Masquerade

25

~Nick~

I pace the walk outside the dance hall. Aiden has gone back inside to be with Willow, but Allan stayed outside with me. I glance back toward the doors then shift my path toward them. Willow's father gently grasps my arm to stop me. I look over at him and he shakes shis head.

"Stay out here with me, son," he says. "Neither of us need to go in there right now. Just let it be."

I let out a frustrated sigh, drop my head, then ask, "Do I want to know who won?"

He remains quiet and I get a terrible feeling in the pit of my stomach. I glance up at him. His face is drawn into a tight scowl, telling me I probably don't. I drop my gaze again and clench my jaw.

I'd told her I wanted her to do what would make her happy, but I can't imagine it's this. Not since this thing began has she once looked happy about it, and I wonder what had made her go through with it at all. I remember what she'd told Aiden and let out a weary sigh. Truth is, I'd agreed with him but this had seemed important to her. And so I had gone along with it, even encouraging her without coming out and actually saying so.

Now she's in there with some guy who isn't me, being given to him like some kind of fucked up trophy at a county fair. I run my hands through my hair, pushing back my hood. I lift my head to stare at the sky; the man in the moon smiles back at me, as if he finds the whole thing amusing. I don't share the sentiment.

"I need to go," I finally say, my tone defeated. I just don't think I can stand here and do nothing. The waiting for this to all be over is making me even more crazy than I was already.

Allan lays a hand on my shoulder and I glance over at him. He's eying at me thoughtfully. When he speaks, what he says throws me.

"Don't you go giving up on my girl, Nick. She's worth waiting for."

"I'm not giving up, Allan."

He gives me a nod and lets go of my arm. It falls back to my side as I take one last look at the dance hall entrance. When the door eases open, I watch a man slip out. He's dressed in a brown monk's robe, his hood pulled up to cover his head and face. He stands just a bit shorter than me, though his hunched shoulders and thin build makes him appear even smaller. In his hand he holds an envelope in a tight fist.

When he notices us standing on the walk he stops abruptly, as if startled. And then he turns right, his pace more hurried than before. I watch him until he disappears into the slowly thinning crowd, those who are still celebrating the last night of the festival.

I let out a long breath, my attention no longer distracted, and then I do exactly what Allan advised me not to. Before he has a chance to grab me again, I make my quick way to the doors, snatch one open, and then slip inside. I inch to the back of the crowd as the door closes behind me.

Music is playing again, and as I watch over the heads of the men and women in front of me my stomach knots inside me. A man in a brown hooded robe has Willow in his arms, and he is twirling her around the dance floor. As I watch I realize she's not steady on her feet, as if it's taking everything left in her to keep from stumbling. Her words come back to me, about black tie engagements and how hard they'd become for her.

I tense with the memory. I can see for myself now exactly what she'd meant.

My face burns with a sudden burst of anger and I shoulder my way into the barrier of bodies before me. They move aside reluctantly, not that I'm giving them a choice in the decision. When I reach the edge of the dance floor, my anger intensifies. I see a shine to Willow's eyes as she passes by that could be a trick of the light, but the frown on the hooded man's face I know is not imagined.