Eyes make their peace in difficulties with wounded lips and salted cheeks.
And finally we step to leave to the departure lounge of disbelief.-Ellie Goulding
Magic drifted upon the air of the opera house. The lights were low and the mood was set. Couples danced gracefully in the flickering candlelight, simmering seductively in velvets and metallics. Sarah had waited for this moment for forever.
The music was different than she had imagined, modern and dramatic. It suited the occasion, however. Her dress was black, short, and sassy. She had given up any ideas of fluffy ball-gowns many moons ago. Not needing an escort, she attended the exclusive gala on her own, she always knew the right words.
Hesitating only slightly she tied the ribbon of the gold and black Venetian mask at the back of her head. It tangled with her sable locks. Staring into the mirror of the decadently furnished ladies' room, she held her breath then smiled. This was it, now or never.
Sarah pranced out of the ladies' room and into the crowd pushing her way through the immortal bodies. There were humans here and there, but most of the attendants were of a different kind entirely. She pitied a few of the mortal girls she saw lounging among some vampires in a corner, they were certainly lost souls.
Oddly, the immortals never bothered her, perhaps some magic lingered on her still, disguising her mortality. She had learned her lessons well as a girl who was once caught up in a nightmare dressed as a fairytale; she could spot magic and monsters from miles away. They were not stories in books meant to scare children anymore. The trick was not to run from them, she had read that in a book once, You must never run from anything immortal. It attracts their attention.* She had never been good at running from magic anyway, she preferred to face it head on.
Tonight, she was looking to face him. The him, the subject of her darkest nightmares and dearest fantasies. He was sure to be here, anyone who was anyone in the immortal circles would be at this year's Winter Solstice Ball, she had done her research. It hadn't been easy to secure the information, but a little flirting with some errant goblins had produced more sensible knowledge than she ever could have hoped. Perhaps it had been too easy. Sense and sensibility fought over her brain for a moment at that last thought, but sensibility won out and she carried on with her mission. She had to see him just once more.
To Be Continued rather soonish...
This is probably a three-shot story that came to me while procrastinating over some final degree thesis writing nonsense. It is inspired by the songs which will feature as the chappie titles and maybe a bit of the lastest arch of Pika-la-Cynic's comic on deviantart, which you should read. Enjoy.
*Quote is from the Last Unicorn, you should read it.