Read Online The Lycan Collapse (The Flux Age Book 2) by Steven J Shelley - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Steven J Shelley
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the walls over intricate cloth panels. The dim lighting was perfect for a masquerade ball. Several waiters were preparing champagne flutes at the far end of the hall. Yasmin retreated so she could make her entrance after the majority of guests had arrived.
She waited in one of the adjoining rooms, looking discreetly though a crack in the door. Several guests, resplendent in all manner of colorful gowns and masks, arrived over the next half an hour. Yasmin felt her anxiety rise as she wondered how she was going to identify folks behind their masks. A masquerade ball had sounded like fun at the time, but now that she was faced with the reality she cursed herself for her foolishness. It was an important night for making political alliances. Later in the evening a special meeting had been planned for all the attending species leaders. Until then, though, there would be plenty of awkward encounters behind these infernal masks. Yasmin hurried across to her personal chamber and retrieved her ornate mask. It was a stylised mask in rose and vermillion to match her dress.
Feeling somewhat protected behind her mask, Yasmin took one final peek into the grand ballroom and was relieved - and horrified - to see it bustling with beautifully-dressed guests. The buzz of conversation hit her in a wave of sound. The electricity in the air was palpable.
Yasmin made her entrance, opting for a subtle, discreet entry. What happened was exactly the opposite. At first only a few guests noticed her, but the whispers of “Silver” and “vampire queen” were obvious. Yasmin didn’t have much notion of where the vampyra sat in the scheme of things, but Tomas had warned her that her position would be viewed as fairly prestigious. After all, what could be more glamorous than a vampire queen? As more and more masked guests turned and stared at her, Yasmin suddenly felt ridiculous in her designer dress the color of blood. Who did she think she was anyway? Then some fool started clapping. How could they be sure of her identity? Her platinum hair, flowing like liquid ivory to her shoulders, was admittedly easy to notice.
Yasmin made her way awkwardly through the throng, not knowing who to turn to. The entire ballroom was now filled with clapping. Maybe the guests were simply thankful for the invite, or maybe they truly believed she was a queen.
Whatever the case, her nerves threatened to overwhelm her. Just as it seemed likely that she would faint, she was drawn into a clutch of guests and given a flute of champagne.
“Drink up, girl, or you’re liable to collapse.”
The voice was familiar. The woman was wearing a simple maroon dress with a wolf mask.
“Mother Aurora?” Yasmin stammered.
The woman nodded. Yasmin had never been so relieved in her life.
“Thanks for saving me,” was all she could say.
“Don’t mention it,” Aurora said crisply. “I don’t envy your task tonight. But the Lycan Society appreciates the invitation all the same.”
“I don’t really know what to expect,” Yasmin said honestly, feeling so young, so inexperienced all of a sudden. “I just wanted to reach out.”
“This is new for all of us,” Aurora said, almost soothingly. “I hear you’ve taken up residence in Europe.”
Yasmin nodded, on the defensive all of a sudden. How much did the Mother know? Yasmin wasn’t sure if she was comfortable divulging the location of her castle. She and Tomas had a lot of work to do in strengthening their position first.
“I’m a work in progress,” Yasmin eventually admitted.
To change the subject, Aurora gestured to a portly man to her right.
“This is Gustav Almasy,” she said. “Leader of the arachne.”
Yasmin offered her hand, which was kissed gallantly by the stranger. He wore a grotesque blue mask in the shape of a spider.
“Charmed, dear girl, charmed,” he said in a deep voice.
“My people in Europe discovered Gustav in Lithuania,” Aurora said. “I hope you don’t mind his inclusion.
She waited in one of the adjoining rooms, looking discreetly though a crack in the door. Several guests, resplendent in all manner of colorful gowns and masks, arrived over the next half an hour. Yasmin felt her anxiety rise as she wondered how she was going to identify folks behind their masks. A masquerade ball had sounded like fun at the time, but now that she was faced with the reality she cursed herself for her foolishness. It was an important night for making political alliances. Later in the evening a special meeting had been planned for all the attending species leaders. Until then, though, there would be plenty of awkward encounters behind these infernal masks. Yasmin hurried across to her personal chamber and retrieved her ornate mask. It was a stylised mask in rose and vermillion to match her dress.
Feeling somewhat protected behind her mask, Yasmin took one final peek into the grand ballroom and was relieved - and horrified - to see it bustling with beautifully-dressed guests. The buzz of conversation hit her in a wave of sound. The electricity in the air was palpable.
Yasmin made her entrance, opting for a subtle, discreet entry. What happened was exactly the opposite. At first only a few guests noticed her, but the whispers of “Silver” and “vampire queen” were obvious. Yasmin didn’t have much notion of where the vampyra sat in the scheme of things, but Tomas had warned her that her position would be viewed as fairly prestigious. After all, what could be more glamorous than a vampire queen? As more and more masked guests turned and stared at her, Yasmin suddenly felt ridiculous in her designer dress the color of blood. Who did she think she was anyway? Then some fool started clapping. How could they be sure of her identity? Her platinum hair, flowing like liquid ivory to her shoulders, was admittedly easy to notice.
Yasmin made her way awkwardly through the throng, not knowing who to turn to. The entire ballroom was now filled with clapping. Maybe the guests were simply thankful for the invite, or maybe they truly believed she was a queen.
Whatever the case, her nerves threatened to overwhelm her. Just as it seemed likely that she would faint, she was drawn into a clutch of guests and given a flute of champagne.
“Drink up, girl, or you’re liable to collapse.”
The voice was familiar. The woman was wearing a simple maroon dress with a wolf mask.
“Mother Aurora?” Yasmin stammered.
The woman nodded. Yasmin had never been so relieved in her life.
“Thanks for saving me,” was all she could say.
“Don’t mention it,” Aurora said crisply. “I don’t envy your task tonight. But the Lycan Society appreciates the invitation all the same.”
“I don’t really know what to expect,” Yasmin said honestly, feeling so young, so inexperienced all of a sudden. “I just wanted to reach out.”
“This is new for all of us,” Aurora said, almost soothingly. “I hear you’ve taken up residence in Europe.”
Yasmin nodded, on the defensive all of a sudden. How much did the Mother know? Yasmin wasn’t sure if she was comfortable divulging the location of her castle. She and Tomas had a lot of work to do in strengthening their position first.
“I’m a work in progress,” Yasmin eventually admitted.
To change the subject, Aurora gestured to a portly man to her right.
“This is Gustav Almasy,” she said. “Leader of the arachne.”
Yasmin offered her hand, which was kissed gallantly by the stranger. He wore a grotesque blue mask in the shape of a spider.
“Charmed, dear girl, charmed,” he said in a deep voice.
“My people in Europe discovered Gustav in Lithuania,” Aurora said. “I hope you don’t mind his inclusion.
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