Nada's Escape

81- Cola.

Something cold presses against my shoulder and I whirl to find Darcell has snuck up on me with a champagne glass filled with cola. I take it automatically, lifting it to my lips to quench my thirst. It's ice cold and bitter, burning the back of my throat and twisting my face into a grimace.

"Looks like you need to slow down." Darcell half yells above the people-noise. "You can't avoid everyone all night."

"I'm not-" I protest but there's a steady scepticism in his eyes that tells me he's been watching me longer than I realise. So I'm twitchy about Finley, keeping a wary eye out for him. I haven't actively had to avoid him yet and that's a win in a party full of strangers. I lift the drink again to my lips, swallowing my previous line of reasoning in favour of another. "Like you said, not really my scene."

I choke on the taste I'd somehow forgotten about, smoke wrapping itself around my tongue. I frown into the glass' tiny opening, but the look of it gives me no clues. But damn I'm thirsty.

"Look that's fine. But if you're avoiding me I'd prefer you just told me straight up. Then we can both go home and have a better night." Darcell's calm expression belies his acerbic words. I blink dumbly for a second at the incongruity, vaguely aware of Macie fading into the crowd on my other side.

"Wait. You think I'm avoiding you?" I move the glass down to my side so I don't forget and drink out of it again.

Darcell's eyes widen, dissipating some of his cool façade. "You're not?" He asks.

"No." I brush my hair aside and turn away from the dancers as I summarise, "I was just busy."

An infectious grin breaks across his face, "That's awesome." He lifts his glass to mine and amused, I return the smile, tapping the rim of my glass to his. I take a tiny sip from the glass and somehow the smaller amount tastes better than the whole.

"Looks like your still busy." Darcell nods and I turn my head to find Amy bobbing through the crowd behind me. She waves and ducks between the linked arms of the red couple from the parade. I pull my skirt around with me as I turn further towards Amy.

I mention over my shoulder, "We're thinking of heading out soon." Darcell, behind me now, pushes into the space of my skirts for a second. I sense the closeness as much as feel it, tensing in response.

"Moving the party elsewhere?" Darcell jokes softly and I step sideways; away from that closeness. He, too, is circling me so that he stays in my eye line. An awkward dance of distance.

"Girls only, sorry." I say, giving a little shrug like it's out of my control. He shows me his eyelids for a couple of seconds. Just long enough to make me lift my glass to my lips, just for something to do.

Amy arrives, filling the air with an easier energy. "We're leaving?" She asks.

Darcell's gaze barely flickers towards my face before he bows from the waist. "I shall let you go gracefully then."

There's a laugh behind my smile as I reply, "Thanks." I nod to Amy. Yes let's go.

I twirl towards the closest doors, taking Amy's hand to help navigate quickly through the crowd, though it's thinning now. I spy Finley's crowned head through the crowd by that door. My stomach does a backflip.

"Shit." I try to change course towards the farther portico doors but there's a someone with an unstable tray of empty glasses chatting to Martin in that direction. Amy pulls on my arm towards a gap, bringing me father into Finley's orbit. I hold my glass to my suddenly flushing face and resist her further pulls.

Amy wobbles for a moment on her heels, and I try to steady and steer her at the same time. We somehow stagger across the floor to a pillar. She's giggling, but I'm checking that Finley hasn't followed. As I do the dusty haired man he was talking to walks away and Finley looks up, a smile touching his lips. Just my luck.

"I'm sorry," I whisper to Amy. "Can you distract?" She shoots an unimpressed look at Finley, who's walking towards us.

"I'm no Macie," she warns.

I push my palms together, pleading. Please. She fluffs up her hair and waves away my pleading. I don't have time to witness her distraction, but I hear coughing behind me. Spotting the Huntswoman Alex towards the far door, I use her as an excuse to dash forward, elbowing aside a couple of middle-aged Huntsmen.

"Alex! I wanted to say goodbye before I go." As I reach her she puts finger to her lips and points at her young son's face pressed against her shoulder. His eyes are half closed and sleepy. I garble as many short niceties to her as I can before scampering the couple of steps to the door.

A pair of deep blue pants brings me up short. My gaze travels upwards to reveal a tiny silver bouquet pinned to a matching jacket. Josef's eyebrows clench together above eyes that are disconcertingly pale. He clearly stands in my path, and as I politely duck my head and turn to avoid him he steps up into my space.

"You aren't to leave yet," he whispers, head bent down to my ear. I step back, my breath already sounding angry to my ears. I plant my feet and shake back the wispy collar of my dress.

"Why?" I demand. Only his eyebrows move, showing none of the rage I'd seen when he'd visited me in Seven.

"Because you're a Huntswoman now, not a human. It's time to learn what that means." He gestures to the party in the thick of the hall.

I try to rush past him but my shoulder collides with his immovable palm, stalling me. His fingers press too warm against my skin and the wispy trails of my collar. If there ever is a moment you want your shoulders covered for, it is one like this, where that pressure reminds you that you are trapped in useless couture.

I inch my face back up to him, letting sourness about the whole night well up. "Sorry that's not what I meant. What I meant was: how are you going to stop me?"

He pushes my shoulder just little but I hold my ground, flats solid beneath my feet. Praise be to flats.

Josef keeps his next words low, "I've heard about your little sleepover." Ice water rushes through me. Does he know? All my plans begin to swirl untethered in the arctic water of my mind.

"That's all very good for the humans," Josef continues relentlessly, "But if you leave to join them I'll be forced to break it up, send them all home to their respective sponsors." I remain still for several long seconds, searching for that last nail in the coffin of our plan. But there's no more. He's finished, satisfied with the threat even. He takes a half step back and eases up on my shoulder. I summon up all my sarcasm to cover my intense relief.

"Seriously?" That's it. All I have to do is tolerate the Huntsmen for a few hours and then we'll be gone.

"Seriously." He replies and I shake off his touch, trying to shake my composure together again. We're probably okay. Unless he's playing me. I should really talk to Finley. My gut disagrees with the latter sentiment, but I ignore it for now.

"And for how long?" I ask, striving for deadpan.

"Hmm shall we say... I hope to see you still about when the clock strikes midnight."

I nod mechanically and try to ignore the twitch of Josef's lips, probably the precursor to a smile. If that man ever smiles. I drift back to Alex's side, keeping silent and breathing out a long sigh.

This is fine. We hadn't planned to actually leave until midnight or later anyway. It's entirely possible Josef doesn't know about the plan after all. He's just being stupendously irritating.