Legendary (24 page)

P
RESSING
P
LAY
O
N
H
ER
M
USIC
, Aliana pulled a stool into the bathroom and began the annoying task of styling her hair. She pulled the sides of her curly brown locks back and held them in place with small, glittering pins, letting a mass of hair fall down her back. A bottle of hair spray and an hour and a half later, she left the bathroom and pulled on the dress Lacy had made for her. There were three things Lacy had a passion for in life: fashion, parties, and boys.

Lacy was gifted with designing but not so much at subtlety. This dress had clearly been designed for ballroom dancing in a beautiful shade of lavender with sheer, glittery netting over the soft material. Its petal skirt fell just above her knees. Multiple strings were attached to the front of the dress by large, silver rings. Carefully, Aliana pulled the strings over her shoulders to lace them through the two loops on the back V of the dress. She was still struggling to get the darned things laced properly when claws scraped against her door.

“Can I come in?” Dagg called through the door.

Aliana wanted to tell him no but remembered his words from earlier. She opened the door, determined to show him that he had been wrong. She just wanted privacy, not to shut people out.

“Good timing,” she said, closing the door behind him. “I need another pair of hands to lace up my dress. Or claws, as the case seems to be.”

Laughing, Dagg laced the strings. Aliana let out a yelp when he tried to pull them too tight.

“What are you doing, Dagg?” She snatched the strings from his claws, loosening the dress.

“Is the dress not to pull together? Women do not show so much of their body.”

“Dagg…” Aliana laughed as she sat down at her vanity. “Fashion has changed a lot in the last few decades. This dress is going to be prudish compared to what some of the other women will be wearing.”

“I can’t wait to see this,” the Dragon said, his mouth curving up.

“You can’t come tonight. Dragons are only in fairy-tale stories here. There’s no way you could fly around the event and not cause a panic.”

“I thought of that already.” The Dragon crawled onto her vanity. “Magic makes many things possible.” He shrank down to less than half his normal size. His flared wings curved back and his eyes turned into amethyst jewels. His entire body had hardened into a solid silver cuff bracelet.

“Now I can be with you and not cause a panic.”

Aliana stared, half fascinated and half freaked out. It was almost too crazy to see an inanimate object move its mouth. “Unbelievable,” she whispered, picking him up and stroking his curved wings. “This doesn’t hurt you?”

The Dragon changed back instantly. “No, not at all.”

“Wow.”

“Indeed, but I do believe it’s almost six.”

Aliana shrieked, seeing she only had thirty minutes left to do her makeup. “Damn.” She grabbed her eye shadow brush and set to work.

Twenty minutes later, Dagg announced, “Sire, gentlemen, I do believe Aliana is ready.”

Aliana fidgeted nervously for a second, readjusting a tie on her strappy silver kitten heels, before stepping into the main room. She couldn’t help gawking at the guys as she saw them all together. She had never been particularly fond of tuxes, but every single one of them looked like he had stepped off the cover of
GQ
. Arthur and Percy both wore charcoal tuxedos. Arthur’s was paired with a red button shirt and Percy’s with silver. Galahad and Lancelot had on black tuxes, with Galahad in a deep green shirt and Lancelot in royal blue. Owen stood out the most in a white tuxedo and black shirt.

How could she compare with them? For a moment, she felt so out of her league she wanted to run back into her room and hide. The guys stared at her, and she panicked. She
hated
being the center of attention. Then her eyes met Arthur’s golden brown gaze and she started to relax.

“You are more beautiful than words can say,” the king said, stepping forward and taking her hand, kissing it gently.

The last of her nerves slipped away. “Thank you, Arthur.”

“You’re going to be the hit of the party, Aliana!” Owen said with a cheerful smile on his face.

“Thanks, Owen, but I think you five are going to be getting all the attention. All of you look amazing.” Her eyes fell on Galahad.

