“Oh,” I mumbled softly, now understanding. Then I frowned. “Wait a minute. Why would that rule bother you? Aren’t you dating some tech billionaire?”
“We broke up,” Avis said casually. “He found board meetings and business trips more interesting than hanging out with me.”
“In other words, he had a business to run,” I concluded. “Come on, Avis. You can’t expect a guy’s heart to go all aflutter and have him drop everything on his plate every time you call.”
“I can, and I do,” she retorted. “But speaking of setting hearts aflutter, who is that?”
There was an extremely attentive look on my cousin’s face, and emotionally I detected a sudden and very focused interest – like a kid who had just seen a toy he simply had to have for Christmas. Following the direction of her gaze, it only took me a second to figure out who she was referring to, and the realization of who it was caught me more than a little by surprise.
I let out an exasperated sigh and muttered, “You’ve got to be kidding.”
“What?” Avis asked. “You know him?”
I nodded, frowning. “That’s Prince Nobaxlin.”
“A prince?” Avis repeated with a smile, sounding immensely pleased. “It’s been awhile since I’ve dated royalty. Can you introduce me?”
I was silent for a moment, debating on how best to explain the situation. Needless to say, there was nothing really problematic about making an introduction. Moreover, technically, there would be nothing wrong if – after becoming acquainted – Avis and Nobaxlin decided to pursue a romantic relationship. After all, they weren’t related to each other. They were, however, both related to me, which made the situation awkward from my point of view.
Thankfully, I was saved from having to deal with what would have been a ticklish scenario by the abrupt appearance of a scabrous, crimson line a few feet from us. It parted the air vertically from the floor up to a height of about six feet. A few people nearby quickly stepped back, unsure of what was going on. Personally, I smiled, understanding what was happening. A moment later, three people stepped through the scarlet slit, which quickly closed behind them.
Grinning broadly, I stepped forward, exclaiming, “You made it!”
“Of course,” said the first of the new arrivals – a boyish-looking youth with an odd assortment of rings on his fingers. Returning my smile, he reached out and gave me a firm handshake.
“Yeah, we couldn’t miss this,” said one of his companions, a willowy young blonde with a wicked scar that cut across her right eye. Dressed in a floor-length gown, she gave me a hug and a quick peck on the cheek. “Thanks for inviting us.”
“And my thanks again for inviting me,” said Li, who was the third member of the newly-arrived trio. “Kane and Gossamer” – he indicated the youth and the blonde, respectively – “were kind enough to allow me to travel here with them.”
“Actually, we insisted,” said Kane.
“And it was no problem to swing by Alpha League HQ and scoop him up,” Gossamer added.
I merely made a grunt of acknowledgment, as I now found myself looking at Gossamer almost in disbelief.
“What is it?” she asked, noting my attention and giving herself a once-over. “Is there something wrong with my clothes?”
I shook my head. “No, I–”
“Is it my weapons?” Gossamer continued, as if she hadn’t heard me. At the same time, she reached towards a couple of ceremonial daggers that she always wore at her waist. “Because I can–”
“No, no, no,” I insisted, cutting her off.
“Then what?” she asked imploringly.
“It’s nothing,” I declared. “It’s just that…I don’t think I’ve ever seen you in a dress before.”
Kane burst into laughter. “I know, right? But you have to admit that my girl cleans up rather nice.”
Blushing slightly, Gossamer’s response was to punch her boyfriend lightly on the arm, causing Kane to mutter an exaggerated, “Ow.” This was typical behavior for them, along with regular squabbling (which had initially begun as a way to mask their growing mutual attraction).
Gossamer turned back to me. “So it’s not my daggers?”
I shook my head. “No. To be honest, I barely noticed them.”
It was a sincere statement on my part. Although Gossamer was indeed wearing them, the daggers subtly and effectively blended in with her ensemble. Also, the fact that she seldom wore dresses was not a reflection on her femininity, but more indicative of the fact that she was always ready to spring into action.
Plainly speaking, Gossamer was an elf and incredibly beautiful – even with the scar across her eye. (In fact, the scar, which was a souvenir from a run-in with a supervillain, gave her a certain appeal, in my opinion.) As to the daggers, they were not just weapons, but one of the ways in which she wielded magic. This had resulted in a friendly rivalry with Kane – who employed sorcery – as to whose magical abilities were superior.
“Everything good here?” asked a familiar voice, bringing my attention back to the present. I turned and saw that my father had joined us without me even noticing. (In fact, I hadn’t even realized he was in the room.)
Of course. The magic that my friends had used to come here had drawn some attention. At this point, it was clear that it had been an innocuous event, as most of the nearby guests were going back to their prior conversations, but my father had come over to investigate anyway.
“Everything’s fine,” I assured him. “You remember Gossamer and Kane.”
“Yes, of course I do,” my father said, then greeted the two of them, as well as Li. “I hope you’re all enjoying the party.”
“We only just arrived,” Gossamer stated, “but this place seems beautiful. Do you know who it belongs to?”
“Some nouveau riche lout who thinks that money equals taste,” I quipped facetiously.
“I’ll pass your comments on to the owner.” My father deadpanned, but I could tell that he was amused. “Anyway, you kids have fun, and
