That Night

Seolhyun thought she might’ve had a minor heart attack standing there, taking it all in.

The room was massive, the walls entirely made of glass. Crystal vases full of roses sat in every corner and on every table, and flower-covered vines hung from sparkling chandeliers in a dazzling display of light… and darkness… and streamed across the ceiling.

At the far end of the room, a small orchestra sat; Mortal musicians. Mortals were easy for both Genuines and Myxs to pick out. It was more than just the physical attributes that set them apart. Their movements were jerky and slow, while the Genuines glided gracefully around them. Compared to the Genuines, their expressions were bland. They were probably under compulsion to play there and not acknowledge anything weird.

Genuines could get a little freaky after a few drinks.

Behind the orchestra, Thanatos rose above the Mortals to loom over them like some kind of Angel of Death. His wingspan had to be at least eight feet, and the ever-present sad expression had been carved into the marble. Someone had laid a wreath of roses on the God’s head.

Nice touch.

Two servants appeared in front of them. One held a tray of champagne glasses and the other carried a platter of sandwiches. Seolhyun had a sudden mad desire for tater tots and fries.

Yuna graciously accepted two glasses of champagne and handed Seolhyun one. She caught her hand before Seolhyun could down the glass. “Careful,” she warned softly. “This isn’t like Mortal champagne. It’s much stronger.”

Seolhyun stared down at the bubbling liquid. “How much stronger?”

She tipped her head to a table where a Genuine girl laughed hysterically while her companions looked on in annoyance. She had a glass of champagne in her hand. “That’s probably her second glass.”

“Advice taken.”

Yuna went for another glass, standing beneath a painting of the Goddess Aphrodite. The resemblance between the two was striking. She then offered Seolhyun a glass of the luminous red liquid.

The glass felt warm in Seolhyun’s hand. “What is it now?”

She smiled as her gaze drifted away. “You’ll love it.”

“Are you buzzing?” Seolhyun giggled.

Yuna sighed dreamily. “It’s a beautiful night.”

Seolhyun lifted the glass and took a cautious sniff. It smelled wonderful… like wild orchids, and a hint of honey and sesame? She glanced down. It still felt wonderfully warm in her hand. The drink burned her lips and the tip of her tongue, but went down surprisingly smooth. “Yuna, it tastes…”

Yuna was gone.

Surprised by her vanishing act, she looked around the hall, finding her with Jonghyun as he drifted out of the crowd of Genuines.

As they came close to Seolhyun, Jonghyun’s eyes drifted over her in a mixture of shock and appraisal. “Yuna, she looks just like Helena did when she attended this very ball.”

Seolhyun felt creep out on a whole new level.

“And you can’t even see her scars,” Jonghyun continued. There was a weird gleam to his eyes, and Seolhyun wondered if he was drunk. “Utterly amazing job.”

Straining back, Seolhyun tried to maintain a polite smile. “Uh… thanks.”

Yuna looked as put off as Seolhyun felt. Smoothly, she engaged Jonghyun’s interest.

Seolhyun scanned the room for friendly faces as her fingers clutched the fragile stem of the glass. All Genuines looked magnificent in their finery. Most of the females wore the kind of dresses Rose would love to steal, showing off expanses of perfectly smooth skin and long, graceful necks.

She didn’t belong here. No matter what Yuna said, she didn’t belong here.

Taking a deep breath, Seolhyun’s gaze skittered over the crowd. Out of them, she recognized Minister Seohyun. She wore a white delicate gown that reminded her of something a Goddess would wear. Beside her, her uncle looked extremely interested in whatever she was saying. In awe, Seolhyun watched as he actually smiled and when they turned toward them, those emerald eyes shone like jewels.

That was, until he saw his niece.

Heechul stepped back, blinking. Shock splashed across his face. He reacted like he’d seen a ghost. Recovering slowly, he and Minister Seohyun approached them.

He nodded at Jonghyun and Yuna. “Seolhyun, you decided to join us after all.”

