Violet Eden Chapters 04 - Endless

floor – which took a major effort as Morgan, once she’d realised it was me behind the gold mask, refused to let me leave her sight – I set off to explore. The music was a line-up of retro dance at its best, with a few tracks tossed in that I’d never heard before but would now be forever hunting down online.
    As I made my way upthe spiral stairs, and along the balconies, I surveyed the cave-like rooms in the walls. Each was lit with either burning candles or chandeliers and each seemed to serve its own purpose. Some were for winding down with pillow-loaded sofas, some were for group get-togethers with tavern-style tables, others – I discovered after some investigation – were behind invisible sound-barrier curtains, and on the other side… a completely different theme and style of music. Ascension catered for all generations. The rockabilly room was like a time warp – and totally amazing.
    Taking all of this in, I was halfway up the tower, just beyond the casino rooms, when I started to feel him. If I hadn’t indulged in so many of the mint-delicious, alcohol-fuelled drinks Zoe and Spence had kept handing me, I would have felt him sooner.
    What’s he doing here?
    I tapped a masked Grigori on the shoulder. She turned away from her conversation to look at me. She was wearing a tasselled red dress and had come out of the high-rollers room – one thing older Grigori were not short of was money.
    ‘Sorry, but do you know what’s up in the top rooms?’ I asked.
    She winked. ‘Private parties, if you know what I mean, hon.’
    I swallowed the lump in my throat. ‘Got it.’ I nodded, my smile fading. ‘Thanks.’ I moved back a few steps, or maybe stumbled, leaning over the railing and looking down at the dance floor.
    Think.
    If I knew Lincoln was here,it was only a matter of time before he felt me too.
    Breathe. Think.
    Maybe he was just hanging out with people from the Academy. Maybe they’d been hunting.
    But why the private rooms?
    The woman had made it clear the rooms were used for the kind of thing that would only break my heart to see. Not to mention my soul.
    I had no claim on him.
    Damn. I feel sick.
    Lincoln had said himself; things with us hadn’t exactly helped him in the action department. What had I really expected? That he’d just wait forever? At best, if I charged up there, I was going to look like some kind of crazy stalker.
    The room started to spin. I needed to make a decision. Up or down?
    Down, down, down!
    I started walking faster, even as I felt the spike in Lincoln’s power. He knew I was near and now he was moving, too.
    Move, move!
    I made it back to the dance floor and pushed through the people to find Spence and Zoe towards the back. Morgan and Max were nowhere in sight. I pulled Spence close.
    ‘Can you put us under a glamour?’ I asked, looking around frantically. ‘Lincoln’s here and we’re about to be busted.’
    He was getting close. I could feel his agitation.
    Spence shook his head, looking around too. ‘No. It’s against the rules. And this is not a place where it is good to break the rules.’
    ‘I think I seehim,’ Zoe said. ‘Or at least, someone his size who’s almost at the bottom of the stairs and looking in our direction. He can’t see you yet through the mask and hair. But he could be here with anyone and if he spots you, we’re toast.’
    We all knew that was only a matter of time.
    I pushed Zoe towards the stairs. ‘Go, go, go!’
    As we ran, I looked back over my shoulder and saw him on the opposite side of the dance floor. Although he was wearing a silver mask and his hair was dark and hanging to his shoulders, I’d know him anywhere and he was looking right at me, shaking his head. I couldn’t tell if he was angry or just disappointed with me. After all his praise earlier on… I’d gone and blown it. I closed my eyes briefly with regret.
    ‘Eden!’ Spence called out.
    I leaped down the stairs and we ran past the doorwoman, throwing back our masks to her on the way.
    Spence and Zoe were laughing, on a high from both the near-escape and the drinks, but all I could see was Lincoln’s eyes. We ran up the street at full speed, taking as many turns as possible, losing ourselves until, by luck, we stumbled onto a main road.
    Spence slowed to a walk. ‘Well, there’s good news and bad news. The good: we’ve lost anyone who might have followed us. The bad: we just ran off all the alcohol.’
    I rolled my eyes. ‘So sorry,’ I