House of Mages and Raven (Shades of Ruin and Magic #4)

Chapter 33

33

Sy

B arbie curled within me in a tight ball like a depressed shrimp and slumbered.

I was up, my grin brighter than sunshine.

We had an invitation to the heirs’ party, but Barbie was in no mood to celebrate, especially after seeing the demon queen steal the show and fight with Killian as if they were a team. I’d urged her to cut off the hand that lay on the chaos prince’s shoulder and claim her man boldly and openly, but she’d shrugged me off and fled through the Veil instead.

Well, now she suffered another heartbreak and raged alone. I had to put some distance between us to avoid her fury and negativity.

Tonight, I’d go to the party in her stead and as Rowan’s official date for the first time.

I shall shine for both of us, I promised Barbie.

Rowan and I stepped through the leyline located in the Valley of the Mist.

It felt like déjà vu.

He’d once conjured up a pumpkin carriage here to take Barbie to his villa on their “first date.” He’d have freaked out if he’d known that I was hitching a ride.

A blink, and we landed inside a glass elevator.

“How is it possible, sugar Rowan?” I asked. Unlike the jaded Barbie, I was curious about everything.

A smile tugged up Rowan’s sensual lips. He loved to see me excited and full of wild sprit, and my breath hitched at his sexiness. I curled my fingers around his. I’d never dared dream that I could have this—to be on a date and see this wondrous world with my own eyes, to live as Sy.

Barbie’s downfall was my rise. Maybe she should stay down?

I suppressed the treacherous thought. I’d vowed not to usurp her again. It was our pact that she remained primary and I lurked in the shadows. It wasn’t my fault that she’d turned off the light. I just needed to step up and live for both of us.

I let the guilt slide to the edge of my conscience. When Barbie was ready to live again, I’d concede the reins to her, though it’d be a struggle. She’d always have my allegiance, and not even the desperate need for my own identity and longing for a life with my prince would get in the way.

“This leyline to the mortal realm is powered by all five of our heirs,” Rowan said. “It’s glamoured, so no humans can see us come and go in this glass lift. Only the heirs and our invited guests can teleport here.”

“The five of you joined appear to be a force of nature,” I said as the elevator started to glide up.

“We don’t always get along. There’s fracture between Killian, Silas, and Louis.” He sighed. “Silas initiated a lot of trouble. His mother keeps pushing him to the edge, so he’s always in competition with Killian and Louis. Killian is the leading power among us heirs, but Silas can’t accept it. The vampire house and shifter house reached the temporary truce a century ago, but it’s always been fragile. The hostility between vampires and shifters is in their DNA. Silas also has to establish his dominance again and again, since his popular sister is aiming for his heir’s status. It’s a matter of time before she challenges him. He doesn’t want to kill her, so he’s taking every step to show his strength to make her back off.”

I squeezed his hand, appreciating his talking to me like I was his equal.

“When all five of us unite, no one can beat us. There hasn’t been a lack of trying, but none succeeded in dividing us until—” He paused, looking troubled. “We’ll see. Cade and I will try our best to glue us together and prevent any force from driving a wedge between us.”

Ever since Queen Lilith had come and established the sixth house in Shades Academy, everyone could see a rift start to widen between the heirs.

The glass elevator kept rising, and I peeked at the beautiful skyline. High-rise buildings were lit up around a vast lake, casting their colorful reflections off the water. The world was alive, but if Ruin came, everything would fall, including this bustling city. It didn’t matter that magic in the mortal realm was scarce and pale beneath the earth, tainted by human pollution and suppressed by their technology. When the eater of the world came, he’d destroy everything in his path. He’d compelled Barbie to drain cities like this until we escaped.

I shook off the horror of our past and focused on the here and now. This night was mine, and I wouldn’t allow a future threat to spoil it.

“What is this place, sugar?” I asked, sparks in my eyes.

Rowan chuckled in delight at my wonder. “Las Vegas,” he said. “X Palace is owned by Killian, one of the haunts for all of us to escape to outside the realm. The basement hosts a boxing ring. The first two floors are casinos. High-end restaurants, bars, and nightclubs are on the third and fourth floors. The rest of the floors are luxury hotel rooms and suites. The top floor and rooftop are off-limits to humans, and only this lift has access to the rooftop.”