Uncomfortable, Seolhyun nodded and sipped her champagne.

Seohyun smiled warmly enough, but she looked nervous when she addressed her. “Miss Seolhyun Kim, it is a pleasure to meet you.”

“Same here,” Seolhyun murmured dumbly. She was never good at exchanging pleasantries, but the good thing was that the Genuines surrounding her gravitated toward each other and she was able to drift off to the side.

She continued searching the crowd… well, for Hyejeong, if she was being honest with herself. She knew Hyejeong wouldn’t speak to her, but she wanted her… to see her tonight. Lame, yes, but Seolhyun wanted that.

Go figure it was Jimin she saw first.

Or she saw her first, not sure. Either way, Seolhyun was surprised to find both Hyejeong and Jimin standing with another Genuine female she didn’t recognize. Several pretty Genuines had crowded them, possibly fascinated by the fact that an Elpis was there… or they’d just been drawn to the general hotness of the two.

And Jasmine was one of those pretty Genuines. Her dress was a white sheath that ended above her knees. She stood the closest to Hyejeong, her slender tan arm brushing Hyejeong’s as she spoke. Seolhyun hadn’t seen her since the first day of sessions and she’d forgotten about her, but there she was.

Meanwhile, Jimin stood facing the two and the entrance. Wearing a button down blouse underneath the cape blazer, she’d managed to find an all-white one and still look good in it. Her gaze moved around the edge of the ballroom and landed on Seolhyun. The expression on her face was almost comical. Her brows inched up her forehead, eyes widened with surprise.

Seolhyun being in a dress must be a sight to behold.

A smug on her lips was quick to replace the startled expression. She nodded at Seolhyun approvingly.

Seolhyun tipped her glass at her.

Then she must’ve said something, because Hyejeong’s muscles stiffened under her black suit. Then slowly, almost reluctantly, Hyejeong looked over her shoulder. The moment their eyes met, Seolhyun felt like Cinderella.

Or Shinderella.

Hyejeong’s lips parted as her gaze drifted over her in a way that made the glass tremble between Seolhyun’s fingers. When those eyes made their slow journey back to hers, all the air fled her lungs. The silver burned so fiercely, so hot, that a warm blush swept over Seolhyun’s skin. Her hand fell to the side, the barely touched glass of champagne forgotten as it hung from her fingertips.

Hyejeong turned around fully, her chest rising and falling sharply. She didn’t smile. She seemed only capable of staring. Just like Seolhyun, because she looked truly gorgeous in the sharp cut of the black rumpled suit with a tie that wasn’t knotted properly, and the wild waves of hair tumbling over her forehead, and those plump lips still parted in surprise, eyes still full of hunger.

As if in a daze, Hyejeong crossed the ballroom floor, her piercing eyes fastened on Seolhyun. Seolhyun knew she looked good, but not that good. Not so good that everyone else seemed to fade and disappear to Hyejeong.

So caught up in Hyejeong, she hadn’t realized Jimin had moved, but she felt her before she placed her hand on her, fingers curving over Seolhyun’s bare shoulder.

Anger flashed over Hyejeong’s face. She stalled, eyes dropping to Seolhyun’s shoulder. Seolhyun could almost feel it in the air, the primal jealousy, her raw urge to physically remove Jimin’s hand.

Jimin leaned close, her warm breath stirring the hair at the nape of Seolhyun’s neck. “People are starting to stare.”

Are they? Seolhyun couldn’t say she really cared, which was wrong, but Hyejeong was staring at her… staring at her with so much passion, so much want. It was the only thing she could think about.

And then Hyejeong pulled it together. Halting mid-step, she clamped her jaw shut. Those eyes were still like quicksilver, smoldering in the soft light. Her gaze drifted over Seolhyun once more.

Shivering under its intensity, Seolhyun imagined that Hyejeong was filing the image of her away.

Jimin’s hand slid down Seolhyun’s arm, fingers tightening around hers. “I know you two are eye-ing, but you know she’s not for you.”

