Ember by Ellen Mint

Author:Ellen Mint [Mint, Ellen]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Contemporary Romance Fiction
Publisher: Totally Entwined Group
Published: 2023-08-14T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nineteen

Ember nervously smoothed down her skirt. Light music echoed around the empty ballroom, everyone either sitting in the middle of the floor or standing while clinging to their chair. After the accident, they’d all been rushed off to small rooms and told to change for a big surprise tonight. It had to be the elimination. But after what had happened with Augusta…

Boom. The walls rattled with a burst of thunder. Jittery, Ember yanked her fingers away as a lightning bolt split the sky above them. Her palm felt heavy and she glanced down. A burst of crimson dotted her skin. She yelped, certain it was blood, but a handful of red sequins tumbled from her unmarred palm.

“It’s only thunder,” Logan said. He looked less concerned than everyone else. Had the producers already told him what had happened with Augusta? Spinning in his chair, he eyed up Ember. “Or do you need comforting?” He raised his arms and the back of her neck burned. Everyone was watching.

“I think I need some air.” Ember stood up so haphazardly, her chair tipped over. Its landing thunk echoed through the ballroom. In the dark, the place had seemed mysterious and exciting. In the light, the flowers shifted to judgmental faces staring down at them all.

Picking up her skirt, Ember tried to work her way out to the garden. There was a little overhang she could stand under to collect herself. Though screaming into the unforgiving rain might soothe her better. A thousand questions burned inside of her, but everyone kept avoiding eye contact, as if they didn’t want to hear them.

“Excuse me, ma’am, where are you going?” An assistant she’d never seen before who looked like he bounced for nightclubs stood in her way.

“I only need to cool down. It’s rather stuffy in here.” She tried to push past, but he folded his arms and stood in the way.

“Why don’t you get a drink instead?”

The liquor cart had been seeing a lot of action tonight. Unlike the bombastic libations of the previous parties, this was a dirge of shots—each one tossed back with a sneer for more. Losing herself in the bliss of alcohol sounded like her only escape. She took a step for the drink cart when a shadow crept across her body. It flew over the skylight, darkening the entire room and Ember shivered.

Bypassing the offer, she walked toward the back of the room. Still remaining inside, but away from everyone. In the shadows, she picked up on harried voices cutting across an abandoned walkie-talkie.

“Do you see him?”

“Yeah. He’s not going anywhere.”

“Just keep your eyes open. Word is he’s already got a favorite and if he vanishes, it’ll be our asses on the line.”

A favorite? Who were they talking about? Ember started to sway on her feet as if she was dancing and edged closer to the box of equipment.

“Does this happen a lot?”

“Every fucking season.”

They must mean Mr. Brown. Her plan had worked! He’d fallen so head over heels for Ree they were sending assistants to watch him to keep from it looking like he was playing favorites.

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