I'm back!

As always, thank you guys so much for being patient with me and my update times. I couldn't ask for more loyal readers, or thank you enough for all of the kind reviews I've been receiving.

I'm a bit short on things to say here, so stay tuned for my AN at the end if I think of anything else!

Enjoy!

Chapter 29

Mom spent three hours on Thursday evening styling my hair. She couldn't seem to decide between and updo or a half-up style for the first hour after taking a curling iron to it, and by the time she finally settled on an elegantly-braided half-updo, I was growing anxious. Atem was planning on picking me up at five, and it was already four; I had left school early so my mother could pamper me before "my big night."

I reminded her that it was technically Atem's big night, but she didn't seem to care.

As she pinned the final locks of my long, dark hair in place, she took a step back to admire her handiwork. "You look beautiful," she said, eyes shimmering with tears.

"Uh-uh," I wagged my finger at her in the mirror. "No waterworks yet. My makeup's still not done."

"And that's where I come in," came a voice from the hallway. Mom and I turned to see Miri grinning at us.

My smile grew as she strolled into the bathroom and rummaged around in my cosmetic bag. "Miri, you don't have to -"

She plucked my foundation out and shook it in her hand to emphasize her words. "I know. I want to."

Another hour later, I was slipping into the dress I had bought with Tea over the weekend: a satin midnight-blue gown with a gather at the hem on my left hip, which extended down to the floor in beautiful ripples of fabric. The strapless number hugged my torso and hips, and slowly grew looser around my legs as it reached my feet. It was simple, but I liked it better that way.

Especially considering the jewelry I had chosen to go with it. I held my hair out of the way as Mom clasped the golden, splayed collar necklace around my neck, and then slipped on the matching bangle bracelets over a pair of lacy black gloves, which reached up to my elbows. A set of delicate gold earrings completed the look.

Mom's eyes once again teared up as I stood before her. "Oh, Erin…" she murmured around a sad smile.

"You look like a princess," Miri said, her grin threatening to split her face in half.

I smiled and clasped my hands in front of me, not knowing what to do in the spotlight being thrown on me. "Thanks for helping me, guys."

Mom opened her mouth to say something else, but the sound of the doorbell ringing downstairs cut her off. Her sad smile turned excited, and she squeezed my hand. "Sounds like your prince is here."

Stomach turning over at the prospect of more strained conversations with Atem, I made to follow Mom downstairs. Miri stopped me in the doorway of the bathroom.

"Princesses make grand entrances," she said with a wink.

I rolled my eyes. "Miri, we don't need to stoop to dramatics. It's just Atem."

Her grin became sly. "Exactly. I want to see how red his face gets."

I sighed and shook my head at her words, but nonetheless waited with her until we heard Mom open the door downstairs and greet Atem. The sound of his voice only made my anxiety grow worse.

Finally, when Mom called upstairs, Miri went down before me (most likely to get a three-sixty view of the scene from below). Swallowing a lump of self-doubt, I followed, holding the hem of my dress above my ankles and stepping slowly down the stairs to avoid tripping.

When I reached the halfway point, Atem's face became visible, and I could see the awe in his eyes. He stared at me like a patron stared at their favorite work of art - in admiration and joyful silence. My eyes darted to Miri to see her snickering off to the side.

As I stepped off the last stair, Mom embraced me. "You're so beautiful," she whispered in my ear. I smiled and hugged her back, muttering a thank you.

Mom released me and allowed Atem to come closer. Beneath his dark skin, a faint blush of crimson spread from ear to ear. "You look stunning," He murmured, not seeming to know how to form any other words.

"Not so bad yourself," I retorted, indicating the classic black tux and bow tie he wore, which, despite being the bare minimum for the dress code, only served to make him look more regal than usual. His hair especially stood out among the two neutrals, still as untamed as always, but still somehow fitting for the overall aesthetic of his appearance. Funny how well he could do that - it had been the same way when he wore ceremonial garb in ancient Egypt.

Atem smirked and held a hand out to me. It took me a moment to realize it wasn't empty.

