Using Nana’s cosmetics, I tried to replicate Afton’s smoky eyes and then pinned my hair up before examining myself in the bathroom mirror. Not bad. I reached for Nana’s lipstick and decided against it, grabbing my root beer flavored Lip Smacker instead. I imagined Afton’s protest as I swiped my lips with the waxy stick. The thought of my friend painfully squeezed my heart, and I hoped she and Nick were safe. She would enjoy dressing up for a formal occasion like this. I sucked back the emotions threatening to ruin my makeup and flicked off the light, then joined Nana in the corridor.
“I feel silly, and I can’t breathe in this thing,” I whispered to her as we approached the dining hall. I adjusted the bodice and scratched under the itchy material.
“Stop fretting. You’re stunning.”
Nana glided into the dining room. I huddled closer to her. The hundred or so people—and a few creatures—sitting around the many tables glanced up at once. There was a man so hairy he reminded me of Big Foot. Many Laniars were in attendance. A man with slimy looking skin and gills on the side of his head wore a curious suit with clear tubes snaking around it, circulating some sort of liquid. He had to be the Aqualian Faith had mentioned before. Not wanting to stare at the unusual beings, I kept my gaze forward.
Was it a special occasion tonight or was this how they always dressed for dinner? The men wore nice suits with tartans of all colors draped over their shoulders, as cummerbunds around their waists, or as neckties hanging down their starched shirts. Two men actually wore tartan skirts. Unfortunately, their knees were entirely wrong for the look. The women wore Renaissance-style dresses. It was like being in a time warp or at a medieval-themed dinner show. At least my tacky outfit blended in.
I almost tripped when I spotted Arik sitting beside the French girl from the hallway earlier.
C’ambermaid my ass.
Chapter Twelve
The French girl’s dress had easy written all over it. With one good cough, the rounds of her cleavage would pop right out the top. There was nothing medieval to the dress. The black sequins belonged on stage with the Pussycat Dolls.
Merl met us. “Wonderful, I see you found your way.”
“Is Professor Attwood here?”
“He is. I’m glad you could join our celebration this evening. It’s been six hundred years to date since the wizard havens formed their alliance.” He offered Nana his arm and led us toward the tables. “Philip has informed me about your globe. I’m very pleased, indeed. No one has possessed a truth globe for centuries. There are so many things we can learn from it, but matters like this should be discussed in private, don’t you agree?”
I opened my mouth to answer but shut it, realizing he didn’t require a response. He was simply giving me an order.
Professor Attwood and the other men at the table stood as we approached. He pulled out the chair beside him and motioned for me to sit. Merl and Nana continued on to a nearby table.
“This is my niece, Gianna,” the professor said.
The women around the table smiled at me from their seats.
“Gia,” I blurted, and then added, “It’s nice to meet you all.” I returned nods as Professor Attwood introduced each person.
“I hear you’re Marietta’s child,” an older woman, whose name I had already forgotten, said.
I shifted in my seat and smiled.
“Auntie Mae, I just told you she’s Marietta’s daughter,” Professor Attwood answered for me.
“Oh yes, that’s right. At my age, I can hardly remember my own name.” Auntie Mae and I had the whole forgetting names thing in common.
A plate was already waiting at my setting. There were some sardines and green mush stuff artfully arranged on it. I wrinkled my nose. I hated fish—well, just dead ones. I grabbed a few crackers from a plate in the middle of the table and stuffed one in my mouth. When the waiter came by, I handed my untouched plate to him, smiling nervously when he raised an eyebrow.
After searching the dining room, I leaned over to Professor Attwood. “Where’s Carrig? I don’t see him anywhere.”
“He went to Tearmann, the Irish haven. He’ll return later tonight.” He slanted closer to me. “You will have your first lesson with him at eight in the morning. Try not to be late. Carrig isn’t as understanding as I am.”
“Yeah, right, he must be a monster, then,” I said.