Dusk

XXXIX

All eyes snapped to her as she popped open her second bottle and took another drink acting as if she didn't smash a bottle, "can we hurry this up? Some of us have things we gotta do." She smiled as she wiped the small dribble of champagne from her red lips. Growing irritated with everyone's attention, she snapped the mask off, "let's just give em their worthless corpses," she stood up as the alcohol began taking effect, a burp escaping her lips, "and just keep it movin."

"Nora, please keep Miss Gates occupied before she embarrasses herself further," Kharis said from the hallway.

"Yes, Queen."

Everest stood off with Orpheus as he watched Orion with intrigue, "she never ceases to amaze me." He chuckled darkly before returning to the Cruorems. Everest was forced to let go of the silver before it caused serious pain. The painful hiss made a smile on Orion's face appear before she hiccuped from the cell she sat in, ignoring Nora and her parents who tried to keep her quiet.

As if it were instincts, his gray eyes searched for her. Never before seeing her this visibly distraught, he stared at her until she finally looked up. Their eyes locked and it made her feel uncomfortable. His eyes were so unusually soft. No else in the room would be able to notice it especially by his angry expression. Their eye contact intense and it made her turn away before standing up to stumble towards Calvin.

Plopping down besides him, he reached for her hand as she rested her head on his shoulder. Everest watched enraged which is exactly what Orion wanted him to feel. She smirked slightly at him.

Jealous boy?

Looks like it.

Meanwhile, Lilith was ecstatic that the love of her life came to rescue her. As she voiced her excitement, Melania sat unimpressed, "I thought we'd at least get to kill someone," she huffed as they unlocked her cell.

"Not this time Mel," Kali hugged her and they began walking out together. Orpheus watched as Lilith struggled to walk with each step, her torture nearly unbearable as she hobbled beside him, "I knew you'd come for me." Her eyes alight with admiration and love as she looked at him. "Yes well, let's get back shall we? You reek." He awkwardly patted her shoulder as he left her to walk alone behind him. All the spectators watched as Lilith slammed onto the tile without any assistance. Kali and Mel turned to help her walk up the stairs to catch up to Orpheus.

"We will be seeing each other very soon," Orpheus smiled before leaving with his 'family'. No one else moved as they left. Kharis and Alessandro ensured the guards escorted them out of the capital.

---------------

After waiting for half an hour, a guard came back down to inform them of their sweep of the capital and that the Dragomirs were successfully removed from the property. They turned to go into the cell, "all of you may go to your rooms. We will question Everest and administer the punishment we see fit." Orion stumbled up and looked at them, "I changed my mind. I'm gonna stay and watch him get tortured." She burped, finally finishing the second bottle.

"Ry how about we go to bed?" Derek reached for her.

"That asshole watched me get tortured for a month. Why can't I watch for a few minutes? Is that so wrong?" She spun around, glaring at any of them that dared tell her it wasn't fair. Having no response to her words she continued, "that's what I thought. Goodnight. All of you."

"I'll make sure she gets to bed safely," Kharis said, reassuring the worried expressions they all bore, "Nora you may also be excused. It's been a stressful evening and you've done great work."

They all began leaving the dingy, dungeon. Most of them exhausted from the ball and staying up as late as they have.

Orion sat against the wall in the hallway beside his cell to watch him get questioned.