No, a spot of bright blue caught my attention, and I looked down to find a fresh, dyed rose in his hand. The color was reminiscent of the pupil of my amulet, still hanging from my desk upstairs.

"Atem…" I said, gingerly taking the rose from his hand. "It's gorgeous."

"It matches your eyes." He murmured, low enough so only I could hear.

I smiled awkwardly, avoiding his gaze as a hazy memory of him saying that before flashed through my mind.

Mom insisted she get pictures of the two of us, like we were on our way to prom. Atem was polite about it, though, and the two of us posed in the least weird position we could think of: arms around each other's backs and both facing the camera like two elementary school students on the playground.

Right as we were getting ready to leave, Landon walked in through the garage door, a protein shake and a banana in hand. He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw the two of us.

With a smirk, he regarded me with a teasing glitter in his eyes. "Do you see this, Mom? Erin actually looks like a girl for once!"

I rolled my eyes as Mom halfheartedly slapped his arm with a chastising, "Be nice."

Landon's expression hardened slightly - though not as much as it had during their first meeting - when his eyes fell on Atem. For a moment, everyone in the room went silent, but then Landon shot me a look. I knew what it meant.

Mom sighed as I left Atem's side and stood between her and Miri, giving the two men some distance. "Your brother can be far too dramatic sometimes." She murmured while we tried to appear as if we weren't watching as Landon put a hand on Atem's shoulder and began speaking to him in a low voice.

My lips twitched; whether it was in amusement or sadness, I had no idea. I knew why he was doing this. He was only following Dad's example as the fill-in man of the house here.

After a minute, Landon nodded, patting Atem's shoulder, and turned to me with a smile. "The two of you are good to go."

A chorus of goodbyes sent us out the door, and then we were alone outside.

"You really do look breathtaking," Atem said, taking my hand in his as we walked.

"Thanks," I said, trying to ignore the blush I could feel spreading down my neck. In the back of my mind, a still-slightly-pissed Sagira tried to remind me that I was supposed to be mad at him. I told her in the nicest way possible to can it for the time being and let me enjoy myself.

Yugi and Tea were waiting in the car, Yugi in the driver's seat and Tea directly behind him. Joey and Tristan - Joey's plus-one so he wouldn't be left out - were meeting us at the event due to the lack of space in Yugi's car. When Atem opened the door to the remaining back seat for me, I found Yugi and Tea staring at me, like I had just interrupted a very tense conversation.

"Hey, guys," I said with an awkward little wave as I got in, Atem helping me get my dress out of the way of the door before he closed it behind me.

Tea's frown became a genuine smile. "You look amazing, Erin."

"Same to you, Princess Tea," I teased, gesturing to the blush pink dress she had set aside at the boutique. With the natural, pearly makeup and dainty silver jewelry she wore, she truly looked the part. She had even included a small tiara in her curly updo. I looked around the driver's seat at Yugi and whistled. His tux was similar to Atem's, but his collar opened wider, allowing more of his white button-down to show through. "You've gotten yourself a real-life prince to go with your outfit, I see." I grinned as Yugi's face turned red.

"...Let's get going," he squeaked around his discomfort, backing out of my driveway.

Having never been to Kaibaland before, I had no idea what to expect as we pulled through the heavily-guarded gates. Lots of rollercoasters? Dueling arenas? A carnival decorated with flawless reproductions of Kaiba's terrifying glare that followed you everywhere you went?

What I saw was far beyond anything I had been imagining. All around us in the hazy glow of dusk were lights - Duel Monster-themed displays, dazzling neon signs, fairy lights strung throughout the many trees interspersed between what appeared to be rides and carnival games. As we drove further into the park (a privilege allowed only to the competitors, who had been given specific instructions to park their cars behind the main event building where the party was taking place), the lights grew in number, flashing in my eyes and temporarily blinding me every few seconds. It took me a moment to realize they weren't part of the decorations; they were paparazzi, already swarming Yugi's car as if they could sense that the King of Games was in the driver's seat.

Yugi had to slow down while they moved out of the road to look into the windows. I huffed as one camera flared in mine. "So this is what it feels like to be Beyonce," I murmured. No one in the car acknowledged my quip, too distracted by the constant battering of bright lights to pay attention to anything else.