I’d learned that the fae house was the only one that didn’t deal with humans. They mostly sold expensive artifacts to other houses. The fae kingdom was old money, older than any other house. Over millennia, they’d accrued countless pieces of gold and jewelry in their treasure vault.

Silas owned a chain of upscale cafés, sports stores, and a few fighting rings in both realms. Louis owned dozens of nightclubs in Europe and CrimsonTide. And Cade pretty much partnered with Killian on every venture.

“Do you have business in the mortal realm at all?” I asked. I liked to be thorough, since Barbie might’ve missed something. I needed to know my lover’s financial situation so I wouldn’t fly blindly.

“I’m a shareholder in most of Killian’s businesses,” he admitted. “My father thinks it’s distasteful to do business with mortals, but my business is my own and has nothing to do with him or his court.”

He was a bastard son, though his king father still didn’t know it. Should one day this secret come out, Rowan would have a golden egg, even though being exiled to the mortal world would devastate him. However, that’d be the best option for him if his fake dad ever found out the truth. Mostly, the fae king would try to kill Rowan. That was why I’d had my pillow talks with him and strongly advised him to strike first. The only safe path for my mate was to take the throne for himself, with me by his side part-time. A coup was needed.

A ping sounded. The elevator reached the top and its doors slid open. Rowan escorted me out like a gentleman. I grinned at him. “Las Vegas, here I come!”

I wanted Barbie to see this, to share my excitement with my other half, but I was also careful not to wake her. She could be crazy, and while I was having this night with my lover, the last thing I wanted was for her to mess it up. I might not have a night like this for myself again. While I loved the pure air in Mist of Cinder, I could also appreciate the city’s dirtier air, dry heat, and urban sophistication.

A DJ mix blasted in my face. The rooftop was packed with elite students and the princes’ guests. The academy wasn’t like any other school; it was a powerhouse on its own.

The crowd was here to celebrate the victory over the Shriekers as if they’d won the battle. They hadn’t the slightest idea that the war with the God of Ruin and his army had just started. If they knew what kind of horror lay ahead, they might not want to party. But who was I to judge when I was all for seizing the day, especially now that I was in charge of this body and embracing the night?

One second, the supernaturals were mingling or staying with their cliques. The next, they all looked our way, sensing the biggest predators entering the scene. Rowan was a powerful heir. I might not have Barbie’s magic, but my presence was stronger.

I stepped into the limelight unabashedly. Barbie hated to be the center of attention, but I thrived in it. Without a doubt, I knew I was utterly stunning tonight.

Before Rowan had come to pick me up, I’d managed to create a new outfit for myself. My usual two pieces—a cuirass breastplate and a leather skirt—weren’t cut out for a party like this.

I had no one to dress me. Even if Barbie hadn’t slumbered, she wouldn’t have been bothered with finding me a suitable gown. She would’ve objected strongly to my going to a party and showing my face in public. Even if she wanted to help, she had no fashion sense. Just look at the mess she’d gotten herself into by picking a servant boy’s uniform, and then she’d had to stay as Little Bob for weeks.

And now, she mostly wore a school uniform. Even when she wasn’t in that boring uniform, she didn’t dress fancy. Her ghost familiar filled her wardrobe with stolen gowns, but she always refused to wear any of the nice clothes highly recommended by that ghost.

Neither Pucker nor the house magic thought of dressing me, as if I didn’t even exist. But nothing could keep me down. I’d learned early in my life: if you need to get anything done, do it yourself.

Ever since I’d come to Mist of Cinder, I’d done a lot of quiet thinking. Barbie had goddess magic, so maybe I had it too. I just needed to believe it. I could start with a small task, like conjuring up a dress. So I’d clamped my eyes shut, picturing the gown I desperately wanted. Magic could create anything out of nothing, and it wasn’t exactly nothing, since everything was connected. My mind was energy, and energy was a different reality in higher dimensions.

