Glitter & Doom: A Masque of the Red Death Story by Bethany Griffin Read Free Book Online Page A

ascend. Her father was his hero. But the glittering eye makeup that she wore made him think only of shimmering blonde hair and an evil laugh.
    It had been obvious when April had stopped in front of him in the game room of the Debauchery Club that she knew the effect she had on boys. He just hadn’t expected to succumb.
    The wind whipped around him, and he steadied the balloon. When he looked up Will was kissing Araby as if the world would end if they stopped. He looked away and checked his watch. Two more minutes and he had to start bringing them down or Araby wouldn’t make the boat.
    He was turning the crank to lower the balloon when the fireworks began. An impressive display.
    “Seems the celebration is starting early,” Kent said as the basket of the balloon bumped the roof. “His Majesty must have discovered that some religious zealots were planning to ruin his party.”
    Looking out over the city they could see the crowd parting for a group of soldiers.
    “The prince is arriving now,” Will said.
    “I doubt it. If there’s any hint of danger he’ll stay way.” Kent frowned and glanced back at the tarp covering his airship.
    “I should be down there,” Araby said.
    “If you’re going, you’d better hurry.” Kent looked over at her. “Elliott is expecting you.”
    “There’s no way we can make it. The harbor is too far—” Will began, but Kent cut him off.
    “Take Elliott’s steam carriage.” He ran his hands over the straps of the basket, inspecting them. “As long as you ask the guard to bring it back. He left it with me so I could procure supplies for our project.”
    And Araby dragged Will to the stairs. Kent finished inspecting the balloon and basket and brushed his hands on his jacket. Now he had to wait for the guard to return with the carriage. He’d never been so impatient. He kept thinking about that kiss he shouldn’t have seen. And about April. Could he see her one more time before the ship launched and the world changed? Why had he let Will take the blasted steam carriage?
    Luckily he had one of Elliott’s tokens, a gold coin with the symbol of an eye. He flew down the stairs and hailed a nearby soldier with an eye embroidered on his coat who drove him in another carriage to the pier. He saw Araby’s purple-tinted hair, but he couldn’t make his way to them, there were so many people. He’d never seen such a crush. A few entrepreneurs were selling items. Seeing the excitement on the faces around him gave him hope for the future.
    Then a girl collapsed, convulsing. Kent was too far away to reach her, but as the crowd surged back, he saw April across the pier. She was wearing a red dress. He pushed through the crowd, ignoring the curses and insults that followed him.
    She was fighting her way toward the gangplank, but there were just too many people, and despite her fierceness, she was slight, and the crowd was suspicious now. He ignored the dark looks of the revelers, focused only on making his way to her.
    As he closed the distance between them, he realized that he didn’t know what to say. But he did know the moment that she saw him.
    Her face lit up.
    “You aren’t on the Discovery ,” she said.
    “I was never meant to be.”
    “We have to get to Elliott. Something is going to happen. The pier is crawling with Malcontent’s men.”
    “The bomb won’t explode,” he told her. “I told you—”
    “Malcontent isn’t stupid.” She pulled him on as they spoke, navigating the crowd. “And in case you hadn’t noticed, I’m not either,” she said, and she pulled something from her pocked and placed it in his hand.
    He recognized it immediately. A velvet bag, heavy with the weight of corrective lenses. She must have pocketed it when they were in his father’s workshop.
    “Not being able to see would be terrible.” She sounded serious for a moment, and then she tossed her hair. “You wouldn’t be able to see how much more beautiful I am than anyone else.”
    He