It wasn't until we had reached a large building with a garage door in the side that the number of cameras seemed to dwindle again. Yugi rolled down his window to speak with the guard posted there, but it turns out he didn't need to say anything. The man took one look at his hair and pressed a button to open the door. We entered a covered parking garage, and Yugi went for a spot near an already-established group of cars.

Another man in a nice black suit approached us when Yugi parked.

"Mr. Muto and Mr. Muto?" He asked as the boys helped Tea and me out of the back seats.

"That's us," Yugi said, smiling kindly at the man, who stood a full head taller than him.

The man glanced at Tea and me, then nodded and spoke into his earpiece. "Yugi and Atem Muto have arrived with their plus ones." A voice replied, and he nodded again, addressing us. "Mr. Kaiba is waiting for you in the main hall. Follow me."

Leading us through the garage and into a small hallway, the man continued mumbling into his earpiece. The Muto brothers calmly walked with Tea and me, as if this happened all the time. Which, I mean, considering everything they'd been through, this definitely wasn't anything to get their panties in a bunch over, but still. I exchanged a glance with Tea, and she seemed to be just as jittery as I was.

Or maybe she was waiting for the truth bomb she had set the timer for to go off at any given moment.

I felt for Sagira in the back of my mind, but she was eerily absent. It was odd thinking of her as anything other than an extension of myself, but the more I learned about her past, the more I felt the need to distance my life from hers. I hadn't grown up in the same environment or made the same mistakes she had. We weren't the same person at this point.

But did Atem realize that? I snuck a glance at him as we walked. He felt me watching him and sent a reassuring smile my way. "Nervous?" He asked.

I tried to push the fear from my face and pass it off as just being sheepish. "A bit."

"I know Kaiba's intimidating when you first meet him," Yugi piped up from Tea's side, "but he's actually a decently nice person. You just have to get to know him."

I'm not sure if I want to, I grumbled internally.

We had reached a hallway decorated with blue and white tapestries. Paintings and sculptures of various Duel Monsters littered the walls, an orgy of evidence that we were, in fact, attending a reception for a card game tournament.

"Hey, Erin, it's you," Yugi joked, pointing to a dramatic depiction of Magician of Black Chaos.

I forced a smile as images of that night in Death Dungeon flooded my mind. Though Yugi probably didn't think about it and was most likely just trying to lighten the mood, I wasn't too keen on remembering what had happened there. That had been the night everything had gone to hell.

If Atem felt my hand shaking, he didn't show it.

I took a breath to compose myself. We were now standing before a large set of double doors made of reflective steel. Our faces stared back at us briefly before the guard pushed them open. I could see just how haunted my eyes looked, and turned my gaze to the ground until I was sure Atem was no longer analyzing my expression.

The sight that met us through the grand doors was breathtaking.

Kaiba had spared no expense for this party. The reception hall we entered was huge - I estimated I could fit three mock-ups of my house in it and still have room to throw a rave. Of course, no raves would be happening in this glittering, blue-and-white receptacle of Duel Monsters and paparazzi (who were currently being corralled behind a line of red tape at the back of the room by numerous security guards). If I had thought the hallway leading up to this place had been overly-decorated, the main room was definitely obnoxious. Giant tapestries of various cards had been hung on the walls, showcasing the most powerful monsters in the game. I noticed a recurring dragon theme as we moved farther into the hall.

One dragon in particular had been given more space on the wall than the others. From its place behind a long, rectangular table on a raised platform at the front of the room - not unlike one a wedding party would be seated at - the Blue Eyes White Dragon stared down at me with all the ferocity of a raging fire. I flinched as my eyes met hers, and a brief vision of someone with that same gaze flashed through my mind.

Atem's grip on my hand tightened. I heard him say my name in concern, and I shook my head and gave him a faux smile to hide the shock.

He didn't believe it.

