“I like all versions of Lady Ashley Belarnt,” Tyler droned, pressing her against him as her face reddened. Her full length rested against his powerful frame, her feet barely touching the ground as he held on to her.Lady Belarnt gasped, her eyes getting darker once again.“But I’m not available,” he stated as he gazed softly down at her, his expression steady, like his heart that beat against her racing chest, a small smile on his no longer pale face.Ashley smiled, her lips trembling.“What are we to do?” she breathed, tracing his jawline with her finger tips.Tyler held her. Their bodies saying what their minds could not voice out.Ashley did not command Tyler, and Tyler did not try to use the incident with her father against her.The Lady did not issue any threats nor make any demands, and Tyler did not make any accusations or insist on leaving the company.Ashley Belarnt had the advantage, they both knew it, but she was not

“Are you mad?” Tyler grumbled under his breath, even as he fought down a smile.“On Mondays, yes,” the voice droned.“What are you doing here?” Tyler groaned.“Taking a stroll in a public park, like any ordinary citizen.”“Lincoln…” Tyler complained.“What?”Tyler opened his eyes and almost screamed. But he was Tyler Esteil. He understood almost within the same second as the shock hit.He exhaled silently, his taut expression clearing.Lincoln Brazer did not look anything like himself.A young student with auburn hair and black eyes was throwing coins into the fountain, casually talking to a stranger in a heavy coat with dark hair and hazel eyes.Tyler almost laughed.“What is this? Your vision of yourself?” Tyler teased his sponsor.“Ha!” Lincoln scoffed quietly. “Please.”The young student was female.“Are you trying to get me in trouble then? For soliciting an underaged kid?” Tyler p

Next, Tyler had to deal with the magic. For that, he already had an item in his pocket, a cloaking device, to get him into places he didn’t want to be seen, but it was not something that could be used for an extended period of time, or in front of real magic users.Nobles were real magic users. Nobles were not simply wealthy people; they were a higher breed. It was what and how they were classed as nobles, and highborns were classed as such and on and on, down the line.As real magic users, it was not easily known what type, or the nature of protection, any particular noble had, but given the guests for the night, Tyler was not going to try to use petty magic in their presence.Nobles also kept actual guards, of various backgrounds, around them; from soldiers to mercenaries, from combat professionals to mages. Walking around invisible was a joke.So, he activated his gem and jumped over the wall not far from the server’s entrance. He kept low, even though

Immediately before of the high table were four tables for the other leading noble houses: Belarnt, Jergens, Perrisel, Voltera.Behind these were the next group, and the next, until it got to the lowest invited guests who were seated mixed.The setting was one that displayed the order among nobles.Every table had the name and title of the guest. No one could say they did not have a seat. No one could say they were not catered to.No unnamed person, except the servers, could enter that room.As Tyler returned from fetching yet another bottle of wine requested by yet another guest, someone bumped into him. He mumbled an apology, reflexively bowing deeply as whoever it was, was a guest of the noble house of Kramer and tonight, would be a noble as well, of whatever ranking.The person waved him off then a small had grabbed his upper arm forcefully.He glanced up, his heart pounding against his chest, to find the last person he had imagine

Eight years ago, Emily had tried to kill herself by jumping from the roof of the fifteen-story hospital building.Tyler had caught her by the wrist as she had sailed through the air, well, fallen, but she had jumped with enough push to fly forward before dropping down.Tyler had used magic that had felt like molten lava spilling from his head to his feet to reach out and catch both the forlorn female and himself, hanging off the roof’s edge with one hand as he held onto the girl with his other, keeping her from hitting the side of the building.He had gazed down at her vacant expression, which quickly turned into hot rage as she shook herself, and him, vigorously to get him to release her.But she was too weak, too light, to shake the steady, sturdy boy holding onto her as if it were his own life he was saving.“Are you mad?” she screamed at him as if he were the one trying to jump to his death. “Let me go!”“No!” he yelled down to her as sh