Dagg cleared his throat, and she held out a hand. The Dragon landed on her wrist, shrinking and hardening himself into his bracelet form.

“It’s so he can go with us and not cause trouble,” she explained.

As if he’d been doing it his whole life, Galahad helped Aliana into her coat. His hands rested on her shoulders for a moment before sliding slowly down her arms. She glanced at him as she picked up her clutch, which held her mask. She wondered if his mind was going back to the Sidhe’s keep like hers was. The masked ball tonight almost seemed like it was a do-over for her and Galahad. Except this time they got to wear fancy clothes and she would finally get to dance with him without the threat of the evil Sidhe hanging over their heads.

“Lacy will have masks for all of you at the hotel,” Aliana told them, checking for the bags of clothes and personal items she’d set out earlier since they’d be going to Lancelot’s after the party.

“I already put your things in the car, Aliana,” Percy said.

“Thanks.” She smiled at the hot giant.
God, the women aren’t going to know what to do with themselves.

“And before you say it, yes, I know you’re driving, Lancelot.”

The others laughed at the unamused stare said knight leveled at Aliana. They all piled into the large vehicle with Owen and Aliana in the back seat, and Arthur and Galahad in the middle row. They’d offered Aliana shotgun, but she’d declined it to Percy. As they made their way through London, her stomach flipped-flopped. Whether it was because of the party or Arthur and Galahad, she wasn’t sure. But sooner than she would have liked, Lancelot pulled up to the brightly lit, chic hotel.

She caught both Galahad and Arthur staring at her again as she texted Lacy that they’d arrived. A secret part of her loved the way they kept looking at her—like they were seeing her as a girl and not the key to their prophecy. Lancelot tossed the keys to the valet, and Galahad and Arthur each took one of her hands, helping her out of the tall SUV.

“Thank God you made it!”

Aliana glanced past the two to see her blond friend all but running to them. Lacy was fashionable as ever in a princess pink, Marilyn Monroe-style dress and white gladiator wedges. Her short hair was in a spiked pixie style.

Stepping past the guys, Aliana met Lacy halfway. Both girls giggled as they hugged. “Where did you find those sexy specimens of male figures?” Lacy whispered, looping her arm through Aliana’s. “I call dibs on the tall one!”

“Lacy!” Aliana shushed her friend, unable to stop giggling. “They can hear you!”

“And your point?” she said saucily.

Aliana shook her head and said, “You know Owen.”

“Nice to see you again, Lacy,” Owen said.

“You too.” Lacy looked him up and down. “I do love a Brit in a tux.”

Owen laughed as Aliana introduced the others. “Lacy, this is Lancelot, Galahad, Arthur, and Percy.” Aliana smirked as her friend’s blue eyes kept going back to Percy. She and her friend shared a weakness for tall guys with broad shoulders.

“Nice to meet y’all,” Lacy said. Flashing her frosted pink smile at Percy, her eyes widened in surprise. “Wait, Arthur, Galahad, and Lancelot?” She eyed the three skeptically before looking at Aliana. “Lia, what did you do, go rob a fairy-tale book without inviting me?”

“Of course not! I would never do such a thing without consulting you first.” Aliana winked at the guys.

Lacy smiled as Aliana tried to keep a serious face. “It’s time to head up,” Lacy said, checking her cell phone. “The party kicks off in thirty minutes and we need to get masks for your fairy-tale friends over here. Which reminds me, where is your mask, Lia?”

“Right here,” Aliana said, holding up her purse as they took the posh elevator up to the top floor.

“Here we go,” Lacy said, ushering them down a bright hall. She grabbed a box from a young girl who gawked at the guys and pulled out several cat-eye masks for them to choose from.

Arthur, of course, grabbed the golden one, then Galahad grabbed the white, and Percy took the silver while Lancelot picked the blue, leaving the black for Owen.

