She kept looking back at the red moon.
No matter how often she told herself it didn’t mean anything, she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong.
Crimson crystals hungfrom a dozen glistening chandeliers in the ballroom, casting shades of red over the massive space. Ruby tapestries embedded with hundreds of tiny gems hung on the walls, glittering like bloody skies. A red carpet lined the stage wherethe Reunion would take place, and all the couches were the same color.
Hallie had stepped away to use the restroom, leaving Brynleigh alone for a few minutes. She didn’t mind. It gave her time to assess the gathered crowd.
The ballroom was already teeming with people. Crew members wearing black ran across the stage, talking into headsets. Audience members filled the nearly three dozen rows of seats, many wearing crimson to match the theme. Most were smiling and chatting with their neighbors, but several sat stoically, their gazes moving methodically through the space.
One of the audience members locked eyes with Brynleigh, and he dipped his chin. Nikhail wore a black suit and tie, looking just as distinguished as the first time Brynleigh met him.
She wasn’t entirely sure what the air fae did for the army, but she knew that Ryker trusted the man, which was good enough for her.
“Excuse me, Mrs. Waterborn?” a pleasant voice came from behind Brynleigh.
It took a moment for Brynleigh to realize they were speaking to her. It would take time to get used to that name, and changing her name legally to Ryker’s would be a legal pain, but it would be worth it to shed her Maker’s hold on her.
It wasn’t normal for vampires to stop using their sire’s last names, but she didn’t care about social norms when it came to Jelisette.
Brynleigh turned around and smiled. “Yes?”
A shifter with kind eyes, dark skin, and a clipboard in hand stood a few feet behind her.
“I’m supposed to set up your microphone and run over a few things with you. If you’d come with me, please.”
“Sure thing.”
She followed the man through the crowd. Her dress swished as she moved slowly, the material not conducive to essential activitiessuch as walking. She preferred leggings, but unfortunately, the Reunion had a dress code.
They climbed the stairs, traversed through a door, and went behind the stage.
Here, the audience’s excited chatter was nothing more than a murmur, replaced by the hustle and bustle of frantic crew members. They shouted orders at each other, moving like their feet were on fire.
Brynleigh had never considered how many people worked behind the scenes of the Choosing, but it had to be a significant amount. Live streaming an event couldn’t be easy, and based on the strained expressions on several faces around her, she guessed that tonight would be more difficult than normal.
“Over here, please.” The shifter led her to a table with just over a dozen microphones. He picked one up and gestured for Brynleigh to turn around. “I’m going to attach this to the back of your dress.”
“Of course, go ahead.”
There was a slight tug behind her as the shifter worked.
Brynleigh studied the thick black curtains hiding the backstage from sight when a muffled curse caught her ear.
She subtly shifted towards the sound.
“… none of them are here yet,” said a low, bass voice.
“What the fuck do you mean?” This speaker was much louder than the first. “Where could they be?”
“Fuck if I know! But we’ll have to delay if they don’t arrive soon.”
Something that sounded like a fist banged into a wall.
“Find them! Do you think I want a bunch of fucking Representatives breathing down my neck? This many men don’t just disappear…”
The voice dropped, becoming too quiet even for Brynleigh to hear.
A snicker came from her right.