My cheeks heat and I turn to Corbin. “Why didn’t you tell me this is a formal party?”
“It’s not really,” he says. “Besides, you look amazing.”
I’m not sure I believe him but I’m here already and it’s not like I own a dress anyway. “Drinks?”
He leads us to one of the servers and takes a couple of glasses off the tray. He hands me one. “Thanks for coming out with me tonight.”
“Thanks for inviting me,” I say, though I’m still not sure I’m happy to be here. I take a sip of the bubbly drink and it reminds me of my birthday. I wonder what my friends are doing now. Do they miss me?
Music starts playing and I look over to see a band. Students begin to dance in the grass. A few of the girls kick their shoes off and laughter bubbles up from the gathered crowd. It’s very different from the last party I attended.
I finish my drink and find a tray to set the glass on. If I’m here, I might as well have some fun. “Come on, let’s dance.”
Corbin finishes his drink and the two of us make our way to the crowd and join in. The band is playing swing music and Corbin teaches me the steps to join in with the dance. I’m a terrible dancer and I step on his feet several times but he laughs and shows me the moves again.
Despite everything, I’m having a blast. And before I know it, I’m alternating between dancing and breaks for drinks. My head is starting to feel a little fuzzy, but not the same way it did the other night so I ignore it and let myself get caught up in the music.
I know I’m laughing too hard, but it feels good to stop worrying and let myself live in the moment. Corbin laughs with me and we spin and jump and move around the grass as the band plays.
When the music stops, I’m panting from all the dancing. Corbin grabs us a couple more glasses of wine and I sip it while I watch the makeshift stage area with the rest of the students.
To my surprise, Damon steps up to the microphone. “It’s time to dim the lights and set your eyes to the stars.”
Everyone around us cheers and I cheer with them, too caught up in the moment to care that I have no idea what’s going on. When the lights go out, the cheers get louder.
It’s totally dark now and above me I can see a dazzling sky full of sparkling diamond like stars. It’s stunning and unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. I’m not sure if it’s just the way the sky looks in the Underworld or if it’s the fact that I’ve always lived in cities with too much light. Either way, it’s beautiful enough to take my breath away.
“Watch,” Corbin whispers in my ear.
The feel of his hot breath against my skin sends a shudder through me and I lean in closer to him. He wraps his arm around me and I feel safe and comfortable and totally at peace for the first time since arriving here.
Someone gasps. Then another. Then I gasp as I see several stars shoot across the sky. Moments later, the whole sky is alive as dozens of shooting stars come to life. It’s magical and I stare with my mouth open in awe.
All too soon, the stars slow down and everyone around us starts to shift and move. I look back at Corbin. He’s looking at me and I wonder how long he’s been watching me instead of the stars.
“Should I walk you back to your room?” he asks.
“How about we go to your room?” I ask.
He grins. “I’d like that.”
Water droplets hit my arms and face and I look to the sky just as the rain picks up. Everyone around us screams and starts running as icy cold rain pours down on us.
It’s freezing and I move with the rest of the crowd to get back to the school. In the rush, Corbin’s hand leaves mine and I stop moving, trying to find him in the mass of bodies running past me.
“Corbin?” I call.
Thunder claps and lightning flashes, illuminating the dark garden. I shiver and wipe the water from my eyes. Someone runs into me and I stumble and my shoes slide over the wet grass. I’m moving with the crowd now and I spot Corbin a short distance from me.
“Corbin!” I call to him as I push through the people to get to him. He’s looking the other way, but as I run toward him, he turns and spots me. I wave to him. “We should get out of here.”
He reaches for me and I take his hand. “I know a short cut.”
I follow him away from the school toward the hedge maze. It doesn’t look like a short cut but for all I know there’s a secret passage in there. After the things I’ve seen the last few weeks, nothing would surprise me.
We walk into the maze, he turns right, taking me down a path lined with hedges ten feet tall on either side. Lightning brightens the sky again and a crash of thunder follows. Rain continues to pelt us and I move my sopping wet hair away from my eyes.
Corbin leads us down a few more turns until we reach a gazebo in the center of a wide open space at what I’m guessing is the middle of the maze.