Dark Faïz ( Book 1 ) [ COMPLETED]

Chapters 5-3

Inside the room, I quickly realized that it would not be easy to find Faïz in all this rush. To make things worse, the costumes, makeup, and masks made the task almost impossible. The disappointment quickly won me over, thinking that I might not see him all evening. It was then that my attention turned to the splendid decorations of the place. The team in charge of the mission had not skimped on resources. Large glass vases held roses of different colors throughout the room. Wisteria covered the ceiling in different places, among balloons and white ribbons. The fresh and intoxicating smell of this arrangement also made for a glamorous visual effect. Mirrors had been placed all around us, which enlarged the place. Of course, it was Halloween, so you couldn't escape the silver webs, spiders, and grinning pumpkins. However, it did not spoil the aesthetics of the place.

— "You seem to like it," Victoria remarked.

— "Are you kidding me? It's more than that. It's beautiful! The dark and bluish light effects were a great idea."

Victoria seemed happy with the effect this first ball had on me, proud to show me American traditions. I finally discovered something other than weariness and sadness in his eyes. Her vampire king costume seemed to have a positive effect on her.

— "BOO!"

Marie Antoinette had just arrived behind us. Finally, she had made it. As she turned me around, she threw a handful of confetti in my face. Ray, very close to her, smiled at me with his row of perfectly aligned teeth and greeted me.

— "How are you, Zoe? You look very beautiful tonight."

— "I'm fine."

He wore a knight's outfit that I found quite in tune with his personality. Now that he was here, I was hoping he could help me find my date.

— "Have you seen Faïz?" I asked him.

— "Yeah...Uh...He is still on the terrace upstairs..."

His embarrassed look didn't indicate anything good.

— "With Rachelle," he finally confessed.

— "Not for long," fumed Asarys. I'm going to drag him by the skin of his butt and bring him back to his date.

Distressed, I glanced at Victoria, refusing to let her hear this conversation. Fortunately, Baudoin had already monopolized her by taking her to a buffet near the entrance. That was when Lucas reappeared without Lexy.

— "Well, are you going to stand there all night? It's not every day you can let go."

— "Uh, Lucas, what did you do with our friend?" Asarys asked.

— "Sumo? You're kidding! Her costume is so successful that she's signing autographs. I took the opportunity to lose her."

Suddenly, music by Sean Paul set the ball in motion. We moved onto the dance floor and started dancing. I tried as best as I could to drive Faïz and Rachelle out of my mind, refusing to imagine them together on the terrace, one against the other. The jealousy I felt at that moment made me grind my teeth.

— "You could have dressed up as Esmeralda. You would have been perfect in that role," Lucas said to me while dancing.

That was what he had called me since the first day we met. I was used to it now.

— "Instead, you preferred to play Morticia," he continued, pretending to be disappointed.

— "Lucas, I am a cabaret dancer from the 1940s!" I exclaimed, looking up to heaven, "not a character from the Addam's family."

— "Ah... Yes... Now that you mention it..."

— "Shut up!"

He laughed as he added,

— "Look, there are worse than you."

He nodded at David.

— "He had to invent a new character. Well... Maybe it's just an outfit of a crazy hacker."

I couldn't help but laugh, and it felt good. Fortunately, my friends were there.