Page 17 of Cruelly Fated (Princes of Avari #1)

I tripped on the very first flipping step and ended up tucked into Valor’s side, his muscles like bricks under that suit.

Six-inch stilettos were not my thing, especially when paired with nerves and adrenaline.

Couples looked down from a vast balcony above, while others ascended the steps beside us, arriving with far more grace.

“That’s alright,” Valor murmured into my ear. “Everyone will just assume you had too much champagne in the limo. Now laugh a little.”

Mortified, I buried my face into his arm, eyes squeezed shut .

“That works too,” he said, amusement threading through his voice.

“How are you so calm?” I whispered. “Everyone’s staring. Judging.”

“I grew up in this world. It’s second nature by now.”

“And Kyon… Does he come to these kinds of parties too?” I asked, instantly regretting it as heat rushed to my cheeks. Fantastic, way to embarrass myself by grilling his best friend. Couldn’t I play it cool once? Play hard to get and all that shebang? Ugh.

Valor chuckled, the sound drawing curious glances to us as we stepped into the grand hall. He pulled me closer, draping his arm across the small of my back like he owned me.

A man with distinctive blond curls peeled away from a group of similarly gorgeous fae. The marine blue lapels on his black tux reflected the richness in his eyes. He smirked with confidence of a large predator.

“And who’s the lucky lady?” the fae asked, his gaze raking over me. His irises flickered with orange, just like Kyon’s had.

“My date, Allie,” Valor said with practiced ease. “Allie, meet Torian. Kyon’s brother.”

Oh. I eyed Torian anew. He shared that wide jawline and full bottom lip with his brother, but the resemblance ended there. While Kyon had raw looks and savage intensity about him, Torian was both ethereal and unapologetically masculine.

His lips brushed the back of my hand. “So you know my brother?” When did he pick up my hand ?

“A little,” I said with a small, uncertain smile.

“I talk about him too much,” Valor teased.

I giggled with my rehearsed, artificial laugh.

Torian continued to study me, curiosity flickering behind his eyes. “Enjoy your date. Excuse me.” He stepped away, disappearing into the crowd.

I rose onto my toes and whispered into Valor’s ear. “Why not just tell him why I’m here?”

“Kyon doesn’t want to implicate his brother. Torian’s in line for the crown. Wouldn’t be a great look for him.”

So even from behind bars, Kyon was protecting his family.

I strolled on wooden legs, letting Valor guide me.

We passed through various salons, each flaunting a different vibe.

The white room hurt my eyes with its pure white walls, a polar bear skin rug in the center, and gleaming silver leather furniture.

An enormous crystal chandelier sparkled overhead, and the women glittered like gemstones, draped in layers of jewelry that often clashed against their overdone gowns.

Valor inclined his head and offered greetings as we passed through.

Every so often, he reminded me to breathe and smile.

And when someone asked a question, I squeezed his arm with a breathy giggle.

I had no clue what to say, so Valor answered for me, effortlessly. How could he know all these people?

In the black salon, the atmosphere shifted.

Guests here, mostly vampires, showed off more of their skin and trailed other high fae with dreamy eyes.

The high fae’s blood was potent and new vampires often struggled with their restraint.

Some hungry stares landed on me. I glued myself to Valor’s side; by far, he was the only vampire I trusted.

Then we entered the red room: blood-red wallpaper with gold-flecked patterns, matching velvet furniture, and lighting dim enough to blur edges.

The same thumping techno spilled from the speakers overhead, but the air seemed more charged.

Guests danced in provocative rhythms on the center stage, some already tangled in each other’s arms like they’d forgotten they were in public.

Valor tugged me off to the side, snagging two bubbling drinks from a passing server’s tray. Another server came by with tiny glasses of shimmering blue powder—smaller than a club shot. Valor waved him off with a curt flick of his fingers.

“What is that?” I asked.

“Lunax,” he said without missing a beat. “A high-tier hallucinogen.”

I heard rumors swirling in my district about the newest high fae craze. Lunax was an indulgence low fae envied and would kill for. Some had killed to get their hands on it.

Valor’s gaze slid toward the back of the room to a raised seating area framed by crimson curtains.

