Shadow's Kiss (Monstrous Hearts: Fleur's Story)

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Kenzie not only had the right pills for what Fleur wanted, she could also hand them over right away as long as Fleur met her near San Jose. Thankfully, there was a rental place within walking distance of the hotel, and Fleur was on the road in a shitty pickup that smelled like burning oil and dead fish before anyone else returned from the winery.

She was dimly aware of still being hidden from the bond with Dario, and very aware of not wanting to reveal herself again. It felt like everything in her mind had clenched into a tight knot, which gave her a mild headache between her eyes. But she had to keep him from finding her or sensing what she planned to do, because there was no way he'd agree to spending a chunk of her life on another visit to the shadow world. She wasn't being a total asshole about it; she had left a note in her room explaining that she wasn't upset and just needed to try something on her own. It probably wouldn't reassure him, which made her more determined to get this over with as quickly as possible.

The sunset burned in her rearview mirror while she drove and figured out the details to her plan. The last time she had slipped into the shadow world, she had fallen asleep while wishing really hard to get some answers about Dario's curse. She didn't see why that wouldn't work again. As soon as she got the sleeping pills from Kenzie, she'd take one to knock herself out. And this time, she wouldn't run from whatever the shadow world had to offer.

The address Kenzie had given her turned out to be some kind of club. Fleur didn't see how she'd be able to get in if it was a 21+, but Kenzie had sounded confident while saying her name would be enough. That was only half the reason Fleur's palms felt sweaty as she approached the huge crowd waiting at the front door. She was all alone, didn't know the area well, and was very aware of her capacity to do really stupid things. The music already sounded too loud, and the people around her all looked confident and impatient about getting inside. She still wore the dress, jacket, and heels borrowed from Fiona, and hoped they would be enough to pass any dress code.

To her relief, the bouncer let her in without comment. She scurried inside before something could ruin how easy it had been but immediately froze at the chaos all around. Bodies were packed together. Lighting flickered blue and green. The music was so loud that her bones vibrated, and yet people were trying to shout over it to hear each other. This already felt like hell.

Sweat trickled down her neck while she sought out any sign of Kenzie, who said she'd be in a gold dress somewhere in the Crimson Room... wherever the hell that was. As it turned out, it was easy to find because the walls and lighting really were all crimson, bathing everyone inside in blood-red light. That also meant Kenzie's information about her dress color was useless. Fleur navigated the room, which wasn't quite as crowded as the main floor. It seemed to be more for people to rest and drink, with velvet chairs and couches set up around tables. She scanned every face in sight while trying to act casual. Her brain already felt fried by the music and lighting.

After a circuit around the room, she paused by an empty table, unsure of where to look for Kenzie next. Movement out of the corner of her eye warned her that someone had noticed her. Unfortunately, it wasn't Kenzie but a random guy with blond hair that reached the collar of his shirt. His blisteringly white teeth flashed at her as he said, "Want to sit down?"

He looked nothing like Logan had, but her heart still clenched in panic at the idea of sitting next to a strange man, and she gave him her best glare. "I'm with someone. Fuck off."

She headed for the doorway before he could say anything, hoping to disappear into the throngs of people on the dance floor. Just as she reached them, Kenzie finally emerged in view, waving excitedly.

Relief cracked through Fleur's voice as she shouted, "Hi. Can we go somewhere quieter?"

"Sure." Kenzie grabbed her arm and all but dragged her toward a stairway she hadn't even noticed. It took them up to a walkway that circled the entire dance floor, a public lounge area smaller than the ones downstairs, and then doors outlined in neon lights.