A Forest of Stars (Court of Starlight and Darkness #1)(3)

Actually, not his face.

His ears.

They were weirdly pointed. Somehow, they suited the delicate beauty of his face, but they were weird as hell. In fact, the two guys next to him had the same ears.

I blinked and looked away. It was rude to stare.

And it was strange to stand in the bathroom hallway like a stalker. I needed to get into this bar and find Frank.

After a bracing breath, I headed to the bar. Holding a drink would make me fit in, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want a tiny sip of whiskey to bolster my courage.

As I reached the bar, I caught the attention of the bartender immediately.

Finally, something was going right.

When my eyes landed on his pointed ears, I frowned.

“Everything all right?” he asked, his voice lilting with a lyrical accent that was vaguely Irish.

“Uh, yeah.” I looked back at him. “Whiskey, please.”

“Type?”

“Cheap.”

He smiled and nodded, turning back to the bar. As he worked on getting my drink, I spun around and looked at the crowd. Unable to help myself, my gaze moved to everyone’s heads.

My silent suspicion was confirmed.

Everyone in the bar had weird ears. Was this some kind of fancy Lord of the Rings cosplay?

Did I need weird ears to fit in?

I patted my wild red curls. They were down tonight, so they concealed my ears.

Actually, what did it matter? My clothes made me stand out as an outsider. Hopefully, I could find Frank before the people here kicked me out.

“Here’s your drink, miss.” The bartender’s voice sounded from behind me, and I turned, a polite smile on my face.

“Thanks. What’ll it be?”

“Fourteen dollars and—” His eyes widened on something behind me. “Uh…”

Gasps sounded from all around, and I frowned.

Had a celebrity just walked in?

I turned to follow his gaze, immediately spotting the person he was looking at.

Holy hell.

I blinked, my thoughts temporarily blanked out by the man who stood at the entrance to the bar.

He was…spectacular. Terrifying. Beautiful.

He stood at least six-and-a-half feet tall, his lithe form graceful, yet so powerful that he seemed to make the air around him move to accommodate him.

Long silver hair was tied back from his face, but he wasn’t old. Far from it. From the flawless perfection of his skin, he couldn’t be more than thirty. Twenty-five, more like. And yet, there was something timeless about his blue eyes, something that made it look like he’d seen lifetimes' worth of tragedy.

His bone structure was so perfect that it had to have been sculpted by the hand of God herself, perfect planes and angles that made him the most beautiful man I’d ever seen. Looking at him was like staring at the sun, and I had to glance away.

There was no way this guy was human, and yet angels didn’t exist.

He wasn’t dressed like an angel, however. A second quick look at him revealed that he was dressed entirely in black, a color that made his silver hair and pale skin seem all the more otherworldly and magnificent.

A cape flowed back from his shoulders, a heavy fabric that hung like midnight off his powerful form. Even his hands were covered by black gloves. The clothing should have looked crazy, and yet, he carried it off to perfection.

A low murmur filled the room, but I couldn’t make out the words because my head was buzzing with the strangest sense of awareness and crazy anticipation.

It was like I’d waited to see this man my whole life and he was finally here. And yet, I’d never have been able to imagine someone like him.

I snuck a glance back at the man.

Holy hell.

Was he walking toward me?

No, of course not. He was walking toward the bar. Definitely the bar.

And yet, his blue eyes were glued to me.

Was he going to kick me out personally? I wouldn’t be surprised. I looked like a bridge troll next to him.

As he neared, I realized that the group of women next to me was chattering excitedly.

“Oh my fates, he’s coming over here,” a blond woman said. Her voice was breathless with anticipation and excitement.

“I can’t believe it,” her dark-haired companion said. “He never comes to this bar. I’ve only caught glimpses of him once, and that was from a distance.”

“I’m scared and turned on at the same time,” the blonde said.

Was he a movie star or something?

I made my living writing freaking movie reviews. I’d have seen him. And drooled.

Yet, he was clearly famous. Someone who looked like him was obviously famous. The reaction of everyone in the bar confirmed it.

And he was definitely walking toward me.

“Her?” The woman next to me spoke, the shock in her voice clear.

I’d be offended, but I had to agree.

Me?

I’d never been chosen by anyone before. Normally, I repelled men with my dry humor and challenging stare. I liked it that way.

Mostly.

It meant I didn’t get many dates, but that was fine.

“On the house,” the bartender muttered from behind me.

I didn’t turn to look at him, but I felt him disappear as he drifted off down the bar.

My gaze was riveted on the man as he approached. From this distance, his eyes sparkled with a brilliant, beautiful coldness. Combined with his hair, he looked like an ice prince.