Twenty-Two
The Underworld
Alice stared up at the blue, magenta, and purple lights dancing like flowers on the ceiling of the ballroom. She stood in the middle of a circular dance floor, decked out in a white pouf dress and diamonds around her neck, as people danced around her. Each table surrounding the dance floor had bouquets of guelder roses, mother-of-pearl roses, and lavender. Accompanying the arrangements, golden chargers that held plates with sablefish, steak, or vegetables in petal bowls circled the tables.
“Alice,” Valentine’s voice made Alice focus. “Your brother is waiting.”
Alice nodded and straightened her hair behind her ear. Alice stared at the den of men by the stage and slowly made her way to them. Her brother was with two men she quickly recognized, both from the inte
