19.

I feel calm, and I know that that is due to Copper blocking my rational impulse to run from this situation.

"How am I going to take down security?"

"From top to bottom."

"I wish I could have brought my axe."

"And where were you going to hide it in that scarf you're wearing?"

"This dress wasn't my choice, I'll remind you." I adjust the top of my dress, feeling uncomfortable.

"Relax, you look nice. They won't expect any thing's amiss until you give them reason to."

I knot my fingers together and tap my heel anxiously.

"Hey, don't even worry about it," Fuisha says, noticing my tension and waving a hand. "If they kill you, you won't even know it. It'll just be a bullet straight through the brain, whoosh."

"Stop trying to scare her," I barely make out Violet's voice, though she sits between us.

Fuisha nudges her in the side. "Lighten up, Vi. You know? I'm a firm believer in karma, and what goes around comes around."

"So you'll live because you are saving lives?" I ask.

"Oh no. We're all screwed," she laughs.

I'm confused.

Finally, we make it to a side street. I can see the lights of the hotel from here, surrounded by trimmed shrubbery. It's a classy looking place, definitely not meant for the likes of us.

But we are all done up, and if we stay calm, things should be fine getting in there.

As we pull up to the curb, I see that a limo is waiting for us. I feel it is a waste of time to get in it just to literally pull around the corner to the entrance, but I guess no one entering the Kenway Hotel actually would ever drive themselves there on their own.

We pile in, and I think Fuisha will combust from excitement. The limo is top notch with a full stash of liquor. Al and Beige grab some, popping off the tops and chugging it down. Liquid courage, I guess.

The driver slides the interior window open, handing us back a stack of fake I.D.'s.

Beige hands me one with my picture plastered onto it. When did S.H.A.D.E get the chance to take a picture of me?

This I.D. looks legitimate, whoever made it obviously being proficient in fraud. Staring down at my given name, Lisa Frost, I am consumed by sadness.

From now on, I will always be who S.H.A.D.E tells me to be. I will be one person from one day to the next.

Play the part, become free. I close my eyes and hold on to that thought.

We pull up in front of the doors, the entrance lit up elaborately, a slew of people rushing to help us out, to provide welcome and a drink at the door.

I will never again be in a more lavish place. It's unbelievable, sparkling chandeliers and polished marble and oak, and rugs that feel like you're walking on clouds.

Everyone else is also struggling not to look wonderstruck as well. We're supposed to be used to such high-end places.

"Identification?" a large man asks us. He's wearing sunglasses indoors.

"Demon. Remain calm."

I show mine to him, keeping my face passive. He looks it over, then looks me over. "Lisa Frost? Which family do you belong to?"

I try my best to sound high-born. "Why, the Frost family, of course." I look back to the others and roll my eyes as pompusly as possible, flicking my hair over my shoulder.

I can feel the Demon's horrible stare fixed on me, but I fold my arms, swishing my champaigne around in my glass in an irritated fashion, and give him my best glare back. "Is there a problem?"

He hands the I.D. back and nods me through.

Holy hell. It worked.

"Good job, Ebony. I knew you'd be a natural snob."

"Not now, Copper. Not in the mood. Where do I go from here?"

"You can't go upstairs yet, looks too suspicious. I need you to go and mingle. And drink some too."

"Drink? Shouldn't I be sober for this? And I'm not 21 yet! Or am I?"

"No, but trust me, no one will stop you here. Just remember you're wealthy and entitled. Keep the act up."

"Okay."

"And Ebony?"

"What?"

"You need to work on your facial expression when you're communicating with me. You look constipated."

"I hate you, Copper."

Once the others are cleared, we are lead through the grandiose lobby and into a large banquet hall with a gorgeously high glass ceiling that displays the clear night sky above.

I stare up at it in awe. "Breathtaking," I exhale, taking in the stars.

"Isn't it though?" A voice says from beside me, and I startle, spilling some of my drink. "Oh, I'm so sorry, miss!" The man says, removing the cloth in his pocket and offering it to me. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"Oh no," I laugh nervously, "I'm really such a clutz!"

"You aren't a southern bell, for god sakes. Be more natural."

