Ashes(102)

When the carriage neared the studio, Harper beamed as she caught sight of the girls and her family. Hooting and jumping, they waved like crazy people. Jolene did a very regal wave that made Harper's demon smile.



As the performers and carriage continued down the strip, the members of the Force worked to keep the spectators behind the ropes and ensure that all the performers moved in a timely fashion. All the while, their eyes searched for potential threats.



She leaned into Knox. "Considering I'm nervous, the smells of popcorn, frying onions, and grilled meat shouldn't be making me feel hungry." Her words were almost drowned out by the shouting, the marching band, the clip-clop of the horses' hooves, and the rumble of the Harley engines.



Knox brushed confetti out of her hair. "We'll eat once this is over."



Satisfied by that, Harper carried on waving as the parade went on. Her face actually hurt from fixing a smile on it as they passed what seemed like a never-ending row of bars, restaurants, stores, coffeehouses, hotels, and casinos. People waved from their hotel balconies, and some even dangled cotton "congratulations" banners. Harper waved back, which felt totally weird but it would have been rude not to. 



With all the noise, the sparkly costumes, and the delicious scents of vender food, it was a sensory overload – her demon was impatient to get it over and done with. Harper suspected that she might collapse in relief when it was over.



She tried to make eye contact with the kids, amused by how excited they looked. One particular child caught her attention, because he wasn't jumping or waving. Taking a closer look, she realized it was McCauley. He stared right at her, his eyes as blank as always. It gave her the chills, and she shivered.



Knox put his mouth to her ear. "What's wrong?"



"Nothing. I just saw McCauley."



"Elena must have brought him."



"Yeah, I guess so." Shaking off her discomfort, Harper went back to waving and smiling at the crowd. It was a further half an hour before the parade was finally over, and she was so happy to be able to lower her aching hand and drop that Barbie smile.



At Knox's request, the demon steering the horses dropped them off at the Ice Lounge. It was an upscale bar that Harper hadn't actually been to before. When she entered, she could only gasp. It was like walking into a giant Alaskan cave, only the ice was completely synthetic and the temperature was warm.



The curved-back chairs were the same white leather as the swivel stools lining the bar, but it seemed that they were the only, well, normal furnishings. The dome bar, the tables, the glasses, the sculptures, and even the walls themselves were all made of artificial ice.



The ceiling shimmered with the colors of the Alaskan Northern Lights – it was seriously beautiful to watch. The colors reflected off the walls, making the ice seem tinted at times. Also, there was some kind of light inside each of the tables, making the fake-frosted cubes glow.



In sum …  "This place is fucking awesome." Even her demon was impressed.



"Glad you like it," said Knox as he led her past the crowded tables to the VIP area, where leather sofas lined the walls. As he'd anticipated, Jolene, Beck, and Harper's co-workers were already there, drinks in hand. They all rose, grinning.



Jolene pulled Harper into a one-armed hug. "Hello, sweetheart. Relieved it's over?"



"So relieved I could cry with joy," said Harper honestly.



Jolene cackled. "Knox, always a pleasure."



He nodded. "Jolene, good to see you." After everyone exchanged greetings, Knox guided Harper to the corner of the eternally long sofa, where she'd be surrounded and out of reach. The sentinels joined them in lounging around the VIP area, but they also watched the crowd closely with shrewd eyes.



Harper glanced around. "Where's Martina and Ciaran?"



"Martina's working the crowd," replied Jolene. Translation: she was pickpocketing. "And Ciaran's chatting up some girl at the bar."



At that moment, the server appeared, took Knox and Harper's orders, and then left.



Raini stirred her cocktail as she spoke to Harper. "God, it's been super weird not seeing you every day."



Devon nodded. "Don't take this the wrong way, but I genuinely didn't expect to miss you this much."



Harper snorted. "Thanks, I guess."



Tanner grinned at Devon. "You've missed me too. Admit it."



The hellcat sneered. "Or I could just punch you in the dick instead."


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