Besides the paparazzi and the officers keeping them at bay, there were booths lining the walls. Most were KaibaCorp-based, selling new pieces of software and Duel Disks. Others were showing off rare Duel Monsters cards. Any number of merchandise related to the game appeared to be laid out on the tables. The vendors, also dressed as sharply as Kaiba's employees, were carefully setting each piece into place. Tea and I exchanged raised eyebrows at the scene.

As it turned out, the table in front of the Blue Eyes tapestry was our destination. The security guard gestured to four seats near the middle of it. Blue name cards bearing the Kaiba Corp logo had been placed at each spot, and as we walked down the line of chairs, I read each name. Joey's was at the end, followed by Mai Valentine, Mako Tsunami, and various people whose identities were a mystery to me. Yugi found his next to the large chair in the middle, and Atem was right next to him. However, Tea and I couldn't find ours nearby.

The security guard who had escorted us in cleared his throat. When I turned to face him, he inclined his head in apology and said, "There is a separate table reserved for the duelists' guests. I will show you to it."

Tea and I glanced at our respective duelists. Yugi shrugged, while Atem looked mildly irritated that I would be out of his reach in such a large place surrounded by so many people, but there was nothing he could do about it. I sent him a reassuring smile - again, one that didn't quite seem to convince him I was okay - and followed the man back down the steps, Tea by my side.

The officer brought us to a round table just to the right of the stage, close enough to comfortably view the table of duelists. Tea and I found our seats and set our clutches down. I made eye contact with Atem again and gave him a little wave to show we were fine. His shoulders relaxed a bit.

"I wonder if we'll have to stay separate from them the whole night?" Tea asked, brushing imaginary dust off her dress self-consciously.

I shook my head. "They wouldn't have let them bring guests if that were the case. I'm assuming there will be people wanting to interview us about our escorts. Other duelists might have picked their plus-ones as paparazzi wingmen of sorts." Tea nodded at my logic, though she didn't question how I knew this.

The truth was, I just watched too many movies.

The officer informed us we weren't going to be able to speak to Atem or Yugi for a while, but there was a bar on the far side of the room that offered refreshments and waiters carrying hors d'oeuvres would start making rounds soon. More guests had begun to file in from the doors we had entered through, and he excused himself to help them find their seats.

I moved around the table, examining the name cards to see if I recognized anyone. Tristan was next to Tea since he was Joey's plus-one. Carina Dunham, Hyoto Hagami, and Yvonne Rslayovich made up another part of the table. But it was the name card just two away from mine that brought me to a halt.

Astrid Koleski.

Tea, seeming to sense my indignation, looked up from examining the white silk napkins at each place setting. "Erin? Is something wrong?"

My lips pursed. If my hair hadn't been done so nicely, I would have run an angry hand through it. "Guess who's hijacked the party."

"Who?" She glided over to where I stood, tense and aggravated. As soon as her eyes scanned the folded cardstock, she groaned. "Of course she would be here."

"Well, there goes my fun night," I murmured, crossing my arms.

Tea grabbed my arm in an effort to comfort me. "How about we don't let her ruin our night this time? Come on, let's get some expensive sparkling water before this place starts getting crowded."

I nodded and allowed her to lead me toward the drink bar as a distraction, but I couldn't stop the heavy sense of foreboding from settling in my chest.

This was going to be a long night.

"Man, I never thought stuffed mushrooms could taste so good!" Tristan announced, rubbing his belly. So far, he had devoured four plates of generous hors d'oeuvres.

After arriving with Joey about twenty minutes after we had, Tristan had been escorted to our table and immediately begun sampling each and every appetizer Kaiba's waiters had to offer. I was beginning to fear for the food stock for the rest of the evening.

Tea shook her head and took a delicate bite of a ball of mozzarella cheese. "Do you ever stop eating?"

"Never," Tristan grinned at her around a mouthful of half-chewed portobello.

I raised my eyebrows at his table manners, but kept to myself. So far, I had managed to snag a few pieces of shrimp, but I couldn't bring myself to eat anything else. My appetite had bid me goodbye and flown out the door the second I saw Astrid's name at our table. So far, she hadn't shown up, but there was still another half hour until the event officially kicked off.

