*
Nox joined the pod in the enormous dining room for dinner that night, sitting at a table at the front of the room with Amalia. I tried not to glance in their direction too often, but most of the girls around me stared throughout pretty much the entire meal.
“Do you think they’re a thing?” Kim asked in a low voice, studying Nox and Amalia speaking together.
“Celeb Tonight said he’s single,” Bonnie argued. “Besides, if they were a thing, she’d probably be pissed he went hiking with Ryann today.”
“Well, Amalia wasn’t exactly happy when she saw them leave together,” Gigi said.
I whipped my glance to her. “Really? Did she say something?” I knew Amalia wasn’t jealous, but I was worried about her watching anything I did too closely.
“She didn’t say anything—she just shot you the death glare as you two drove off. I’d watch my back around her.”
Bonnie nodded. “Yeah, she is pretty scary. She told us to think of her like a big sister, but she seems more like a warden or something.”
“Are you thinking about going home?” I asked.
Bonnie looked at me like I’d suggested she try to suck her grilled chicken entrée through a straw. “God no. I’m living in Nox Knight’s house . This is my chance to get to know him and go to amazing parties and have the life I’ve always wanted. Nothing and no one could make me leave.”
“Me too,” Gigi agreed.
“Me three,” Kim added.
I was about to say something to inject some doubt, but at that moment, Nox stood and lifted his hands. “Ladies. Ladies, if I could get your attention for a minute.”
A hush fell over the dining room.
“I want to thank you all for being here and for your support this morning at the show. You made it really fun for me and the band. And even though we’re only getting started, I have to say… I think I have the best fan pod out there.”
The room erupted in applause and screams of delight. Nox smiled and left his table, crossing the room to a table of six girls toward the front. I couldn’t hear what was being said, but it looked like he asked their names because each one of them spoke in turn, red-faced and beaming. After about a minute, he lifted a hand to a pretty blonde in an apparent invitation.
Her spread palm went to her chest. It wasn’t hard to read her shocked expression or her lips. “Me?” she gasped.
He smiled and waited until she rose from her seat and made her way around the table to take his hand. An odd hot sensation twisted through my belly when his fingers wrapped around hers. I averted my gaze from the two of them as they left the dining room together.
Where were they going? What would they talk about? What would they do together and for how long? And why in the world did I care?
I finally lifted my eyes from my untouched plate. My tablemates were staring at me.
“Are you okay?” Gigi asked in a hushed tone.
What should I say? Glancing around at their expectant expressions, I considered it. How would a real fan podette, under the influence of powerful Elven glamour, react? Should I be blasé… or pretend to be jealous?
Maybe I didn’t have to pretend. The strange sensation had spread from my belly to my chest where it burned hotly, serving as rocket fuel for my accelerated heartbeat.
I lifted my shoulders and let them fall, keeping my eyes trained on the plate of unfinished food in front of me. “Whatever,” I bit out, allowing the venom I tasted to leak into the word. “It’s not like we’re together or anything.”
Gigi reached over and patted my back. “At least you’ll get to see him at the Hidden’s show tomorrow night.”
I shrugged away from her consoling touch. “I’m not going.”
“What?” Bonnie said. “But… you have to. We all have to. That’s what we’re here for.” The look in her round blue eyes reminded me of the dazed, vacant expression on the face of Emmy’s mother on the day she disappeared. Glamoured. Right. I’d have to
Nox joined the pod in the enormous dining room for dinner that night, sitting at a table at the front of the room with Amalia. I tried not to glance in their direction too often, but most of the girls around me stared throughout pretty much the entire meal.
“Do you think they’re a thing?” Kim asked in a low voice, studying Nox and Amalia speaking together.
“Celeb Tonight said he’s single,” Bonnie argued. “Besides, if they were a thing, she’d probably be pissed he went hiking with Ryann today.”
“Well, Amalia wasn’t exactly happy when she saw them leave together,” Gigi said.
I whipped my glance to her. “Really? Did she say something?” I knew Amalia wasn’t jealous, but I was worried about her watching anything I did too closely.
“She didn’t say anything—she just shot you the death glare as you two drove off. I’d watch my back around her.”
Bonnie nodded. “Yeah, she is pretty scary. She told us to think of her like a big sister, but she seems more like a warden or something.”
“Are you thinking about going home?” I asked.
Bonnie looked at me like I’d suggested she try to suck her grilled chicken entrée through a straw. “God no. I’m living in Nox Knight’s house . This is my chance to get to know him and go to amazing parties and have the life I’ve always wanted. Nothing and no one could make me leave.”
“Me too,” Gigi agreed.
“Me three,” Kim added.
I was about to say something to inject some doubt, but at that moment, Nox stood and lifted his hands. “Ladies. Ladies, if I could get your attention for a minute.”
A hush fell over the dining room.
“I want to thank you all for being here and for your support this morning at the show. You made it really fun for me and the band. And even though we’re only getting started, I have to say… I think I have the best fan pod out there.”
The room erupted in applause and screams of delight. Nox smiled and left his table, crossing the room to a table of six girls toward the front. I couldn’t hear what was being said, but it looked like he asked their names because each one of them spoke in turn, red-faced and beaming. After about a minute, he lifted a hand to a pretty blonde in an apparent invitation.
Her spread palm went to her chest. It wasn’t hard to read her shocked expression or her lips. “Me?” she gasped.
He smiled and waited until she rose from her seat and made her way around the table to take his hand. An odd hot sensation twisted through my belly when his fingers wrapped around hers. I averted my gaze from the two of them as they left the dining room together.
Where were they going? What would they talk about? What would they do together and for how long? And why in the world did I care?
I finally lifted my eyes from my untouched plate. My tablemates were staring at me.
“Are you okay?” Gigi asked in a hushed tone.
What should I say? Glancing around at their expectant expressions, I considered it. How would a real fan podette, under the influence of powerful Elven glamour, react? Should I be blasé… or pretend to be jealous?
Maybe I didn’t have to pretend. The strange sensation had spread from my belly to my chest where it burned hotly, serving as rocket fuel for my accelerated heartbeat.
I lifted my shoulders and let them fall, keeping my eyes trained on the plate of unfinished food in front of me. “Whatever,” I bit out, allowing the venom I tasted to leak into the word. “It’s not like we’re together or anything.”
Gigi reached over and patted my back. “At least you’ll get to see him at the Hidden’s show tomorrow night.”
I shrugged away from her consoling touch. “I’m not going.”
“What?” Bonnie said. “But… you have to. We all have to. That’s what we’re here for.” The look in her round blue eyes reminded me of the dazed, vacant expression on the face of Emmy’s mother on the day she disappeared. Glamoured. Right. I’d have to
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