broken thieves

twenty-two

Here's a list of songs that I would imagine would be played at the party in this chapter (also some songs I recommend anyway):

Little Sadie - Crooked Still

Down by the River - Milky Chance

New River - The Oh Hellos

Solider, Poet, King - The Oh Hellos

Like Real People Do - Hozier

Willow Tree March - The Paper Kites

Where is your Rider - The Oh Hellos

Scotland - The Lumineers

Also (spoiler) smut ahead :) 

I'm still not used to the tattoo.

It's only small; a rose with petals falling to the floor drawn onto my wrist, but every so often my eyes catch sight of the black and grey ink and reminds me that it's there. It's a very basic tattoo, very simple and not unique at all, but it holds a lot of meaning for me. More than I could explain.

"What's with the frowny face?" someone asks. As I tear my eyes from my wrist, I see that it's Fauna, wearing a beautiful, forest green dress covered in lots of flowers all varying in size, and I'm reminded of where I am.

The party, hosted by the Paris thieves. The forest surrounding us has been decorated beautifully, with fairy lights and lanterns hanging from the branches of the rich trees, and everyone here is dressed in outfits you'd see in fairy stories.

Fauna was the one who picked out my dress. It's pale pink, the top scattered with dainty, white flowers. I was worried that the floor-length, glitter dotted skirt would be too extravagant, but as soon as we walked into the party, I realised I'm definitely not wearing the largest dress here. The Paris thief girls are wearing what looks like the beauty pageant dresses I used to be forced into, and each one of them is as spirited and eccentric as the next. As I look over to the dance floor now, I see them throwing out crazy dance moves while somehow making them look good, along with a lot of other thieves.

I also land eyes on a very drunk Maeve while Elodie and Colby try to talk some sense into her, and Blake, Jayden and Zavier talking with some guys I've never met before. I've been stood by myself for most of the time, holding a glass of some expensive tasting alcohol and occasionally taking a sip. As much as I want to enjoy myself and dance and mingle with new people, my mind simply isn't allowing it.

"Aurora," Fauna says, gently brushing something off my shoulder. "What's up?"

I shake my head, briefly looking at her before down at the bubbling liquid in my glass. "Nothing. You okay?"

Fauna shrugs. "Not really feeling it today. And judging by the look on your face, neither are you."

"I'm fine," I say. "It's fun watching people make a fool out of themselves."

"True." Before she says anything else, Fauna reaches for the table behind us, grabbing herself a drink. "Aspen was doing exactly that before she ran off with some bloke. But I can't blame her. She hasn't seen some action in a while."

I let out a weak laugh then down the rest of my drink. Wrinkling my nose, I place the glass onto the table and grab another, not really planning on actually drinking from it. Something tells me I should keep a clear head this evening.

"You don't have to tell me what's bothering you," Fauna says. "But it might make you feel a bit better."

I shrug, swirling around the liquid in the glass. "The first and last time I went to a party like this, I was beaten, forced to choose between my brothers, a bomb went off and knocked me unconscious and two of my best friends were kidnapped. I'm just... finding it difficult to enjoy this one."