Party like no other

The temple was bustling with lights and long tables were pilled with food of all sorts.

Banners were hung from the walls and ballons huddled together in some parts of the temple.

A chandelier hung from the roof as it was dazzling like stars.

I could see five tables and six chairs on each one while there were group performers on stage doing tricks for the guests.

It was so mesmerising and everyone seemed to be having fun.

The temple that looked like a holy place was now a party with decorations filling each corner.

"This is amazing Daisy! How was everyone able to get all of this ready?" I plucked a piece of confetti from my hair.

"Well everyone knew how important this was to you so everyone wanted to give you a party as a thank you for being our friend and maybe some of us were forced to stay up at night and fix everything" Daisy gave off a hesitant laugh trying to hide the misery away.

I scooped her in my arms ruffling the fur on her head.

"Oh, you are so adorable Daisy! No wonder everyone adores you so much!" I giggled like a child as she tried to escape from my grasp.

She tried to use her tiny arms to pull herself away from me but the sheer force of my strength was squeezing her tightly.

"I am not adorable! I am a magical beast that kills people and is feared by all humanity!!" She gasped for breath and I finally let go happy to be able to squeeze her one last time.

"Don't worry Daisy. I won't forget you".

"Hmf! You will remember this terrifying face for all of eternity!" She waved her arms around the air in rage but her voice was so high-pitched it's hard to tell if she really is mad at you.

"Valerie you finally arrived!" Eleena ran towards me pulling me into a big hug.

"Hello Eleena, it's good to see you again" I gently patted her head as her cheeks flushed up in embarrassment.

"Well if it isn't the famous Valerie Die Heart" I turned around to see an old friend of mine.

His name was Marcus William of the William family.

He was a rich businessman who travelled all around the world to sell his fortune.

It was rare to see him on days like this.

He was a short and chubby man with a kind and innocent face.

He had slick brown hair and he was wearing a business suit as always.

"Marcus! How good it is to see you again. Arnt, you supposed to be in the withering deserts by now?" I tilted my head to one side wondering why and how he came all the way here.

But all he did was chuckle a burst of light laughter and placed a hand on my right shoulder.

"A lot of people got the invitation just yesterday morning. Of course, all of us knew how hard it would be to get here in time so I took my private jet and went to all your favourite people just to pick them up! But it was a pain in the ass because a baby was crying the whole way".

"Well, old friend you did great as always. But did you invite her..?".

"That woman!?! Oh never I'm a million years of war will I let that woman come inside my jet" His face was plastered with disgust.

It was sad to hear that many people dislike Azia now that they heard rumours about her.

There were rumours about her joining some secret cult to take down the knights or about her killing people for fun and the worst was how she had something to do about the mysterious attack two months ago that damaged the capital.

Of course, I knew that none of them was true because Azia may be one heck of a party girl but she would never go that far to kill people.

"It's sad Azia is gone. You guys really do miss her don't you?" Eleena dug her face into my chest as I felt tears that were about to form in her eyes.

She was always such a crybaby even when we were little.

"It's alright Eleena. Azia will be fine without us" I tried to persuade her not to cry and she agreed to it but she needed some alone time and went to the bathroom.

It was weird though.

I swore I felt something.

"Why don't we all go greet some guests? We are creating quite a crowd around here" Marcus said with joy as he led me to a table of creatures.

Lady Mira, Prince Lucas, Sebastian, Isla and Sayna were sitting around the table.

They were some of my closest friends since I was a child but after years of growing up, we hadn't contacted each other unless it was about important meetings and business proposals.

Prince Lucas was Lady Mira's fiance.

I only met Lady Mira last year and she seemed to be a nice and innocent girl.

But she was an odd woman as she believed in all kinds of magic and some that were ancient for me to even know about.

"Lady Valerie I missed you so much" Lady Mira stood up and kissed my cheek.

It wasn't unusual for important people to do that to close friends or family.

