Nada's Escape

84- Spiralling.

I don't have the energy to discuss the battle bond again. Later. That's part of the 'us' conversation that needs to happen later.

Though we're close to several gaggles of Huntsmen, the area we're in is dark and secluded enough to be a danger to us. Damn it, this is the last place I need to be right now. So I push off the brick behind me, launching into the light again.

Macie has circled back around to us, nothing but a pink powder puff against the lamps, "What's wrong?"

I sigh, feather light glances touching on Finley and Macie. The itch to run is back, harder to ignore because Finley's only an arm's length from me. "Can we talk on the move?"

I put distance between myself and Finley, unfortunately leaving Macie a half a step behind as well so I reach back for her. She scuttles forward and wraps her arm around mine, like she's done this before. I explain Josef's deadline as I sweep through the courtyard, avoiding eye contact with the Huntsmen.

Macie shoots me questioning looks, which I can only assume are searching for elaboration on the altercation with Beatrice. She's a bitch? Not much more to explain there.

"Well I guess you had better stay here. And stay out of trouble." Macie shrugs, meeting Finley's eyes over my shoulder. "And you can go and warn Amy and the others at the Warrior Circle."

Macie sounds like she's got it all under control, and for that I'm glad. She steers us back through the doors of the hall, shouting over the rising noise, "And I am going to extricate Penny. It's getting a little crazy in here."

I blink at the sprawl of the crowd, each Huntsmen taking up twice the space they were at sunset. Smiles wider, laughter louder, gestures filling the room.

"Are they drunk?" I ask, dancing away from a Huntsmen staggering in a mock brawl with another.

"Alcohol's forbidden," Finley explains from behind me, "But they're intoxicated anyway." I guess that's good for us. Still I've never seen the Huntsmen release that top button of propriety except to kill something.

"Do you want to come with me?" Macie asks.

"I'm fine," I shake my head, really just wanting to find a quiet place to hide away. Macie shrugs, and slips from my arm towards the dance floor. Finley makes a beeline for the exits without so much as a backwards glance. I readjust my dress and navigate along the edge of the room. Darcell's standing alone behind a counter set up as a makeshift bar.

"Another?" He asks, face contemplative. He selects a small bottle with a large label and begins measuring it into a champagne glass. Though he appears occupied, I sense he's glancing up at me from under his eyelashes.

"So. Where do you hide if you're sick of the party, but some horrible man keeps you from leaving?" I ask mysteriously, leaning over the counter to see Darcell squeeze lime juice into the glass. Darcell's face splits in one of those uncontainable grins.

"You've definitely come to the right person," He swirls the liquid with a metal rod and it looks exactly like the last one. "Let me take you on the Darcell tour of secret places."

Darcell offers me the glass and I wrap my fingers around its sides, slick with condensation.

"There are multiple?" I ask, though I'm hardly surprised, given his propensity to show up out of nowhere.

"Of course," He comes around the counter and picks up his own fizzy red drink, "You never know when some pesky couple will decide to make use of one."

In the farce of a real estate agent, albeit one with an irreverent sense of humour, Darcell shows me a few of his secret places. There are a pair of enormous vases stood by a wall.