As I imagined the dress I wanted to wear on a date with my prince, down to every detail, I’d felt a weight in my hands. When I opened my eyes, I was holding the exact gown I’d wanted.

Joy had brimmed in my heart at my creation. Once again, Barbie hadn’t been awake to witness this miracle of my labor. I had my own magic, after all. I’d been evolving ever since we came to this magical realm, and my transformation had sped up after my mating with Rowan. It was like something had awoken in me, and I’d finally become my own persona.

I was magical, just like Barbie.

Rowan hadn’t been able to take his eyes off me, seeing me in that deep blue dress. It was made of magic with the finest material. I’d gone for a low V-neck that showed off one-third of my breasts, which were bountiful and perky and perfectly round. Two flimsy, triangular shapes covered my waist. Instead of having a long gown down to my ankles, I’d opted for a chic minidress that hugged my every curve. The hem artfully covered my thighs with a high slit on the left, leaving viewers to wonder if I was wearing panties or not. Who didn’t love a bit of mystery?

The pink diamond necklace around my long, slender neck sealed the whole deal. The gift from Rowan was for me to keep, and I wouldn’t surrender it to Barbie. I had to have something that belonged to me as well.

Rowan held his own. He wore a fine tunic that displayed his broad shoulder, cut chest, and six-pack. His leather pants outlined his muscled, powerful legs. My lover carried the vibes of both warrior and scholar, and he was a gorgeous prince.

The bride candidates’ eyes fell on me, some appearing envious and some catty, but I ignored them all. I stalked toward the center of the party, the heels of my dress shoes clicking on the marble floor. My gait was sure and swaggering, my chin lifted, my spine straight and proud, and I swayed my hips, as I knew how to command the attention of a room.

Rowan was pleased, pride brimming in his silver eyes that I didn’t appear the slightest bit timid. All the heirs were predators in nature, and they wanted their females to match them in every way. Pushovers just didn’t make the cut.

Barbie seldom showed her bold side and always downplayed her strength. She loved playing dumb—one of her games—but the heirs acutely sensed her power nevertheless. They might not be able to articulate why they were drawn to her, but they understood instinctively that she was as dominant as them, even more so when she was mentally unbalanced.

My entry into the society was quite different from hers. Barbie had gotten attacked right out of the gate, but these lesser beings gave me a wide berth. It might have to do with Barbie’s humble entrance. She’d joined the pool of the Brides Selection as a fake servant boy, but I had the fae heir to accompany me.

I looked every inch a fae, especially with my lush white hair and pointed ears, yet I wasn’t. But others couldn’t tell.

My predatory golden gaze surveyed the crowd as it automatically parted for us. Rowan wrapped his arm around my waist possessively. I liked how he openly staked a claim on me, and I wrapped an arm around his thigh, even sinking my fingernails into it to warn every female to back off, as I didn’t appreciate their ogling him. He might be man candy, but he was my man candy.

Last time when Rowan went to the House of Chaos to see Barbie, a group of females had grabbed his butt to test its firmness. It was firm, as I could testify, but if anyone wanted to test it again in my presence, they’d lose a hand.

So far, I hadn’t growled, and I was proud of myself for my self-restraint. Tonight was my debut, and thus I wanted to leave a different impression than Barbie had.

“Rowan! Rowan!” A shout rang out from the raised platform at the rear, the VIP section.

I swung my gaze and spotted Louis, Cade, and Silas. Killian wasn’t among them. I was both disappointed and relieved. It was best he didn’t come. If he showed up, it’d trigger Barbie. She’d sense him and wake up, and then shit would hit the fan. I wanted this night to be perfect and mine .

I’d felt the heirs’ power pulsing brilliantly as soon as I stepped out of the elevator with Rowan, but I’d been so fixated on my debut and looking fabulous while fending off other females’ unwanted advances that I hadn’t had a chance to charm them. Now, I’d give them my undivided attention and focus on bringing them to their knees.

“Rowan, here!” Louis called again eagerly.

“You’re late, man!” Silas shouted.