A single couch sat atop a low dais, and a hulking man in a black tux with long, ink-dark hair slicked back from his angular face, sprawled across the cushions like a king.

He surveyed the dance floor with bored amusement, a champagne flute in one hand.

As a server approached with a tray of the glimmering blue powder, the man accepted one of the tiny crystal glasses and brought it to his nose. I watched, transfixed, as the Lunax shimmered and lifted on its own, drifting in delicate threads toward his nostrils like it was alive.

“That’s him,” Valor murmured. “Come.”

He took the full glass from my hand and returned it to a passing server’s tray. Damn. I’d been hoping to empty that thing for a shot of courage before diving into someone’s head again.

The gargoyle’s eyes tracked us the moment we stepped into his field of vision. A faint flicker of blue shimmered across the whites of his eyes like oil on water.

“Valor,” he said in a gravel-and-smoke voice, “it’s been a while.

” His eyes roamed down my legs and up again.

The dress Valor had chosen hugged every curve and dipped just enough to make it look like an invitation, intentional or not.

The fact that Valor knew my size and what suited my body disturbed me a little.

The man extended a ringed hand in greeting. My pulse skittered. Was I supposed to take it? I glanced at Valor, uncertain, and felt his hand tighten possessively at my hip.

“This one is not an offering,” he said. “She comes to my den tonight.”

The gargoyle clapped his hands together, a corner of his lips lifting. “Very well, very well…” His eyes began to shimmer with more Lunax blue, his head lolling back in a haze. “I’m enjoying my high anyway—but I’ll be dreaming about those legs wrapped around me.”

I glanced at Valor again, waiting for my cue .

He leaned in, his lips brushing my ear. “I’m going to put on a bit of a show for him, give us an excuse to stand here while you do your thing.”

The gargoyle slurred, eyes hooded and mouth twisted in a euphoric grin.

Valor clicked his tongue and smirked, lifting the curls from my shoulder. I tensed at the heat of his lips brushing bare skin of my neck. The gargoyle slumped lower into the couch, spreading his arms over the backrest, his legs wide. His pants tented.

Fae gods…this was way more than I signed up for.

I winced when Valor’s incisors pricked my skin, but he quickly soothed it with vampire venom. We’d have a conversation about him biting me later. Right now, I had a task before me. I forced a steady breath. When the gargoyle’s Lunax-glossed gaze locked on mine, I pulled him under like a pro.

Mist coiled around me. Just like with Rhylan—only this time, the fog burned with an intense, electric blue. I spun in place, listening. Grunting echoed nearby. I followed it, then froze at the unmistakable moan of a woman in pleasure. Nope. Not that memory.

Golden light broke through the blue behind me. I turned and ran toward it. A cavern opened before me, rough-hewn and vast. The gargoyle landed just ahead, leathery wings folding behind him with a snap. I stepped forward.

“Show me where you hid evidence from the attack on the dragon king’s estate,” I asked.

A grin tugged across his stone-chiseled face. He actually looked eager. Without hesitation, he clasped my hand, and I jolted at the solid pressure of his grip. Somehow, I could feel it.

He led me through a labyrinth of tunnels. We took several turns and passed countless side chambers until we reached a rounded vault door, tall and wide enough for a human to walk through. I peered over his shoulder as he punched in the code, and the locking mechanism released with a hiss.

The gargoyle lowered the handle, and the door eased away by a smidge, when something inside me snapped. A wave of red overtook my vision. I staggered back, catching myself against mossy rocks.

What was happening?

A sick, crawling weakness spread through my limbs. I fought the sensation, trying to stay anchored in the memory. The vault was halfway open now. Just a little more and I’d see the contents…

A flash of searing heat lit up the side of my neck as if someone had poured molten iron onto my skin. My grip slipped. I skimmed down the wall, gasping, clinging to the fading threads of consciousness.

The blue mist rushed back in.

And then everything turned red.

Valor’s alarmed face swam into focus. Blood smeared his lips and dripped down his chin.

I couldn’t feel my legs. He was the only thing holding me up.

I blinked at him with questioning eyes. My heart pounded.

I pressed tingling fingers to my neck. They came away slickened in blood, too much blood…

My mouth parted in a soundless scream, and I collapsed into him.