Chapter 4 THE MASQUERADE BALL (Natalia's POV)

Immediately we entered the Art Gallery, I felt the buzz in the air, the energy called to me. The lure of hushed conversations, clinking glasses, and the rhythmic beat of the live band told us exactly where we were.

Sun Hee got right into character, playing the sophisticated and dazzling eye candy of a wealthy man and she smirked as she noticed the subtle awe on my face.

All the guests were adorned in their finest masquerade attire, looking nothing less than perfect. A few of them were supernatural creatures, and they stood out more than the humans.

Whether humans or supernaturals, the decadence of the night summarized exactly one thing: I was in a room filled with 'The One Percent of the One Percent'.

Sun Hee and I were handed identical masks. Mine had a stark white base adorned with delicate crimson-golden feathers, forming the graceful silhouette of a swan, while Sun Hee's had a stark black base and silver feathers.

I shot her a withering look as I held the mask up. Did she really think this was funny? Her playful smile told me otherwise.

"We're blending in," she whispered, leaning close. "Masks with designs of cats or butterflies represent witches. The ones with wolves and foxes represent werewolves and vampires, and the lot of them, the swans, butterflies, and Venetian masks, well, those are humans enjoying the spectacle, and that's what we are going to be tonight. Alluring swans enjoying the spectacle."

"Alluring swans enjoying the spectacle is exactly what I do not want to be tonight... I told you that before we left." I whispered close to her, not hiding the bite in my words, and she smirked as her amber eyes sparkled with wry amusement.

"Being the swan tonight is the best way to play it safe and inviting," she continued, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "It's not like anyone here knows what we truly are. Tonight you play the part of an alluring oblivious swan. And I will play the graceful hostess. Buttercup, there are people here you should meet, but they shouldn't know you... yet." Her amber eyes gleamed with a mischievous glint.

She was both right and deceptive at the same time. Under the guise of a mask, I was simply a beautiful woman enjoying a night out with the hostess. The masquerade provides the perfect cover for me to observe and mingle without raising suspicion.

Plus, we had taken the precaution of using a special masking elixir Sun Hee had concocted, effectively cloaking our supernatural energies and scents from prying eyes and noses.

Nine-tailed foxes, AKA Gumiho's, are not on top of the supernatural hierarchy; they are mostly considered urban legends, a story passed down amongst Asian ancestries. But Kang Sun Hee is breathing proof that they exist and she believes other minority supernatural creatures exist as well but they are not known because they are thought to be extinct since there is no proof of their existence.

The problem is that the supernatural world is not ready for that truth, preferring to accept werewolves, vampires, and witches as the top of the food chain. It's funny how a man who changes into a wolf will not accept that another man can change into a nine-tailed fox or a lion.

The hypocrisy! Because of these and many other reasons, Sun Hee has kept her supernatural identity hidden for 250 years, and now she has taught my sister and me how to do the same.

It is through a masking elixir that we concoct which effectively conceals our supernatural scents and energies. It makes us seem human and ensures we remain undetected amongst the throng of supernatural creatures.

While I knew Sun Hee was the only Gumiho I'd ever encountered, I couldn't say the same for witches, vampires, or werewolves. After my parent's death and my coming into my powers, I have encountered more than a few supernatural creatures, both back at home and in my interstate travels.

Their energies were always different, and it was an adrenaline rush for a siphoner like me.

The lessons Sun Hee shared with us about the supernatural world, painted a picture of a visibly hidden society where they existed in a hierarchical balance.

Witches, usually in covens, were considered powerful due to their diverse magical abilities and were from the ancestral line of Fairies, the original owners of magic, who had mated with humans.

My sister and I are Siphoners, a class of witches with the ability to siphon magic and manipulate all forms of energy, which, according to the little Sun Hee has told us, is rare for both sisters from the same line to possess.

Only one of us is supposed to be a siphoner from my mother's line, especially since my father is human.

But she believes my mother had siphoned her magic into us, so when we chanted the spell that unlocked our magic, it made the two of us Siphoners. I honestly don't believe what Sun Hee believes, because she is not a believer; she is a 'knower'. So she knows the actual details.

Werewolves, on the other hand, boasted immense strength, fast healing abilities, and speed, making them formidable opponents. And no, the urban tale is not correct because they do not only transform in the full moon.

They can transform at will but are unable to resist the allure of the full moon call, so they must transform on a full moon night, with most packs choosing to run and celebrate the night together.

Werewolves were from the ancestral line of Sirens, the famous mythical sea creatures and wolves.

"That's not the point, Buttercup. That is a lesson for another day" was Sun Hee's immediate response when I heard about the werewolf ancestry and asked, "What the hell is a Siren and a wolf looking for on the bed?"

Vampires were more shrouded in mystery and they existed in Clans. They possessed the same superhuman strength and abilities as werewolves but with the extra ability to control minds.

Where werewolves can only communicate psychically with their pack members, vampires, because they have no emotional connection or link, can infiltrate the minds of anyone, read their thoughts, and control them through communication.

The original vampires, the first of their kind, are said to be humans who had drunk the blood of a Siren.

I had only met vampires on a few occasions back home in Mexico at night because the sun is a bitch. I take in the masked figures trying to feel their energies, searching for dark lullabies; that's how vampires feel to me, and Sun Hee has warned me severely never to siphon energy at all in a room where there is a vampire.

With the energy I feel tonight, there are no vampires at this party, especially because vampires and witches are not known to tangle.

"Welcome, ladies," a voice boomed from the crowd. I turned and saw Charles Hendrix, Sun Hee's lover, walking purposefully toward us with a megawatt smile. He was a tall, imposing figure, not particularly handsome but not bad to look at.

He had the face of a wealthy person used to only being served the best, and his brown eyes twinkled as he took off his black Venetian mask.

We met him halfway, passing a few guests who recognized Sun Hee and sent her a smile or a wave with kisses. He leaned down, took off her mask, and kissed Sun Hee passionately as soon as she stood in front of him.

Their movements screamed love and possession. I stared right at them, not giving them the privacy I was not afforded.

"I have missed you, my darling. This party has been a drag without you, and now you are here looking as delectable as ever." He said, brushing his lips on her forehead with his hands snuggling her waist possessively.

"Charles," Sun Hee purred, tilting her head up to meet his gaze. "You look even more dashing than usual, and I have missed you just as much." I stared at them with a holistic smile plastered on my face, wondering where the gag room was.

Okay, what's up with the purr? Isn't she supposed to be a fox?

He chuckled, his eyes flitting toward me. "And you, my dear Natalia, are a delight in crimson. It is a pleasure to finally meet you. Thank you for gracing this party with your presence." He bent down to take my hands and pressed a gentle kiss on them, the touch sending a stroke down my spine.

"It's a pleasure to meet you as well, Charles. I have heard only good things about you." I said with an indulgent smile, lying through my teeth.

Sun Hee's hand snaked around my waist, drawing me in so she could whisper in my ears. "Don't worry, Buttercup," she murmured in a voice only I could hear. "He only has eyes for me."

I offered a half-smile to avoid giving a response to her statement. Charles, oblivious to our exchange, led us through the throng of guests.

Charles Hendrix is a third-generation multi-millionaire who has never been a stranger to wealth and fame. His art gallery, renowned for showcasing priceless masterpieces, was a testament to his discerning taste and financial prowess.

From his movement and the way he held Sun Hee so close to him like a valued asset, I could tell that he was properly smitten with Sun Hee. But whether he knew what Sun Hee really was, is yet to be known.