Cade waved his wand with his usual cool smile that hid his shadow and curse, beckoning us to join the team.

Rowan hesitated, his arm snaking tighter around me. He wanted to join his friends, but he didn’t want them to be near me. His possessiveness amused and pleased me. I gave him a smile and tugged him along, eager to say hello to the heirs in my own form. I wanted to be seen, and I knew how to handle the heirs, based on Barbie’s experience with them. They were the power, and Barbie and I needed to gather as many allies as possible to face the coming war that no one realized was coming except us. I was more of a strategist than my other half. I schemed all the time when I was alone within Barbie.

The heirs were sizing me up as I ascended to the top of the stairs to the VIP section overlooking the entire rooftop floor and the Las Vegas skyline.

“Hello, who’s this lovely lady?” Louis purred. He was always a shameless flirt.

None of the heirs rose from their couch, the way a gentleman greeted a lady. It was a power play. Mist of Cinder wasn’t the same as the human world, and the supernaturals played by different rules. They were the heirs anyway, and if I was in one of their courts, I’d be required to bow or curtsy.

Before Rowan could introduce me, I flashed my fangs. “Hello, princelings, I’m Sy,” I said in a sexy, smoky voice.

Human males went impotent when they saw my serrated, sharp fangs, so much so that Barbie had always warned me to keep my big mouth shut during sex. But my fangs were a thing of power and savage beauty, and the supernaturals got it. The heirs didn’t back off from my display of strength and confidence. Instead, I could see that it turned them on.

I’d never shy away from being me, never apologize for what I was.

Finally, I was meeting the other heirs as Sy. I could smell lust, and I hadn’t even pumped out my pheromones to entice them. They were always drawn to Barbie’s goddess power, but they’d never looked at her or anyone else the way they now gazed at me, as if they’d finally found the missing piece in them.

My pulse beat wildly. I hadn’t felt this intense chemistry and connection to the shifter heir and the vampire heir when I was within Barbie, peeking out through her eyes. Now that I was in my own skin in the proximity of the princes, I felt the same strong attraction to them as I felt for Rowan.

What did this mean? Could this develop into a reverse harem relationship?

Rowan growled, his eyes glowing silver in warning, not liking how the heirs reacted to me. But a thread of crimson light suddenly materialized and linked the four of us in a ring before the cord sank into each one of us and vanished.

While Rowan narrowed his eyes in irritation, both the shifter prince and vampire prince widened theirs. They’d seen it and felt the same powerful connection to me.

Cade cocked his head to the side, studying us. “Interesting,” he said.

The mage prince was haunted and cursed. Romance wasn’t on his plate. Barbie had promised to do something about it. She wanted to help him. If she couldn’t get through to him and take out that Fury, he’d never have a life.

“Where are you from, Sy?” Silas asked, flashing me a disarming smile. He’d do fine with me as long as he didn’t recite any sonnets as a romantic gesture, as he’d done to Barbie, who had the worst luck when it came to males and romance. “I’ve never seen you before. I’d have remembered a stunningly lovely face such as yours.”

“She isn’t a student at Shades Academy,” Cade said, studying me in a detached way. He was the only heir here who wasn’t into me, and I didn’t feel a connection to him either. “You aren’t fae either, are you?”

“She’s fae,” Rowan snapped.

Silas sniffed as he stared at my pointed ears. “Sy looks fae, but Cade is right. She isn’t fae.”

“Who cares if Sy’s fae or not? She’s a knockout,” Louis said, smiling charmingly and letting his dimple show. My heart fluttered as the images of his fucking three blondes while forcing Barbie to watch when she was in his house played in my head. “Let me buy you a drink, Lady Sy. Anything you want.”

“What would you like, Lady Sy?” Silas asked, and hooked a finger toward the servers impatiently.

The hostess and two servers rushed toward us.

I grinned, loving the heirs’ competing to please me. Barbie could learn a thing or two from me. In life, never sell yourself short. If you didn’t think you deserved it, then you didn’t deserve shit. If you didn’t get your tits up, gravity would drag them down, especially when you got older. I believed in myself, so Rowan brought me diamonds, though Barbie would keep most of them. But I wouldn’t let her have my pink diamond necklace that represented Rowan’s love for me.