"Valerie you are finally here! You don't know how long it took us to get the quickest yacht we could get. His highness was overly joyed when he heard your name" We all took our seats and waited for the food to be served.

Prince Lucas was staring at me not saying a single word to me as if all he wanted to do was examine me as always.

I didn't mind though because I was used to it ever since we went to the ice rink as children.

"Mira you don't have to over-exaggerate. It's Valerie's going away party so you all better keep your problems to yourself. Our future knight is about to have a hard time once she gets to the capital" Isla flicked her hair to one side as she crossed one leg over the other.

Isla was one of the top fashion designers in the whole city and whenever I had nothing to wear I could call her and get whatever latest design she had for me.

"You're the one to talk Isla. Every time you miss a piece of fabric you go crazy trying to search the whole damn building" Sebastian leaned back on the chair scrolling through his phone.

For one second I forgot that Sebastian was part of the mafia.

After I found out he was taking over his father's mafia I was happy for him that he got what he wanted but he had many secrets that only I know.

And one of them was that he wanted to be a baker but if his father heard about it he would summon the whip in one second.

While everyone was talking and chatting amongst each other I couldn't forget Sayna who was shy when talking to others.

I never knew why but she always wore the colour black and had a veil that covered her face.

You could only see her lips that were painted the colour maroon.

Her hair was usually down and she would always stare at the ground as if she had all the time in the world.

Everyone looked different from each other.

Isla had orange curly hair and a caramel skin tone with green eyes.

Prince Lucas had dark blue hair which was medium length and pale skin with indigo eyes.

Sayna had brown skin and white wavy hair but no one knew her eye colour as her eyes were always hidden.

Mira had purple hair and fair white skin that was whiter than snow itself with eyes that were green as seaweed.

Lastly, Sebastian had dark purple hair rich in colour and an umber skin tone with white eyes that scared me from time to time.

We all may be different but we always knew each other better than anyone else could.

Mira was a water spirit, Sebastian was half-ghost half-dragon, Sayna was a shapeshifter, Prince Lucas was an Angel and Isla was a Pixie.

Only me and Sebastian were hybrids in our small friend group.

"Lucas you really should stop staring at Valerie. You are probably creeping her out" Isla smirks at Lucas as his face turns red from embarrassment and he looks away.

"It's alright. I don't mind at all" Which was only the half-truth.

"No, it's alright lady Valerie. It was rude of me to stare at you in the first place" I hated it how he called me lady and not just Valerie.

It's as if he was throwing my name in my face which I am sure he didn't mean to.

Mira didn't seem to care about it and she was busy watching the performers on stage doing magic tricks.

"So Valerie. How long are you going to spend time in the capital? Two months?" Sebastian put his phone on the plate leaning his elbow on the table and putting his chin on his hand.

"Well, I'm deciding on staying until I finish my course so probably in five or six years' time" My voice felt a sudden distress in it and everyone stopped to stare at me.

Prince Lucas's drink was spat from his mouth and Mira took a napkin and gently wiped the spilt drink off his clothes.

"Six years..." Sayna whispered in a gentle tone of voice not meeting my eyes.

I could feel my throat itch and throb but I ignored it and pretended that I was fine with leaving for a long time.

My mind is shouting for me to say no and to stay back home where everything is safe but I already made a deal.

"I understand why you all are worried about me but Lady Mira proposed that I could get a free dorm there and she would pay for the expenses" Lady Mira turned her head away from the stage and she plastered a kind smile.

She wasn't much talk today but there was defiantly something on her mind.

She was getting distracted very easily and she isn't talking to her fiance as much as she always does.

At every party or wedding, I go to I always see her and Prince Lucas chatting away as a joyful couple who will soon get married.

But now they don't even look at each other unless they are forced to themselves.

I knew something was going on.

Every detail was so crucial and she has been holding her wrist this entire time covering it with her long sleeve.

Yet all I could do was fake my smile and wait until I could speak to her alone.