“I know,” Seolhyun whispered. And she did know that, and maybe that was why she felt so hollow inside.

Hyejeong turned away then, smiling at something Jasmine said. But it was a fake smile. Seolhyun knew Hyejeong’s smiles. After all, she lived for them.

“Do you want to dance?” Jimin suggested.

Coming to The Ball had been a bad idea. The emptiness she felt spread, leaving a gaping hole. Seolhyun didn’t belong here, but Hyejeong did. Hyejeong belonged here with Genuines like Jasmine. Not with her, not a Myx.

Seolhyun tore her gaze from Hyejeong and looked at Jimin. “I don’t want to dance.”

Jimin’s gaze drifted over her. “Do you want to stay here?”

“I don’t know.”

She smiled and leaned forward. When she spoke, her lips brushed Seolhyun’s ear. “We don’t belong here, Seolhyun. Not with them.”

Seolhyun could stay here and continue pretending that she belonged, or she could leave with Jimin. And then what? Her fingers trembled as she set the glass down on the nearest table.

“Let’s go,” Jimin coaxed softly.

She let Jimin lead her away from the ball. A sudden heaviness settled over her. She felt like she’d made some sort of regretful choice.

And maybe she had.

***

“Let’s do something stupid.”

Seolhyun turned to Jimin, oddly nervous. “You want to do something stupid right now?”

“Can you think of a better time to do something stupid?”

Seolhyun considered that. Jimin kind of had a good point. “Okay. I’m down with being stupid.”

“Good.” She started off, pulling Seolhyun through the labyrinth. They rounded the Council chambers and headed into the campus. Jimin cut toward the dark and silent buildings. “You want to train?”

Seolhyun shook her head. “No. I don’t want to train.”

Jimin picked up her pace. Seolhyun had no idea what she was up to, but she’d learned a while ago to just go with it. The door to the arena was unlocked. A wide grin broke out across her face when she spotted the double doors inside the dark corridor.

“You want to go swimming?” Seolhyun asked.

“Yep.”

“It’s like forty degrees outside.”

Jimin pushed open the door. The smell of chlorine was everywhere. “So? It’s not forty degrees in here, is it? More like sixty.”

“You’re ridiculous,” Seolhyun said, fighting a grin.

“So are you.” Jimin kicked off her wedges, slipping off the cape blazer and dropping it on the cement. “We are a lot alike, Seolhyun.”

Seolhyun pulled away from her and stepped to the edge of the pool. There was something about Jimin that called to her wilder and yes, stupider side. They were both reckless, a little wild, and aggressive, and neither of them knew when to ever be quiet. If there were two types of people in the world, those who sat around a fire, staring into the flames, and those who started the fire?

Jimin and her would start the fire, and then dance around it.

“Was it so obvious back there?” Seolhyun asked quietly.

Jimin appeared to be choosing her words. “I don’t know what goes on in your head. I can’t read your thoughts. I just picked up on your emotions.”

“Good to know.”

“I second that.” She started ing her blouse. “Anyway, I don’t even need to be able to sense your emotions to know. I don’t think you want to know what it looked like.”

“No. I do.” Seolhyun shifted her weight to her other foot. These heels were killing her.

Shaking her head, Jimin sighed. “You were staring at her like she’s the center of the universe.”

“Was I?”

Jimin raised her hands in a helpless gesture, which looked so strange for her.

Seolhyun pushed strands of hair off her neck. “So I looked like an idiot to everyone?”

Jimin nodded. “Can I tell you something?”

“Sure.” Seolhyun said as she turned back to the pool.

“I prefer you without gloves.” Her breath stirred the hair against Seolhyun’s neck. She had no idea how she moved so quietly.

“Oh.”

Quietly, she peeled off one glove, and then the other, tossing them both away from the water. Her fingers slid around the scars before she dropped Seolhyun’s arm, stepping back. Seolhyun’s tags never seemed to bother her.

She looked at her through her lashes. “Better?”