“Too kind. Too kind,” I said. “What’s that drink with mango mixed with martini and with a small umbrella on top of the glass called?”

“Bring two mango martini cocktails,” Louis barked at hostess. “Don’t forget to add a small umbrella. Lady Sy likes it.”

“Put the tab on the House of Fae,” Rowan snarled, and the servers looked alarmed, one of them rushing off to fulfill the order. He then turned to growl at his friends. “Fuck off. Sy is with me. You don’t buy her drinks. I do. She’s mine.”

“C’mon, man,” Louis said. “We’re just trying to be friendly.”

Supernaturals could smell the scent of sex. The heirs were the most powerful in the realm, and their senses were a lot sharper than other supernaturals’. I’d seen their nostrils flaring. They’d smelled Rowan on me, but it didn’t stop them from wanting me. My mind drifted to a quickie Rowan and I had enjoyed before we headed here. He’d pressed me against an orange tree and pounded into me from behind. As I smiled at the replay of our fierce fucking in my head, my pheromones leaked through my skin. The heirs sucked in breaths and inhaled deeply. They wouldn’t be able to escape me now, yet the mage prince stayed immune to me.

“Be friendly with someone else,” Rowan said menacingly. “You don’t fucking flirt with my female.”

“What’s the big deal?” Silas snorted. “All of a sudden you got a female?”

“I told you all that I had a girlfriend!” Rowan said.

“I thought you were joking, man,” Silas replied.

My cocktail arrived. The vampire prince handed it to me before Rowan lunged to take it from the server’s hand. I nodded my thanks to both heirs and the server before I took a swig from the V-shaped crystal glass.

“Sy and I have been together for a couple of months,” Rowan revealed.

“We didn’t know,” Louis said. “You’ve been fucking so many females, and no one can keep track on who’s who.”

Both Rowan and I growled.

“I haven’t fucked any women ever since I met Sy,” Rowan seethed. “She and I are exclusive.”

“You can’t be serious, Rowan,” Louis said.

“I second the vamp,” Silas added.

Rowan posed for a fight, and Louis and Silas put down their drinks, unfazed. The trio were about to come to blows.

“Wow, cool off, guys!” Cade called, inserting himself between Rowan and the other heirs. “Didn’t we swear that we’d never fight over a female when we were kids? That’s a gentlemen’s pact! Come, sit, have a drink, and be cool.”

Rowan held my hand tightly and led me to a cushioned seat. Other supernaturals were eyeing us, but without an heir’s invitation, they wouldn’t dare come over, even though those women seemed like they really wanted to introduce themselves to the heirs. They resorted to glaring at me in envy and hostility.

Cade poured two fingers of whiskey into a round of glasses and offered a drink to Rowan first to calm him down, then distributed a glass to each heir. I got one too.

“Shaken.” The mage prince lifted his glass.

I registered the catchphrase from Diamonds Are Forever . Barbie had binge-watched the James Bond movies when we tried to survive in the mortal realm.

“Not stirred,” I responded, even though Cade hadn’t exactly made James Bond’s cocktail with gin, vermouth, a slice of lemon peel, and four olives.

He nodded at me with a smile.

The heirs lifted their glasses and shook before emptying them.

I drained mine as well, loving the burning down my throat. I could get used to this fast-lane living. Barbie didn’t view me as sophisticated, but I fit in with this crowd just fine.

While I was having a good time, the tension remained thick between the heirs. With an exasperated sigh, Cade gestured to the bottles on the hard glass table. “Killian will charge us an arm and a leg for all the fine booze. Where the hell is he?”

He was using the chaos prince as a distraction to reduce the high testosterone level in the room when four alpha males were together.

“Where else?” Silas shrugged. “With his betrothed. He’s pussy-whipped now.”

“I met Prince Killian once,” I chimed in. “I was supposed to fetch Barbie’s stuff that she left behind in the House of Chaos, but he refused to let me pack her thing. He was rude to me.”