"Mira are you okay?" Sebastian glanced at her raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, I'm perfectly fine. I was just distracted by the entertainment on the stage. Eleena did a good job on hiring these actors" A trickle of sweat ran down her face as she took a napkin and dabbed it on her face.

Prince Lucas laid his hand on hers and Sayna was displeased by what was going on.

She didn't like it when the drama was happening in the group and so she shifted her seat closer to me.

"I heard that your uncle will fill in your spot for your father's company until you come back. Is that correct...?" She spoke in a quiet tone of voice like a mouse.

She was twirling a piece of her hair around her finger letting it rotate over and over again.

"Yes, that's correct. My uncle is a good man so I trust that he will keep the company going smoothly as always" From the corner of my eye a waiter was going around handing out drinks.

I raised my hand to signal for a drink and the waiter came over handing me red wine which was rich in colour.

Sayna wasn't a fan of wine so she ordered tequila.

"I never knew you were a fan of tequila?" I sat up straight looking a bit surprised.

Sayna would usually just order water from any food places or parties but today seemed to be quite unusual.

"Tequila doesn't raise my blood sugar levels so I usually order it whenever it is a special occasion..." She took the tequila from the waiter and gulped it all down in one go.

"Oh um okay, I guess. Are you sure you won't get drunk though? I know how much you hate it when people get drunk".

"Don't worry Valerie. It is impossible for me to get drunk. Sebastian wanted to see how long it would take for me to get drunk but it took ten rounds and I still wasn't out..." A small smile appeared on her lips.

She seemed to be enjoying herself when she is around me.

"Ten shots and you still weren't drunk? That's quite impressive" My words brightened up her mood and at least I won't have to sit here for an hour staring into space.

"Ten shots? I had them in full glass mugs".

I tried to hold in my shock but my eyes were wide as an owl and my mouth was wide open.

I blinked a couple of times to remember if what I heard was correct from her.

I mean ten full glasses of alcohol should have knocked her out like a lightbulb but now that I think about it Sayna always had impressive talents.

"I guess you are just like me then. But I can take twelve glasses not ten so you better impress me next time when you can beat my score" I chuckled covering my mouth with my hand.

"Of course" She ended our conversation there and stood up to go and use the restroom.

Thank goodness nothing went awkward.

Sayna wasn't a talkative person but I guess alcohol really saved my life this time.

"Finally Sayna is gone" Isla sighed with an exhausted breath.

I raised an eyebrow looking confused at why she had said that.

"What is wrong with Sayna?" I asked glancing at everyone as they didn't meet my gaze.

"Sayna has been acting weird these days. She locked herself up in her room for two whole months and didn't contact anyone" Mira watched Sayna as she entered the bathroom.

"I bet it is because of that boy Elijah" Prince Lucas rolled his eyes tapping the table with his finger.

"You can say that again. Elijah is nothing but a trouble maker and Sayna shouldn't get her hopes up if she thinks he will go out with her. I mean yea Sayna is cute but he has hurt more girls than I could eat one jumbo pizza in five minutes" Isla leaned closer to the table whispering the words.

There were more people at this party than usual and if word gets out about any drama every auntie would tell their families about it.

"You guys shouldn't worry that much. Sayna knows what she is doing" I took small sips of my wine and stared at the light that shined on it.

I had a huge alcohol addict but my immune system was so strong that I never had any worries about it.

Sometimes I even wake up without having a hangover like all my other friends would have.

I could just wake up and feel like my usual self.

The party went on as usual and everyone seemed to be having fun but Eleena wasn't spotted half of the time.

I bet she was busy planning everything to make sure nothing went wrong as she is a good friend of mine.

Yet every time I try to call out for her she was ignoring me or said that she would speak to me later on.

I went to the table filled with food and took a plate and bowl from the corner of the table to see what I could eat before my painful flight.

There were fruits carved in beautiful shapes of animals, sandwiches pilled on top of each other with different tastes, and deserts standing gracefully on the desert stand filled with different types of fillings.

