Page 45 of Daughter of Garnet

"I am on your side. But I also agree with Viv. You need to put yourself out there." The look he gives me is loaded. "Warren is."

"The blond?" Ray's voice draws me in again, and we lock eyes over the table. "You two are together, then?"

Viv snorts. "He wishes."

The Alpha relaxes back from the table with an unreadable expression and his arms crossed over his chest.

"Please come out tonight," Viv begs. "It's a themed party."

Nothing sounds more awful than a themed party, but I don't tell her that. She's excited about it, and I don't want to take that away from her.

"What's the theme?" I don't know why I'm asking. I have no intention to go.

"Blind Faith."

The phrase tickles the back of my mind. "What does that mean?"

"It's a masquerade where you dress up as a God. You're not supposed to reveal who you are at all. That's the blind part of it."

Would anyone dress up as Ilota? Could I seek them out, find her worshippers, and get some more information that may not be in the books? It's a long shot, but at least it's a shot, and it has the added benefit of making Viv happy.

"Fine, yes, I'll come."

She leaps to her feet and claps twice. "Excellent! Let's go figure out our costumes. I'm sure we can put something together."

This was a mistake.

At first glance, I can't see anyone else dressed as Ilota, so I stand out in a bad way.

Viv, dressed as Oren, tugs my hand. "Come on, let's get a drink."

She looks stunning in wide-legged, pale blue pants and a white corset top with wind lines painted on it. Her mask is covered in a rainbow of feathers. The vines look out of place on her arm, and I make a note to ask her their significance at some point.

No one knows how the Gods dress, but it's clear who she represents, and I think that's all that matters for a party in the woods.

My dress swishes around my feet as I walk. When I returned to my room to grab some things to take to Viv's and get ready, it was hanging there with a note left on the desk.

Just in case.

Cameron is a thoughtful stalker, at least.

Explaining the dress to Viv was hard. I couldn't say, "Oh, it's a gift from my stalker, but you don't need to worry about him breaking into my room, I'm pretty sure he's harmless."

My story about it being a dress I wore to a formal at university didn't seem to convince her, but she didn't push too hard.

It's tight through the strapless bodice with a flowing skirt and a large slit that comes almost to my hip. It's more skin than I typically show, but I couldn't tell Viv that when she thinks I've worn it before. Red satin cascades over my sandals, and I wince every time I feel it drag through the dirt. The inside is lined with gold, and in the bonfire's light, the dress almost dances with the flames.

My mask was an afterthought. It covers my eyes and nose, leaving my mouth and jaw visible and doing nothing to conceal my identity, not that I'm concerned about it. Viv's came in a pair, but while they're the same base, that's where the resemblance stops. She painted the face gold and the feathers with flame colors, mimicking a phoenix's fire.

I would've liked it if my shifted form were a phoenix, I think. It's not an inconspicuous beast, but at least it's not as tall as the trees. As it stands, I'm going to have to be very careful whenever I shift.

Not that I plan to do it often.

A cup of punch is shoved into my hands, and my friend makes an impatient noise. "Get to drinking. You have to catch up to me."

Viv drank while we got ready, which means she's had a steady buzz for about four hours now. I don't know how she has the stamina.

I take a hearty sip while not breaking eye contact with her. When I pull the cup away, I see my red lipstick smudged on the rim.