“He’s a control freak,” Rowan growled in displeasure. “He doesn’t know who you are to me, but I’ll make sure Killian gets the memo and won’t be rude to you again.”

“When is he ever not rude to anyone?” Silas added. “Don’t worry about that jerk, Sy. I’ll have a harsh word with him and make him return Barbie’s stuff tomorrow.”

I nodded my thanks, then said, “I heard that this is his infamous haunt.” I needed to ease the sexual tension between me and the three heirs by keeping myself talking, as the attraction started to become so much that I had a hard time thinking straight.

“It is,” Cade said. “Killian is a billionaire with a different persona in the mortal world. Humans would shudder if they knew there was an immortal shark among them.”

“How much money does he need?” Silas said. “Talk about greed.”

“Greed or not, my stocks plunged,” Louis said. “The human world is unstable now with political unrest and global wars.”

“Just don’t put all your eggs in one basket,” Rowan advised, nearly dragging me into his lap while he watched Silas and Louis like a hawk.

“What’s happening in the mortal world will reflect on our realm,” Cade said. “The time for change has come. We either roll with it, or get left behind. I don’t want to spend so much time watching the market. It’s tiresome. I’ll just buy whatever Killian is buying. He almost never loses.”

The princes calmed down after the business talk. It might be boring, but at least they weren’t talking politics.

A hostile energy rolled toward me, and the corner of my eye caught Barbie in a red gown heading toward me.

Shit!

Wait, it wasn’t Barbie. Barbie detested red attire. It was Grace. Of course, the Princess of the Underworld would gun for me and remind me of my place. She just had no fucking idea where my place was.

The heirs watched the princess approach, flanked by her minions. Some of them used to be Barbie’s geek friends. No one stopped Grace due to her status. And when it came to a catfight between the bride candidates, the princes usually stood by and let the girls run the show. I wasn’t a candidate, but I was qualified as a superhot chick, which would draw fire.

Rowan tensed beside me, but he was sitting it out for now. The only one who hadn’t given a fuck about any rules or his own reputation was Killian, when he tried to stop the duel between Medea and Barbie to prevent his stepsister from killing Barbie. Even if the chaos prince were here, he wouldn’t protect me. He only cared for Barbie, but she was too blind and vengeful to see it.

Shit was coming my way. Silas and Louis would sit on their hands as well. They wanted to see if I could handle myself. If I couldn’t, they’d lose respect for me, even though they definitely wanted to fuck me. Well, no worries, gentlemen. I was good at taking out the trash.

“Who are you?” Grace demanded.

I smirked. “Who wants to know?”

“I’ve never seen you on campus before,” she said in a condescending tone.

“Just another gold digger who won’t last long.” Jinx, the traitor, snickered.

Grace smiled, enjoying seeing me humiliated in front of the heirs.

“Honey,” I said to Jinx, “you’re even dumber than you look. I’m a diamond digger, two levels up from a gold digger.” I turned my predatory gaze to Grace. “What’s your membership level, sweetheart? If you want me to take a guess, I’ll bite. You’re somewhere between a silver and a bronze. Am I right?” I shook my head. “You definitely aren’t a gold member. You wouldn’t be so bitter about others reaching gold status otherwise.”

The princess’s minions gasped. Silas snickered. He didn’t like Killian or any of his cronies.

Grace’s face turned beet red, but she stood her ground. “You haven’t the slightest idea of how things work here, do you?” She gave me a distasteful once-over. “This is a high-class society that requires a proper dress code. A low-class hooker isn’t welcome.”

Rowan’s nostrils flared, his eyes on fire, but before he could lash out at Grace, I brushed my fingers over his, demanding he leash his temper and let me fight my own battle.

I gave Grace’s chest a mocking look, then dipped my gaze to my full bosom, my smile broadening. “Then I’m in the right place. It appears that I’m better dressed than you, since my dress is magical.” I swayed my hips, and my gown changed to radiant crimson, outshining the demoness’s red gown.

Awed gasps rippled across the VIP platform at my display of extravagant magic. There weren’t just heirs here, as they’d invited their own elite circle of friends and allies.