“Perfect! Y’all look the part of the handsome, mysterious gentlemen. I love the silver, Percy,” Lacy said, handing Aliana’s coat to the girl who
still
couldn’t take her eyes away from the guys. “Now, if you’ll all excuse us, Lia and I need a moment of girl time.” Without waiting, Lacy dragged Aliana down the hall and into the ladies room.

“Oh my gawd, are you serious?” Lacy said, fanning herself and leaning against the closed door. “Where did you find those men?”

“Avalon,” Aliana said, wanting to see how her friend would react.

The blonde rolled her eyes. “Seriously, Lia!”

“I’m not sure you’d believe me if I told you the truth, Lace.” Aliana dropped her purse onto the counter, pulling out her swirly, purple mask.

“Either way, you are so lucky! Did you even notice the way Arthur
and
Galahad were staring at you?”

Aliana’s brow furrowed as she tied on the swirling mask, not wanting to admit out loud that she
had
noticed.

“Seriously, Lia, you need to open your eyes. They looked like…” Her friend searched for the right word. “Like they were enchanted with you.”

Aliana shook her head in denial. “It’s not like that, Lace. I’m helping them with a problem.”
Understatement of the night.
“They just need my help, nothing else.” But oh how she wished her friend were right.

“Lia, I swear sometimes it’s unbelievable how blind you can be.” Her friend sighed as she tied on her own silvery pink mask.

They returned to the guys, who cut off their hushed conversation as the girls walked up to them. Aliana wished she had her camera. All of the guys together in tuxes and masks would make a flutter-in-your-stomach, can’t-stop-staring-because-you’re-so-hot, amazing shot. With one glance at her friend, Aliana knew Lacy was thinking the exact same thing. They seemed almost too good to be true.

Another of the event planners approached, drawing Lacy’s attention. “Why don’t y’all head into the exhibit room. I have to go check on a few things.” She disappeared in a flutter of pink, and Aliana led the way through the French doors into the main room.

Rich, glittering balls of stained glass hung from the chandeliers. Rails of colored spotlights ran across the ceiling, shining brightly on the collection of artwork. Everything from the lighting to the soft music and exotic flowers made Aliana feel like she was walking through a fairy-tale gallery fit for a queen.

She stopped to admire a life-size bronze statue of a man sitting with his knees drawn up to his chest. The statue’s eyes seemed to be staring at a nearby painting of a brightly-colored Paris street café.

“This is beautiful, Aliana,” Arthur said into her ear. He was the only one of the guys who hadn’t left her side. Owen and Percy had wandered across the room and were chatting with two women. Lancelot and Galahad had stopped to examine a different painting near one of the fake columns.

“Lacy’s company really outdid itself.” She couldn’t wait to tell her friend what an amazing job she had done.

“You said you had some work on display, Aliana,” Lancelot said as he and Galahad joined her and the king.

“Yeah, they should be over by the stone lovers.” She pointed to a small jade sculpture of a man and woman entwined on a bed of stone pillows.

Eager to see her work, they made their way over. Her photographic series was called
Myths
, all inspired by different stories she had heard growing up. All the photos were framed in glass, the edges filled with large bubbles to give the illusion of a cloud. Aliana’s eyes widened when she saw a small “sold” sticker attached to four of her six photos.

“These are wonderful,” Lancelot said, unmistakably surprised.

The first was the final battle between Zeus and Cronus. The second was a take on Beauty and the Beast with a handsome man covered not in fur but black and green dragon scales, holding a woman in a pale pink dress tightly to him. The third was a photo of Robin Hood aiming a bow. The fourth was a girl in Ancient Greece opening a small box that spilled golden light into the moonlit world.

The fifth was a photo of a sandy-blond-haired warrior dressed only in a pair of black
hakama
pants. He stood balanced on a small rock in the center of a turbulent river with a majestic waterfall framing him from behind. The warrior held a
katana
by his head, ready to strike at an unseen opponent. The serenity of the surrounding forest stood at odds with the fierce warrior.