Prisoner of Darkness (Whims of Fae Book 2)(18)

“Today’s bonus lesson: don’t make eye contact with goblins.”

“Did it read my mind?”

“They can’t see inside your mind, but they can empty it. Temporarily, usually. But with enough time they can erase it completely.”

Scarlett gulped. She wouldn’t make that mistake again. There were so many new creatures with different abilities. Would she ever learn everything about his new world?

Loud music boomed from inside the building. It grew louder when they stepped inside. Strobe lights shined everywhere as people danced in the middle of the huge room. Booths surrounded the dance floor, all filled with fae and humans chatting and laughing.

And drinking.

Scarlett had never been to a club. Her hometown was a small town, and she’d only been to a city a few times. Having a mom who could go off the railing at any moment didn’t incite a desire to stray far from home. Scarlett had dreams of leaving her small town for the city life, but they’d never seemed a true possibility. She’d have never left her mother.

But here she was, and this place was everything she’d imagined a downtown city club might be and more.

When she scanned the room more closely, she realized there were more than just fae and humans. Well, at least different than the mortal-like fae she knew. Was the bouncer also considered fae?

“Any creature from Faerie is considered fae,” Kaelem answered her thoughts. “The fae that look nearly human are high fae. All the others are a different species and low fae, like the brownies.”

Scarlett didn’t appreciate him reading her mind, but at least she’d learned something new.

Because she was now fae, and surviving in a world so different than the mortal one would take as much knowledge as she could absorb.

A goblin walked past Scarlett, its height only reaching her hip. This one was clearly female, dressed in a red flapper dress. Like the bouncer, she had no hair, but a small nose and long eyelashes gave her features a decidedly feminine cast.

When the goblin turned her head, Scarlett made sure to look away. She preferred to keep her thoughts right where they were, thank you very much.

Scarlett closely followed Kaelem as he walked past the dance floor and to a set of stairs. When they reached the top, Scarlett saw more booths. The one in the center sat on a pedestal. It was empty.

Kaelem led her to it. “After you, darling.”

This must have been reserved for the Unseelie King.

Scarlett scooted into the back of the booth, her already short dress riding up further. She looked out onto the dance floor below. The song changed to something with an electric beat. The crowd jumped in unison like a sea of waves moving as one.

A waitress with a long silver braid pulled to one side approached the table. “What can I get for you?” Her eyes, bright like rubies, stared impatiently at Scarlett. So beautiful. So inhuman. Yet, human-like—as humanesque as any fae could be, that was. She must have been high fae.

“She’ll have a Twisted Pixie,” Kaelem said.

“Your usual?” Her tone was flat.

“Yes.” Kaelem’s response was equally dull.

Scarlett couldn’t sense any animosity between the two, though. The waitress turned and strutted away, hips swaying back in forth as she walked in four-inch stilettos. Damn.

“You come here often?” Scarlett asked, crossing her legs under the table. She regretted wearing such a short dress. Although if she’d worn anything much longer, she’d have been out of place. All the girls around wore skimpy outfits. Scarlett’s dress looked modest by comparison. The male outfits varied from suits like the one Kaelem wore—silver, as if he’d planned to match Scarlett—to ripped skinny jeans, to nothing but boxers and bow ties. Women danced with men, women with other women, and men with men. High fae danced with other high fae and humans, but never with any of the low fae.

“It’s the hottest club in Starlight.” Kaelem scooted closer to Scarlett. “But I go to others sometimes, too. There are a few with more specific interests.”

Scarlett wasn’t sure what that meant, but she was pretty sure she didn’t want to know.

The waitress came back with two drinks. One was metallic and steaming. The other, in a glass with hourglass curves, faded from a deep blue in the bottom to a bright pink at top. She set the colorful one in front of Scarlett. A plastic sword with what looked like a blue piece of pineapple stuck through it sat on top of the drink.

Scarlett took a sip from the neon yellow straw. Holy heaven, it was divine—sweet, with just a touch of sour at the end. She took another drink, this time gulping twice as much.

“I’ll be a gentleman and warn you to take it a little slow.”

She’d learned in the Summer Court fae alcohol was stronger to mortals, but she was fae now. Shouldn’t she have a higher tolerance to it?

“Yes, but there’s more than just alcohol in that drink.”

Scarlett glanced at the cup, almost half gone now. “What else is in here?”

“Pixie dust—it’s the fae version of cocaine.”

Wait, what? Scarlett’s nerves tingled. A new song played. She could hear the piano in its background—upbeat and cheerful. She knew she shouldn’t have any more of the drink, but it was so delicious. It would be rude not to finish it.

She had another sip.

Kaelem wrapped his arm around Scarlett’s waist. “Delightful.”