“Let me tell you about style, cupcake.” I winked at Grace. “Your tailored gown might be super expensive, but it’s so yesterday. Who still dresses like a grandma in this new age?”

They said that old money usually dressed conservatively, but I didn’t give two shits about their status, which was but chains. Fashion was a choice and a statement, and I made a bold one, though it was less daring than my usual two-pieces.

I shook my boobs, and my gown returned to its former deep blue, hugging me like flowing moonlight, as everyone could see that it was made of pure magic—magic that I’d discovered in me.

“I wear red better than you,” I lectured Grace, “and red is out of season. You gotta adapt, as the world changes so fucking fast. If you don’t catch up with the current trend, you’ll be left in the dust. Life waits for no one, cupcake.”

“How dare you talk to me like that, you vulgar nobody,” Grace hissed, her face reddening. “Do you know who I am?”

“Who are you, ugly?” I asked, my voice carrying over the entire rooftop. Snickers and shocked gasps mixed in the crowd. Everyone was watching us, and the music ceased to play. “At a first glance, I thought you were Ugly Barbie.”

It was an excellent strategy to call Barbie ugly to drag her copy down and through the mud.

“Barbie isn’t ugly,” Louis objected.

“Barbie is arresting in my book,” Silas agreed, then scowled at Louis.

“You’re both short with small boobs.” I ignored their protests and fixed on Grace. “But then I realized that you aren’t Ugly Barbie but her pale copy. At least Barbie’s more interesting with her dual-toned eyes. Now, I don’t get it. Why did you copy Ugly Barbie when you could’ve copied me? Look at me, cupcake. I gotta tell ya, you targeted the wrong chick.”

Everyone stared at me incredulously.

“You! Pay respect!” Bellona shouted from the foot of the stairs. She wasn’t allowed in the VIP section, and a few underdogs echoed her sentiment to support their new leader. “You’re addressing Princess Grace of the House of the Underworld!”

“Respect what, you bunch of sheep shit who call yourself underdogs?” I laughed. “You’re bad jokes. Ugly Barbie was na?ve to fight for worthless turncoats like you lot, since you aren’t worthy to lick her unwashed bottom.”

“Eww!” Protests rose and fall through the crowd.

Luckily, Barbie was slumbering, or she’d have snarled at me for sharing that piece of information.

Grace’s minions shouted their insults at me, ready to jump on me as one.

“Fuck off, Grace,” Rowan barked, having had enough. “This area is for the heirs, and you aren’t an heir. None of us invited you here. Take your leave and drag your stupid groupies with you, or you won’t like it when I punish all of you for insulting my girl.”

Grace gave the fae heir an incredulous, wounded look—she just couldn’t believe that I could be more popular than her in the heirs’ eyes. My lover gave her a hostile stare, ready to implement his threat if she didn’t get out of his sight in the next few seconds. Should a male come to challenge me like that, my Rowan would have punched his teeth out. Grace turned to bat her golden eyelashes at the other princes, but Silas and Louis only stared back at her blankly.

Cade, the most diplomatic prince, smiled. “Go now, Princess Grace. Prince Rowan is going to lose his shit, and even I can’t hold him back when he does.”

I blew a kiss as Grace ran from our table, her minions hurrying after her, the underdogs whimpering. Too bad the chaos prince wasn’t here for her.

Grace flaunted herself as Barbie’s upgrade, but she overlooked the history between the heirs and Barbie. After having rescued Barbie from CrimsonTide, the heirs regarded her as one of them. They’d never been drawn to Grace’s power as they were drawn to Barbie’s, and Barbie had a plus-one, which was me, a raw power within her.

“Where is Barbie?” Cade asked. “I invited her. She played a big role in defeating the abominations and earned my house a dozen points.”

“Right. Where’s Barbie?” Louis frowned, looking uneasy. “She’s never missed a party before. She loves free food.”

“No one has seen her since the battle,” Silas offered, looking guilty.

I didn’t want the heirs to puzzle over Barbie’s whereabouts, or even worry about her. This night was for me, and I wouldn’t let her overshadow everything again, not when the warm urban breeze kissed my face and the music beat for my ears.