I refrain from telling him to shut up, instead smiling up at the man. He is wearing a dark blue suit that sets off his blue eyes. His hair is a dull brown, but the waves in it more than make up for it.

I wish he hadn't singled me out though, I don't want to socialize, because a conversation longer than thirty seconds will definitely reveal that I do not belong here in the least.

"No, this is good. Get him drunk."

"What? Why?"

"He's one of the guests staying here tonight -- Richard Gregson. He's our key to getting upstairs unnoticed."

"You want me to... seduce him?"

"Yeah, laugh at his jokes, show some leg or something."

"Ugh, I hate this."

"Just do it."

The others scatter about the party around me, and I noticed that they are in a sort of formation, each one on the outskirts of the action, observing.

They are already starting, so I may as well too.

I pull the skirt of my dress back, exposing quite a bit of my leg. "Oh, I hope I haven't gotten any on my dress!" I whine.

I hear him gulp as he stares at my bare thigh. "Well, how about you go sit down and I'll bring someone to help you clean up and find you another drink?" he offers.

I give him my best smile, "Could you? That would be wonderful."

He seems really pleased about this development and signals for one of the servers to help me to a seat, because apparently these people can't get seated by themselves.

I sit and wait for him, ruffling up my hair and smoothing out my dress, trying to sex it up a bit, but I truly just feel foolish. I don't think I got anything on my dress, but it would be out of character not to make a fuss.

"Little judgmental, aren't you?"

"Look at these people. Not one care in the world. And they are funding monsters."

"Most of them have no idea. Take that man to your left, the one who's balding in the white suit? His name is Elliott Hansford. Lost both his wife and eldest daughter to breast cancer. He now runs a charity dedicated to finding a cure, and he almost never leaves the house except to gain patrons for it at events like this one."

I look at the man, laughing and clinking glasses with the rest of the crowd, but his smiles always waver at the end, as though he is struggling with the motion. I instantly feel regretful for assuming he was a terrible person just because he is rich.

"Everyone's got a story, Ebony."

"Just not you, right?"

"It isn't worth hearing."

"So it's a real tear jerker, then?"

"Why do you care?" Ah, crap. He sounds mad.

"I guess I just want to know that you are human."

"I'm an invisible man. The world doesn't know I'm here. Who really cares what my story is?"

"I know you're here."

I feel something. It's foreign. It's a pain that doesn't belong to me, a phantom pain in my chest.

I bring a hand up to my heart, unsure. Was that ... Copper?

"So sorry that took so long!" Richard's voice booms from beside me, and I jump yet again, thrown out of my thoughts. "Oh heavens, I hope I haven't done it again?"

I run a hand through my hair and exclaim, "My goodness, I have the worst nerves! Perhaps you could sit with me while I settle down?" I tilt my head ever so slightly, cocking a brow.

"Nice, but be a little more subtle, okay? He may think you're an escort or something if--"

"How dare you?!"

"What? It's true. Just keep it light at first, get him drinking."

I take the glass of wine he offers to me, and it tastes smooth. He sits down and I lean forward as we talk, laughing and flirtaciously touching his arm and chest sporadically as he jabbers on about the company he is expanding. All the while, I continously flag down the servers for more drinks, but sip mine sparingly.

Luckily, Mr. Gregson is a lightweight, and his cheeks and the top of his ears color red in no time. I am leaning in so much that I could almost be in his lap by this time, and he is staring down at my boobs more often than not.

I look for the others. Beige and Al have gone to the men's room to retrieve their weapons. I see Fuisha and Violet conspiring in a dark corridor, no doubt planning how they will cause the hotel to evacuate.

"Well?" I ask Copper.

"Now's the time."

I place a suggestive hand on Richard's leg, and lean in close, whispering, "So... would you like to take this somewhere else?"

His eyes light up lustfully, and he pulls me in for a kiss.

For me, this is my first kiss, and it tastes like alcohol and fish eggs.

Oh well, I guess. This isn't exactly a romance I'm going for.

After a moment of him shoving his tongue in my mouth, he pulls me up with him and we weave through the crowd, heading out of the banquet hall, past the Demon security guards, and towards the lobby elevators.

"Here we go."