Page 124 of The Devil We Crave
I laugh, rolling my eyes. “You’re a terrible influence.”
“Oh, I think I am theexactinfluence you need right now.”
I sigh. “Fine. Yes.”
She grins. “Oh, it’son, baby.”
23
YELENA
“Why thefuckwould anyone live here?” Galina mutters.
Wren and I ended up convincing the whole squad—even Arianna—to come to the Reckless party tonight. But it wasn’t until we were almost here—just missing a thunderstorm about to roll in from the ocean—that we realized that none of us had actually beeninsideThe Spire before.
Now, standing in the front hall of the massive, fortress-like building, with the low lights, stone walls, and heart-stoppingly loud rap music reverberating through the place, it’s hitting all at once, like a slap in the face.
I turn to Galina, who’s staring in horror mixed with disgust at the enormous black iron chandelier hanging in the entryway, covered in dusty cobwebs.
Galina is a neat freak. The chaos of this place must be giving her an aneurysm.
“I mean who the hell wants to walk in and seethat?” she hisses.
Wren snorts. “Hi, yes, I will see your dusty chandelier and raise you onefucking giant prehistoric snake skeleton.”
Ari laughs. “Hey now! Leave Long John Slither out of this!”
Wren sticks her tongue out at Arianna and then turns to grin at me. “Okay, you lookhot.”
“Facts,” Lucia adds.
I’m in aminisculeblack dress that feels way too short at both ends. The hem hovers barely two inches from showing the world what color panties I’m wearing, the back is non-existent, and the front plunges past my tits halfway to my navel.
It’s Dior, because why not. It’s slinky, again, because why not. And I have to admit, I reallydolook good in it.
I mean, slutty and easy. But also good.
I’m not the only one. It wasn’t discussed, but all of us decided to come out swinging for the fucking fences tonight. Wren’s in this super cute skirt, knee-high boots with heels, and a strappy bodice top that puts her boobs seriouslyout there. Galina’s in a silky green sleeveless thing about as short as mine, and Lucia looks like a true femme fatale in skinny black jeans, heels, and a black halter top.
But the real surprise of the evening is Arianna. With Iswearno pressure from any of us, she emerged from her room at The Atheneum in, I kid you not, a strapless A-line minidress with a cinched waist and a hemline half up her thigh.
It's bright. Freaking. Red.
I’d tell her how amazing she looks right now, except I think I said it about forty times on the walk over. And I don't want her to loseher nerve, or shake off any temporary insanity, or whatever this is.
The party isragingas we venture further into The Spire. I’ve heard the rumors about this place, and pictured all the crazy, off-the-charts hedonism that would happen at a Reckless party.
But nothing could prepare us for this.
Holy.
Shit.
Parties thrown by the four clubs at Knightsblood don’t ever feel like what I imagine typical college parties are like. They’re just…more. I mean, Para Bellum is basically a royal palace, and the ones last year at Morvaine Manor that I attended were out there, too.
But I’ve never seen anythingcloseto what we walk into here.
The huge space looks like a medieval banquet hall, with massive stone walls and a soaring vaulted ceiling with huge timber beams spanning the length of it. There’s a massive, elevated DJ setup filling one side of the room, complete with flashing lights, lasers, and a huge, curved LCD screen at the back that makes it look like an ultra-realistic dragon is literally clawing through the stone walls of The Spire to get inside.