“Much.”

Seolhyun glanced down at the beautiful gown. Yuna would be so upset if she ruined her dress.

Jimin dove in. The water wasn’t as heated as she’d thought. “Do you remember the last thing I told you in training?”

Seolhyun kicked her feet through the water, coming to where Jimin stood. “You tell me a lot of stuff. Honestly, I don’t pay attention.”

Jimin snorted.

The dress streamed out around Seolhyun as water glided over her skin. “I feel like a mermaid.”

Jimin ignored that. “Tomorrow, when they ask you about what happened in Gimhae, only answer their questions.”

Seolhyun sighed. “I know. What do you guys think I’m going to say?”

“Just don’t elaborate on anything. Answer yes or no, and that is it.”

“I’m not stupid, Jimin.”

Jimin arched a brow. “I didn’t say you were. I just know you tend… to talk a lot.”

She splashed her. “You talk more than I do.”

They both were acting like two bored kids who’d snuck away from their parents, but this was fun. It didn’t matter Seolhyun was outmatched in the water arena and Jimin seemed intent on drowning her.

She wasn’t thinking about Hyejeong, or the Council, or anything.

Laughing and swallowing way too much water, Jimin pushed clumps of hair out of her eyes. Their eyes locked. An immediate level of awareness passed between them. It was powerful, almost like the charge that’d shot through them when Seolhyun had touched her rune.

Something she never planned on doing again.

The atmosphere was no longer playful or light, and as the silence grew, so did the nervousness in the pit of her stomach. Jimin had that look on her face… all intent and purpose-driven, and it was directed at her. She liked to flirt, liked to the push the line between them, but this… this was different. Seolhyun felt it inside her, waking up and stirring.

Suddenly she thought of the heaviness she’d felt leaving The Ball. “I think… we should head back now. I’m cold and it’s getting late.”

Jimin smiled. “No.”

“No?”

Seolhyun opened to respond, but found herself at a loss. A strange edginess swamped her. Somehow, Jimin managed to get closer and she… she didn’t push her away.

Her breath was warm against Seolhyun’s cheek. “There are a lot of stupid things to do, but I really want to do the stupidest thing possible.”

“What’s that?”

“I want to kiss you.”

Seolhyun’s stomach hollowed. “That is crazy. I’m not Rose or Lisa… or any other girls.”

“I know. Maybe that’s why I want to.”

Seolhyun turned her head in the other direction. Or at least she thought she did. That was what she planned, but for some reason her head went the direction she didn’t want it to… toward her and her warm breath. “You don’t want to kiss me.”

“But I do.” Jimin’s lips brushed against her cheek, sending shivers that had nothing to do with the cold air over her.

Seolhyun’s hands slipped from her chest and she gripped the edge of the pool. “No, you don’t.”

Jimin chuckled against her cheek. She slipped her fingers up her spine, curving her hand around the nape of her neck. “Are you arguing with me over what I want?”

“You’re arguing with me.”

“You’re ridiculous.” Seolhyun felt her smile as her lips brushed over the line of Seolhyun’s jaw, over the bruise. “It’s such an annoying quality, yet strangely endearing.”

Her heart was beating way too fast. “Well… you’re annoying, too.”

Jimin laughed again and pulled her closer. “Why are we still talking?”

Seolhyun closed her eyes. She hated how breathless her voice sounded, confused by the need burning through her. “This is your one chance to talk without me telling you to shut up, because we aren’t doing... anything else.”

“Do you know how amusing I find you?” Jimin shifted, pressing Seolhyun’s back into the pool edge. Her hand left Seolhyun’s waist, smoothed down over Seolhyun’s hip and thigh.

“What are… you doing?”

“Do you know why I think you’re so amusing?” She slid the hand over her thigh.

“Why?”

“Because I know how badly you want me to kiss you.” Jimin cupped her chin, tipping Seolhyun’s head back with her other hand.

“That’s not true.”