On the other hand, Carina Dunham and Hyoto Hagami had. Carina, a beautiful Italian girl in her early twenties, had introduced herself to us as soon as she had been shown to her seat. A slight accent threaded through her very fluent English, but from the small talk we had exchanged with her, she seemed very sweet. She had been brought in on the arm of one Mako Tsunami, who - after I had watched him bro-hug Joey - Tea explained was a friend of the group from their last few tournaments. We didn't want to pry, but Tea and I were curious to see if Mako and Carina were dating. They would be cute together.

I glanced at Hyoto as my thoughts drifted to him. He had come in with a duelist neither Tea or Tristan recognized, and hadn't said much in the way of actual pleasantries besides a "hello" when he first sat down. At the moment, he was prodding his sushi halfheartedly with a pair of chopsticks. I wondered if he spoke much English.

"Maybe she won't show," Tea said, noticing me once again staring intently at Astrid's seat, as if the pure force of my gaze would set it on fire.

I broke eye contact with the offending chair and looked back to my friend. "That's the hope, isn't it?" Who had she hypnotized into bringing her, anyway?

A glance up at the stage told me Atem was just as uncomfortable as I was. For someone who had been accustomed to sitting on a throne with hundreds of people scattering about on his every whim, he sure didn't seem to be in his element as random Duel Monsters enthusiasts stepped up to shake his hand and ask about his experiences in dueling. I caught him throwing me a look every once in a while, probably in an effort to call for help. All I could offer him was a shrug. I wasn't allowed up there until later.

"Yugi's adorable when he's flustered," I said to Tea, who giggled as we observed him trying to hide his blush as fans praised him and asked for autographs.

"He's gotten better with people, I think," she replied, inclining her head as he smiled for a picture. "Before, you could hardly get him to walk in the same direction as a group of fans. He's not awfully fond of the spotlight."

I smiled. "That's why he's perfect for his title."

Meanwhile, Joey stood on the far end of the table, talking to a woman I assumed to be Mai Valentine by the chair she had placed herself behind. Her wavy blond hair shone gold in the lights of the reception hall, and the dark purple dress she wore clung to her in all the right places. She was attractive in the way an especially poisonous spider was: it was glaringly obvious she was dangerous, but you couldn't help but fall under her spell.

When she saw me watching the two in interest, Tea murmured in my ear, "They've been flirting with each other for a long time now. We're all waiting for one of them to crack."

I held back a snort at her last comment. The same goes for you and Yugi, Tea.

Of course, the press event could technically count as a date for them. An admittedly crappy one, considering the fact that they had to stay so far away from each other for so long. Plus, they had the rest of us here, too. Not intimate enough.

More people continued to file in through both the doors we had come through and a set of doors near the front, separate from the press. The hall was much livelier than it had been just thirty minutes ago, filled with happy chatter and music beginning to play softly from the live band in the opposite corner. There were an abundance of fancy dresses and sleek suits, and equally rich-looking people wearing them. I began to feel a bit out of place.

However, there was one face I kept seeing among the crowd. I had noticed him when he had first come in through the doors at the front, with his long black hair tied back into a bun and tan skin, which was only slightly darker than mine. Something about him seemed vaguely familiar, though I couldn't get a long enough glimpse of him to figure out why exactly that was. So far, I had seen him appear in four different places, looking directly at me every time.

It wasn't until Tea gasped and grabbed my arm to recapture my attention that I looked away from my continued search for the mysterious man. I turned back to her to see what was wrong, and immediately knew what it was she was pointing at.

Striding through the doors we had come through like she owned the place was none other than Astrid Koleski. A wide, feral grin lit her face, showing pearly white teeth that could certainly rip anyone's throat out. She wore a silky emerald gown, which brought out the poison in her green eyes, accented with golden jewelry to offset her flawless alabaster skin. I already felt sorry for the poor duelist whose arm was linked with hers.

That is, until I realized who it was.

I almost didn't recognize him with his hair slicked back and a well-fitted suit jacket highlighting his leanly-muscular form. Eyes as dark as soil in a grave glimmered jovially in the dancing lights of the hall, and an all-knowing smirk lifted his lips on one side. It was almost as if he had already predicted the outcome of the tournament, and he was the victor.