I tried to hold back my hunger from the lack of food I had been eating the past few days.

I was so busy with work I never had time to eat a full meal in peace.

I took an apple which was shaped like a swan, two cheese sandwiches, each type of macaroon I could find and of course a huge bowl of bubblegum, mint chocolate chip, mango, cookies and cream and strawberry ice cream.

I loved ice cream more than I loved my friends and it's embarrassing to say but as a kid, I always craved them.

It was the only thing that soothed my pain or sadness.

I didn't want anyone to see the stacks of sugary food on my plate and bowl so I rushed towards the balcony to eat there instead.

The wind was a calm breeze for now and the sky still had clouds that covered the sun from its own beauty.

I sat near the edge and gazed upon the whole view of the city that I hadn't seen in two years.

I forgot how beautiful the city could truly be in the evening.

As I was eating my food Prince Lucas sat beside me ignoring the stares that I was giving him.

I bet he was laughing at what I was eating so I forced myself to leave but he grabbed my arm and pulled me back onto the edge.

"You don't have to leave because of me. I know how much you love sugary stuff so there is no need to hide it" He chuckled as I could see his dimples form on his face.

It was the first time he smiled ever since he came to this party.

I stabbed the spoon into the ice cream and took a big bite out of it holding in the brain freeze that I was about to have.

"You say that all the time and then whenever you see me eat a bowl of ice cream you laugh your ass off" I grumbled in a low tone of voice.

"Maybe I do laugh at times. But it's better than staring at you half of the time".

"So you finally realise that you were staring at my face the whole time we were at the table. Good for you" I gulped down the liquid in my mouth feeling my cheeks turn cold.

"Common don't be mean to me cinnamon. You know how I hate it when your mean to me" He tilts his head running a hand through his hair.

"Stop calling me cinnamon. We aren't kids anymore you know?".

"What's wrong with calling you cinnamon? I think it's a great name unless you want me to call you honey cakes but I think peachy pie fits you" He smirked looking at me up and down.

"God I hate you so much right now" I laugh nearly dropping my spoon.

"I like it when you laugh. You haven't laughed the whole time you were here and when I first saw you. Well, you looked broken and tired" His face turns dark with sadness.

"Really..? I thought I was doing fine".

"Fine? You looked absolutely terrible" He leaned back forward again to get a better look at my face.

"Am I that ugly?" I said munching on a macaroon.

"No, you're not ugly. To be honest you are actually sexy but that's not what I mean. You are covering your eyebags. Your face is droopy and you look like you lost everything you had. This isn't the cinnamon I know".

I could feel his voice break with every word that comes out of his mouth.

I felt bad that I was doing this to him but I had no control over it.

"Maybe your cinnamon is gone. Maybe she is never coming back because it isn't the devils doing. It was because of humanity itself" I looked beyond the city feeling the rush of air on my skin.

"I don't think so. The cinnamon I know is probably hiding right now. You better make sure she comes back because it's getting tiring".

"Tiring my ass. I haven't gotten a proper ounce of sleep in twenty-four hours" I mumbled trying to sound less rude than before.

It's easy to speak to him without having to put on an act or pretend the conversation is actually interesting.

I wish we could speak like this again but he was a prince and he was probably travelling all around the world with his fiance.

"Oh right there was something I actually wanted to ask you" I put down the bowl and wiped my mouth with a tissue.

"Sure go ahead" He sat up straighter this time wondering what I could possibly have to say after not seeing him for a long period of time.

"What is up with you and Mira? You guys have been stone cold the whole time and Mira was getting distracted very easily. She kept covering her wrist and she was fidgeting under the table" I lowered my gaze knowing he was sighing in exhaustion.

He clasped his hands together closing his eyes to catch a breath.

"I guess you were the only one that found it uncomfortable. Mira and I had a fight last night and she tried to commit suicide..." His voice was now shaky and sweat trickled down his face covering up whatever pain he had witnessed in that scene.

Mira committing suicide..!?!