“You lie. Why? I have no idea.” She pressed her lips against Seolhyun’s cheek, then against , her shoulder. The hand on Seolhyun’s leg slipped between her thighs. Seolhyun’s blood pounded, sending her heart into a frenzy. “I can feel what you’re feeling. And I know you want me to kiss you.”

Seolhyun grasped her arms “It’s not…”

“Not what?”

“I…”

“Just let me kiss you.”

Gods, Seolhyun needed Jimin to kiss her. She needed her to keep doing what she was doing with her hands. But was any of this was about the heart… or even the body? Or was it just what existed in both of them? The connection, the bond… whatever it was, controlling what they wanted.

What she felt with Hyejeong wasn’t a product of a connection, and it didn’t fade away because she didn’t return her feelings. She didn’t even question what it was, but this? She had to question everything.

Seolhyun did want to kiss Jimin and she also wanted to wrap herself around her. The pleasure ache her hands created was almost too hard to deny, but as Seolhyun stared at her and saw the runes slipping down her neck, slowly reaching toward where her hands rested against her skin, she had no idea if she could trust what she wanted.

Jimin’s breath danced over her cheek, then her lips. “Seolhyun, just let me kiss you.”

With Hyejeong, with what Seolhyun felt for her, there was nothing pulling her toward Hyejeong except what she felt for her. It didn’t matter that it was forbidden or that she didn’t want her.

Jimin dropped her hands suddenly. Seolhyun hit the edge, wincing as the cement scraped her skin. The mark of the Elpis shifted over Jimin’s chest, swirling and moving. “You’re thinking about Hyejeong.”

Seolhyun bit her lip. “Not in the way you think I am.”

“… You know, I don’t know which is worse. That I was stupid enough to want to kiss you, or the fact that you’re still hung up on someone who doesn’t even want you.”

Seolhyun blinked. “Wow. That’s a little harsh.”

“It’s the truth, Seolhyun. Even if she did admit her undying love for you, you can’t have her.”

Seolhyun whirled around and hauled herself out of the pool. Standing above Jimin, water ran off the ruined dress. “Just because I can’t be with her doesn’t change the way I feel.”

In an instant, Jimin was out of the water. “If you have this epic love for her, why did you want to kiss me as badly as you did?”

Seolhyun flushed hot with fury, the kind that only came from Jimin making a point she couldn’t argue. “I didn’t kiss you, Jimin! That should answer your question right there!”

“You wanted to. Trust me, I know you did.”

“I don’t know what I want!” Seolhyun yelled, her hands balling into fists at her sides. “How do you know? How do you know it’s not the damn connection between us instead of something real?”

The hurt faded from Jimin’s eyes, replaced by surprise. “You think it’s just the connection? Do you really think that’s all I feel for you?”

Seolhyun laughed harshly. “You say it yourself all the time! Anytime you do something nice for me, you say it’s the connection forcing you to do so.”

“Did you ever consider that I was joking?”

“No! Why would I? You said the connection would grow stronger between us,” Seolhyun said. “That’s why you want to kiss me! It’s not real.”

“I know why I want to kiss you, Seolhyun, and it has nothing to do with either of us being Elpis. And apparently it has nothing to do with your common sense, either.”

Seolhyun narrowed her eyes. “Oh, shut up. I’m done talking–”

“I know exactly why.” Jimin stalked forward, backing her up until Seolhyun hit the cement wall behind her. “I can’t believe I’d even have to spell it out for you.”

Shivering in the cool, damp air, Seolhyun flattened her hands against the wall. “You don’t have to.”

“You’re the most frustrating person I know.”

Seolhyun rolled her eyes. “And that makes you want to kiss me? You’re twisted.”

“Do you feel the connection between us right now?”

Seolhyun frowned, searching for little signs the connection was doing its thing. She didn’t feel that swamping heat or edginess, so she was going to go with no. “Not really, but I don’t know what it feels–”

Jimin grasped the sides of Seolhyun’s face and brought her lips to hers.

Seol