Together, they were a dynamic duo of terror.

I couldn't do anything other than watch, heart palpitating in my chest, as my two worst enemies outside of the cult were escorted up to the duelists' table. When they reached the platform that was raised above the crowd, Devon's eyes began searching the faces among it. Involuntarily, I shrank back into my chair. Suddenly, I was Celeste again, hiding with my sister from the horrifying gaze of the Roman man.

It only took another moment of cold observation for him to find me. Tea's grasp on my arm tightened.

Slowly, predatorially, he smiled. I tried to face his stare with a glare of my own, tried to remind myself of all the ways he had been a complete douche to my friends and me and channel my anger into my eyes, but I couldn't seem to sustain anything more than a weak look of indifference as fear coursed through my veins. Something in the back of my mind told me I needed to run, far and fast, before he pulled something else.

Seeming to pick up on my fear, his smile grew wider, and he leaned down to say something to Astrid, whose gaze also turned to me. Her grin became sinister.

A man in a suit tapped her on the shoulder to remind her that she had to sit at our table. With another look thrown my way, she pecked Devon on the cheek and allowed him to lead her away.

"Prepare for trouble," Tristan murmured as they approached.

"And make it double," Tea added.

The reference would have comforted me in literally any other situation.

"Erin!" Astrid cooed when she grew close enough to mock us. "What a coincidence to see you here!"

I bit back a retort about lying through her teeth - because there was no way she could have assumed I wouldn't be there, considering Atem's relation to Yugi - and instead chose to settle in my chair in a manner that I hoped communicated disinterest. "Astrid!" I said, voice forcibly excitable, "I could say the same!"

Carina, who had been quietly conversing with another woman who had sat down at the table - I assumed that would be Yvonne - seemed to pick up on the sudden tension surrounding us, and turned to watch the encounter with confusion. The poor girl had no idea what was about to happen.

Astrid's maroon-painted lips tightened. Something in her eyes flashed, and I knew exactly what was in store for the rest of the night. No one - not even quiet Hyoto - could help but follow her movements as she stepped around the table to her chair and sat down purposefully. It was like waiting for a lion to choose its prey.

Almost out of fear for his current state, I found myself once more glancing back to Atem at the duelists' table. He had most definitely spotted Devon, evident in the rigidity of his posture and the looks he kept throwing between the offending party, the serpent he had brought with him, and me. We were a chaotic triangle just begging to be released upon the happiness of the evening, and Atem was all too aware of the fact. His eyes locked on mine, and I could feel every bit of his apprehension and underlying anger at the situation.

At the same time, I could feel Devon's lecherous gaze burning into me from his place on the platform. All I could do was hope the two wouldn't have to interact anytime in the next fifty years.

"So," the annoying alto of Astrid's voice snapped my attention back to her, and I found a pair of luminescent green eyes fixed right on me. "Getting up close and personal with Atem, are you, Erin?"

Tea's hand on my arm was the only thing keeping me from saying anything especially scathing. "We're dating." I said bluntly. Then, to return her question with its obvious answer, I added, "Shacking up with Devon, are you, Astrid?"

Astrid's smile faltered, but only barely. "Oh, honey, we're far past 'shacking up.' I didn't even have to piggyback off him to get in here, like some people." Her stare at Tristan and Tea, and then an equally hard one at me, more than emphasized what "some people" was referring to.

"We didn't, either." Tea said, looking defiantly back at the snake before us.

"Yeah. Joey, Yugi, and Atem are our friends. They actually wanted us here for support, not just as an accessory." Tristan, unlike me, had elected to throw all of his distaste for the girl into his voice. I silently thanked whatever powers that be for his presence at the table to back Tea and I up.

The conversations that had been going on around the table had stopped in favor of the spectacle. I prayed this would be over soon so we could all get back to our night.

Unlike when I had spoken back to her, Astrid didn't seem deterred by Tristan's comment. In fact, if I had dented her facade, Tristan appeared to have painted a fresh coat on it. Teeth and eyes flashing malignantly, she chuckled. "Support. What a superfluous reason to keep people like you around. If you ask me, they would be better off without you. Especially you, Stephenson."

