The Cursed Series, Parts 3 & 4 (Cursed #3-4) - Rebecca Donovan Page 0,127
But the ones I love the most are the abstract, like Arden’s Looking-Glass.
And when I see Lincoln in a purple tuxedo with a black top hat, accented with a white cravat that has Drink Me printed on it in silver foil lettering, I want to die. It’s so perfect.
“Mr. Knight, you look delicious,” Arden coos, slipping her arm through his.
Lincoln gives me a knowing tip of his head. “That’s bold, Lana.”
“Thanks,” I return. “You two are the perfect illusion.”
He grins.
Sawyer greets Glinda, the betraying witch, in a green tuxedo with a matching bowler hat. The curling mustache is the same shade as his hair, and it looks so authentic, I want to tug it to see if it’ll hurt.
I appraise him with approval. “Oz, I presume.”
“The great and powerful,” he declares with a wink, tapping the poppy flower tucked into his pocket. I notice the tip of a wire poking out of its center. “Stay safe, Huntress Peri. Don’t cut too many hearts out.”
I press my lips into a hint of a smile before he escorts Lily inside after Lincoln and Arden. They decided to go in ahead of us to save us a table.
Lance sweeps up the Empress, spinning her around as she squeals and giggles. His leather vest and baggy pants make the perfect Atreyu to their Neverending Story—I looked it up on Arden’s tablet—which is ironic since tonight is the end of their story, according to Kaely anyway. They linger a while, waiting for Brendan and Grant to appear, but when they haven’t arrived five minutes later, we send them inside with instructions to find Arden and Lincoln.
“Do you think something happened?” I ask, my stomach flipping between anxiety and excitement.
“Already?” Ashton fans herself with white feathers. “Don’t give me a heart attack. This dress is hotter than sex in a sauna. I’m already so freaked about tonight, I’m about to pass out.”
“Sex in a sauna? Really?” I jest, trying to get her to smile. And she does.
“You should try it.” She winks. “Oh, wait! Have you and—”
“There you are!” I exclaim, cutting her off. I smile wide when Grant comes into view and begin laughing when I realize what he’s done to complement my costume. “I want to hug you so bad, but you might get your gore all over me.”
Grant stares at me for a minute, his eyes skating over every inch. “You look dangerous, but it’s doing it for me. Is that bad?”
I shake my head, grinning.
“This”—he presents me with a wooden box—“is for you.”
I accept the gift curiously, sliding the lid open.
Ashton, who’s been hovering over my shoulder, gasps. “That is the most romantic thing I’ve ever seen!”
“It’s a heart,” Brendan acknowledges like he’s disgusted. “A literal heart.”
“Well, it’s rubber. I didn’t rob a cadaver or anything,” Grant notes. “Now it belongs to you.”
I smile glowingly. “This is the sweetest gift anyone’s ever given me. How can I kiss you right now?”
“Are we done with the weird romantic gestures now?” Brendan interrupts abruptly, forcing me to pull away before I’m ready.
“And who are you supposed to be?” I ask, taking in his pointed ears and tilted gold crown along with the gold dust accentuating his already-defined cheekbones.
Brendan’s wearing a pair of fitted black leather pants and a white peasant shirt, unbuttoned enough to almost cross the decency line Blackwood set for us.
“The prince of fairy,” he says cockily.
“You know there are courts. There isn’t just one prince to rule over all of it.”
“Shut it, Thaylina,” Brendan snaps. “It’s my fairytale. I can weave whatever story I want.”
“Who’s Thaylina?” Grant and Ashton ask in unison.
My cheeks burn with the mention of the huntress I created in my fairytale. That Brendan read in a file he should never have had access to. Another reminder of all that Brendan’s done to insert himself in my life, whether I wanted him to or not.
“We should go inside,” I say, taking Grant’s hand. “Did you do the makeup yourself?” I ask while we’re waiting in the processional to enter the Court.
“No. Arden sent someone over to Brendan’s room to do it for me. Looks realistic, huh?”
Within the shredded hole of the loose-fitting royal-blue shirt with a popped white collar is a fleshy prosthetic oozing with red special effects makeup, so it looks like Grant’s chest was cut open and his heart was removed. It even has dangling ventricles. It’s so fantastically