A world with no place for Elementals.
A world with no place for me.
“We can’t let him get elected,” I said at last. “He’ll ruin everything. For all of us.”
Micah grabbed my cold fingers and squeezed. “We won’t.”
19
As it turned out, our plans for overthrowing the Peacekeepers would have to wait, since the next few days at the Silverstrand house were spent in preparation for Oriana’s debut. While “debut” wasn’t exactly the proper Otherworldly term, I thought it fit the situation quite well. I suppose I could have called it a coming-out party, but Oriana didn’t strike me as a Southern belle. Although I once had a coworker who had told stories about his wacky Southern aunt, who used to sit on the front porch, rain or shine, drinking beer and yelling at the songbirds for making a ruckus. That, I could see Oriana doing.
One of Micah’s and my biggest worries was abated when Sadie readily agreed to attend. Even better, Max was fine with staying home. We probably could have kept Max out of trouble for the evening, or at least pretended that we didn’t know him, but I don’t think even Micah was suave enough to explain away the lack of the Metal Inheritor’s presence. Being that Sadie was finally starting to make an effort here in the Otherworld, I guessed I’d have to pick up something nicer than the fairy necklace for her birthday.
As most girls do, I’ve always very much enjoyed the occasional fancy dress party. For this event, I had the silverkin fashion me an emerald silk gown, not of the flimsy stuff but of the sort of heavy fabric one would use for draperies. These gatherings tended to occur in ancient stone halls, full of drafts and devoid of centralized heating, and I didn’t want to spend the entire party shivering away.
In addition to staving off chills, my outfit was also pretty damn fine. It looked like the silverkin really had paid attention to the fashion magazines I’d brought over from the Mundane realm. My gown had a long, draped skirt sans petticoats and was topped with tight sleeves and a fitted bodice. And, since I now knew that it was customary to incorporate one’s element into one’s attire for these sort of events, I’d gone all out. I’d coaxed a length of copper to outline my torso and decidedly scandalous décolletage. More copper twined through my upswept hair, and my shoes were delicate copper platforms attached to ribbons that wound up my calves, vine-like, to my knees.
Once I—and Shep—was satisfied with my appearance, I stepped out of my chambers and found my little sister waiting for me in the hallway. Sadie, who loved dressing up almost as much as she loved books, had chosen a sunflower-hued silk gown edged in stiff white lace and, of course, copper. Delicate copper filigrees cascaded over her arms and shoulders, covering her back and rising to a high, wide collar. A delicate copper tiara set with citrine wound through her hair; truly, she looked the part of the Metal Inheritor. She was so beautiful, I bet she would even outshine Oriana.
“If only I can act like the Inheritor as well,” she said when I complimented her metalwork. “Should you be wearing a metal other than copper?” she asked, indicating Micah’s token nestled in my cleavage.
“I think it’ll be okay,” I mumbled. Removing the delicate silver chain hadn’t occurred to me, but Sadie had a point. “I guess I’ll find out when we get there.” After all, I could always take it off.
We descended to the front hall, and I nearly lost my footing at the sight of Micah. My Micah. He was wearing a coat of woven silver cloth over a black silk tunic and pants, and black leather boots, his wickedly sharp blade at his side. As always, his mass of silver hair had resisted all attempts at taming and floated around his pointy ears like an earthbound cloud.
“My Sara,” he greeted, taking my hands. “By far, you are the loveliest vision that has ever graced my eyes.” He twirled me around, and as his arm stretched, I saw the copper cuff on his wrist.
“You’re wearing it,” I murmured, touching the token that proclaimed Micah as mine. “I worried I shouldn’t have another metal on me.” Micah’s brow quirked, then he moved my token aside and pressed a kiss to my cleavage. My breath caught, and I flushed from the roots of my hair to my toes, only to flush further at the sound of a throat clearing.
“Real classy,” Max smirked. I’d been so intent on Micah, I hadn’t even noticed that Max and Mom were also in the room.
“Leave them be,” Mom said, stepping forward to arrange the tendrils that always seemed to escape my hair, no matter how many clips and pins I used. “Can’t you see that he loves her?”