Something inside me snapped. Maybe it was my lack of sleep, maybe it was the stress of knowing I would die soon, maybe it was just seeing Astrid's conniving face again. Whatever caused it, I couldn't control the next words that came snarling out of my mouth. "Using twenty-dollar words like superfluous doesn't make you any less of a whore."

Tea gasped from next to me, and I may have heard Tristan clear his throat to hide a snicker. Others around the table reacted in various states of shock.

The edges of my vision were a furious red, but in the middle were Astrid's eyes, lit up like two slimy Christmas trees. And though she feigned hurt, I could see the satisfaction in her gaze.

She'd won this round.

"Erin, let's get something to drink," Tea said, trying to pull my glare from Astrid. I didn't budge. The other guests around the table were still silent, watching the two of us with bated breath. "Erin," she said again. This time, I sucked in a breath as if she had startled me, and nodded.

"Yeah, let's -"

"Ladies and gentleman! If everyone would please find their seats, the ceremony is about to begin." A voice boomed over the speakers, effectively cutting me off.

People obeyed, quickly scurrying to their assigned seats in anticipation of the big event. I held back a huff of frustration at my missed opportunity to get away from Astrid and her sickening smile. At the duelists' table, Yugi and Atem settled in their seats, bidding the last of their fans goodbye for now. A quick glance from Atem was all I needed to know he was worried.

Whether it was for the beginning of the tournament, or my close proximity to the Queen of Evil, I had no idea.

I didn't even have to look at Devon to know his eyes were still on me.

Once everyone was settled, the voice spoke again. "Please allow me to introduce the host of this outstanding tournament, President of Kaiba Corp and inventor of the Duel Disk, our very own Seto Kaiba!"

Thunderous applause echoed off the high-vaulted walls of the hall as Kaiba stepped onto the platform from right-stage, putting a hand up in a gesture resembling a wave. He wore a perfectly-tailored white and blue suit that matched the monster behind him. When the applause died down, he took on what I could only call a power-stance and began to speak into a microphone on his collar. "Welcome to the second KaibaLand Grand Championship!" Applause stormed the room once more, and he gave his trademark smug smirk. As silence overtook the clapping once more, he continued, "As you all know, I pride myself on throwing the best Duel Monsters tournaments in the world. And since my tournaments would be redundant without skilled duelists, I have chosen only the most elite on Earth to compete here this weekend. Only when the battles are over will we truly know who deserves to hold the title of the Best Duelist in the World!"

More uproarious applause. I winced at a whistle that sounded in the crowd.

"That's not all. You'll notice I have a certain duelist behind me whose name you may recognize." Kaiba turned to Yugi, who seemed to understand his prompt and stood on wobbly legs. "Yugi Muto, King of Games!"

If the applause was any more aggressive, I feared it would break my eardrums in half.

Kaiba silenced the crowd with a motion of his hand, then said, "As you're all aware, Yugi's title is up for grabs in this tournament. That is, if any of the duelists here have what it takes to beat him." Yugi's wave grew stiff, and he smiled awkwardly as the other duelists - sans Atem and Joey - regarded him with a new interest.

The speech went on, continuing to boast on the awesomeness of the tournament. Eventually, he introduced each of the duelists sitting at the table behind him, and did a demonstration of his holographic technology.

Of course, it was a Blue Eyes White Dragon. What else would it have been?

Once all was said and done, he told us that there would be another hour and a half for press to get their interviews before they would have to leave, and then he would announce the dueling order for Friday night.

Tristan continued loading his plate with hors d'oeuvres, but kept throwing suspicious glances at Astrid, who had somehow struck up a conversation with Yvonne and Carina. I was just glad she wasn't bothering me at the moment. Tea and I finally got to get up and get our drinks, breathing breaths of fresh air once we were out of the circle of death.

"Just a few more hours," I said more to myself than Tea, but she heard me anyway.

"When we get to talk to Atem and Yugi again, we won't have to deal with her anymore. We can just stay with them for the rest of the night. We'll be fine."

I sent her a cynical smile. "You're much too optimistic for this situation."

