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FIVE

                                                                    FIVE

      The gala was full of people in extravagant dresses and suits. The dress Vale wore made almost everyone else's dress seem inadequate and she felt uneasy. Maybe she should have listened to Antoine. Maybe the dress she wore was too much. She was supposed to kill a vampire without drawing attention to herself but how was she supposed to do that in a crowd this large? It dawned on her that she would have to convince him to leave with her. Wouldn't it seem strange for her to seduce another man other than her alleged date? People would notice.

      Riordan's hand on her lower back reminded her of how grave the situation was. She would leave this night dead or alive, and she sincerely hoped it was the latter. Riordan wore an almost friendly smile on his face and Vale found herself staring at him. He looked so young and relaxed when he smiled, even if it was fake. Now, she had to keep reminding her that he was one of the bad guys. Lords and ladies talked to Riordan and inquired about the battle against the royal families of Ul'duan, the continent south of Eradia.

      The war was relatively new and Vale wasn't entirely sure why the two continents were at war. She recalled hearing something about coveted resources but that was all. Surely, the Council could have established some kind of trading agreement with Ul'duan. Then again, the Council could not establish any treaties with another continent without the signature of all the monarchs from every region of Eradia. The Council was simply the power put into place so that no certain race had more power than the others.

      "You seem to be thinking extra hard." Riordan whispered into Vale's ear. She fought not to shove him away from her and instead let him lead them to the refreshment tables near the large ice sculpture of a two headed wyvern. The thing was bigger than the tavern a couple streets over.

      Vale plastered a fake smile onto her face and nodded at several passersby. "What is in my head is none of your concern. What does our friend look like?" How was she supposed to kill someone if she didn't know what he looked like?

      "I'll let you know when I see him. Otherwise, try to look like you are enjoying yourself." They came to a stop when they reached the refreshment table and Riordan grabbed two crystal goblets filled with red liquor. "Pretend to drink this. Please, don't actually drink it."

      Vale almost rolled her eyes. "Are you afraid I will get drunk and embarrass the mighty Riordan the Strong?" She relished the feel of sarcasm on her tongue.

      "No. It may kill you." He raised an eyebrow and turned his attention to the dancing crowd around them. He scoured the mass of people and pursed his lips when he didn't see what he was looking for. "I wouldn't be surprised if our friend decided to skip town. You better hope he didn't, for your own sake."

      Vale took a deep breath and looked around. Of course the Council would still punish her if Marshall didn't show up for his own execution. Vale would still have to pay the price for the failed assignment, which meant she would die. A passing lord accidently shoved her into Riordan, who caught her around the waist and cursed under his breath. The lord turned, cheeks red, and gave Riordan a playful thumbs up before scurrying away. Vale's cheeks heated as she yanked away from him and she stared down at her shoes until the embarrassment passed.

      "You are not a convincing date." Riordan sounded almost amused and Vale had never wanted to hit him so bad. Before she could respond, his head snapped toward the sculpture and he stiffened. "There's Marshall. He's in the red suit."

      Vale followed Riordan's line of sight and felt a sense of relief. Perhaps she wouldn't die tonight. Next to him, she saw a slender redhead that looked suspiciously like- "Sonya. He's talking to Sonya."