I toasted to the heirs with my glass while grabbing Rowan’s hand. “Let’s go dance, sugar.”

He smiled down at me. “I thought you’d never ask.”

His strong arm around my waist possessively, Rowan led me toward the dance floor in the center of the rooftop. He was more than eager to get me away from the other heirs, not appreciating their sniffing around me.

I glanced at the heirs over my shoulder and winked at them. They watched me with desire, Barbie forgotten.

I caught sight of Grace near the dance floor, a squad of military demons standing by as her security detail. She glared at me with hate, folding her arms across her chest. I stalked toward her, draining my glass of gin and tonic, and placed the empty vessel on her arm.

“Would you be a doll and take this for me?” I asked politely with a smile. “I gotta dance. The music is calling.”

Everyone stared at me, their eyes going big, utterly stunned at my audacity, but Rowan had whisked me away. We dove into the dance floor before Grace could recover from her shock and rage.

Music blasted. The floor was crammed with hot bodies. As we approached, the crowd parted for us. I swayed my hips, riding every drum beat. I became music and dance, and there was no one like me. I felt amazing, sexy, wild, and free.

I was flame. I was flowing liquid. I was purest magic.

All eyes were on me. And then everyone started mimicking my moves. Males were drawn to me, dancing around me. Many females got closer too. Rowan snarled, tossing his earth magic all around to shove away the throng, not allowing anyone to get in close proximity.

And then Silas and Louis arrived, riding musical waves and dancing around me, completely ignoring Rowan’s warning growls. Cade didn’t join us. He stayed in the VIP section, drinking his full to banish his sorrow and heaviness.

Rowan wasn’t able to cover all sides, and he couldn’t drive away Silas and Louis like he did other males. I twirled around, paying attention to Silas and Louis as well, and they laughed in delight. Louis waved for the servers to pour us more poison, and Silas fought to bring it to me when the drinks arrived.

I danced and drank and giggled. The princes’ lust burned brightly and darkly; I sank my fangs in it and fed on the energy. In giddiness, I hummed Barbie’s song.

Baby, I'm having the best fucking night of my life

And wherever it takes me, I'm down for the ride…

A formidable and deadly power whipped through the air. Everyone gasped for breath, and the music was muted.

Killian stood on the rise, dark power rippling off him.

Even with his wearing a pair of old designer jeans and a crew-neck T-shirt, his presence overshadowed everyone else. A tattoo of dragon claws was revealed on his muscled upper arm, the rest concealed by the sleeve.

His storm-blue eyes scanned the crowd, lingering on me two seconds longer than on other dancers before he moved on again. Cade sidled up to him, searching the crowd as well.

Beside me, all three heirs tensed, and I felt a mental link between them click into place.

“Fuck,” Rowan cursed. “Barbie is missing again. Killian’s team has been searching for her for hours. No one has seen her since the battle.”

Silas and Louis traded a look of worry and guilt.

“We should be concerned,” Louis said. “As I told you guys, Barbie would never miss a feast, not for anything or anyone.”

“But why is Killian still hung up on Barbie?” Silas retorted. “She’s not in his house anymore.”

“We all care about Barbie,” Louis said, “no matter whether she’s in our houses or not. Let’s go find her. If anyone takes her, they’ll beg for death!”

Rowan trained his dark gaze on me, and I nodded at him and pouted.

“Go, whatever,” I said. “I can take care of myself.”

“Wait for me,” he said. He didn’t invite me to join him on the hunt for Barbie. “I’ll return to you as soon as I can. My men here will look after you.”

All princes had security details. Their teams stayed in the background on high alert.

I watched the heirs go, led by Killian. Whenever an heir called for a backup, the others always answered. I’d thought that their bond was broken after Queen Lilith entered the scene. It seemed it’d take a lot more to divide the heirs, and Barbie’s being “missing” brought them back together.

Barbie, even in her slumber, still stirred shit. And Killian had just ruined my night. Those two deserved each other.

I let out an exasperated sigh. It was time to cut short the party and wake up Barbie.