"Someone has to be."

A shadow fell over the two of us as we lingered near the bar with our fancy carbonated water in wine glasses. I nearly choked when I looked up to find his face.

"Erin Stephenson." It wasn't a question, and it definitely wasn't an affirmation. I clenched my teeth as Seto Kaiba stared down at me from his intimidating height. Up close

"Hi, Kaiba," Tea said for me. "Thank you for having us tonight."

Kaiba didn't look away from me when he answered her. "It's not a problem, so long as none of you pull your usual games here. I see you're well, Erin."

He was obviously referring to my lack of consciousness the last time he had seen me, so I nodded, not knowing what else to do. "U-uh, yeah. I guess I just felt the need to reacquaint myself with the floor before. Thanks for your concern." The nausea of being so close to him had returned, but it didn't knock me over the way it had before. I couldn't help the image of Priest Seto's angry eyes that flashed through my mind, though.

"Maybe try not doing that while you're here," he said. I couldn't tell whether he was joking or not. Kaiba's face and voice never changed.

"Noted," I said, cheeks flushing in embarrassment.

A moment of awkward silence passed between us, and then he said, "I came to thank you for allowing your sister to spend time with Mokuba. He has smiled more in the last few months than I've ever seen him smile before."

My jaw almost hung open at his admission. So he did know we were related! Of course, Seto Kaiba seemed like the kind of person to do thorough background checks on all of his brother's friends before allowing them to spend time with him, but he had never once given any indication that he knew me as anything other than Atem's girlfriend who had annoyed him on my second day of school. It was kind of nice hearing his gratitude. "No problem. I can say the same about Miri. He's brought her out of her shell."

He nodded once. The closest thing I would ever get to a smile from him tugged at the corner of his lips. "I'm also speaking to you on behalf of my brother. He would like you to bring Miri to the tournament tomorrow night."

"As long as there's a chaperone," I said, putting a hand on my hip.

His lips tugged higher at our mutual need to protect our siblings. "Of course. I wouldn't allow them to wander the crowded park by themselves, would you?"

"Definitely not."

"So we're in agreement, then."

"Absolutely. I'll bring Miri with me."

He nodded again. "Good." With a step to the right, he acknowledged a woman who had appeared next to us, waiting for us to get our conversation over with. "If you'll excuse me," he said to us before disappearing with her to answer her questions.

We watched him leave. Both Tea and I wore expressions of surprise at what had just happened. Somehow, I had made friends with Seto Kaiba. Something about that knowledge made my stomach flip.

"Well," Tea blew a breath out, "that was oddly terrifying to watch."

I agreed with a nod.

"I'm going to head back to the table. Are you coming with me?"

I shot a glance at our little corner of the room, and found that Astrid was still there. "I think I'll stay here for a while longer. Maybe charm the bartender into sneaking me some champagne."

She snorted and rolled her eyes. "Drink responsibly. I guess I'll see you over there."

With an affirmative nod from me, she began weaving through the crowd to get back to her seat. Tristan would make sure no drama was started with Astrid.

As for me…

I turned back to the bar and opened my mouth to ask for a refill of my glass, but someone else spoke before I could.

"Two red wines, please. One for me, and one for the pretty bird in the blue dress."

My eyebrows furrowed at the familiar voice. As the bartender checked the ID flashed at him, I was able to fully see the face of the man standing next to me. It was the same one I'd been following through the crowd before, only up close, I could now see the warm brown eyes set into his wise, young face.

My heart skipped a beat.

"Neferu?"

Aaaand scene!

Man, this press event was super stressful to write. I hope it's lived up to your expectations so far!

When is Erin going to confront Atem about her death?

What are Astrid and Devon planning?

Did you like the interaction between Seto and Erin? I had fun writing it, even if it only lasted like ten seconds.

Lastly, how and why is Neferu here?

Once again, thank you guys so much for being patient with me. I'm working on these chapters in whatever spare time I have, so I hope they aren't as broken as they feel to me.

If you liked it, don't forget to like and/or leave a review! I always love hearing your thoughts!

See you next time!

-creativelybored