. “Cheeky.”
“Settle down, Josev. Kallia. Save your bite for the stage. The crowd will love it.” Erasmus aimed his gaze toward the other end of the table. “Demarco was just about to give us an update on the Patrons of Great. Fascinating work, they’re doing.”
From the look of Demarco’s grimace, he was clearly not as in awe. He shifted in his seat next to the mayor, sparing a cursory glance across the table. “Yes, I’ve received a letter saying they’re currently investigating a few … odd cases cropping up across Soltair’s eastern side.”