A/N: Here's a character gang list for y'all:

STERLING'S INNER GANG:

Leader: Amber/Rebma. Second in Command: Gareth. Driver: Sean. Muscles: Owen. Brains: Blake. Recruiter: Nixon. Information/hacker: Falco. (Lynch and the twins and all them are members, but not inner gang.)

NORTHERN INNER GANG:

Leader: Xavier. Second in command: Nessa. Hacker: Jack. Muscles: Paul. Charmer: Daniel. 

SOUTHERN INNER GANG:

Leader: Two of them. Unknown. School's spy: Mr Wessils aka Jacoobah. Rest is unknown - I think?

TROJAN INNER GANG:

Leader: Clarence. Member: Benjamin. Rest is unknown.

There are other gangs like Sal and Gladius and Ivahdam and much more, but they aren't important just yet. I hope this helped. Enjoy the chapter!

I walk down the steps - looking for my father. What if it's someone just pretending to be Trebor?

But what if it is your father???

Blake leads me down and I immediately feel everyone's eyes on me. Variations of animal and patterned masks all stare up at me. Woman in dresses of all colors and sizes. Men in their suits. Everyone is looking at Sterling's new leader. The only female leader ever. 

This place isn't like school. Here, I'm not a wolf among sheep. Here, I'm a wolf among monsters. At least half of these people would want me dead. Or more...

And all of them wear masks under their masks.

I push back my shoulders and walk with more confidence. These people should fear me just as much as any other person. They are yet to learn what I can do and why I'm Sterling's leader.

Instead of dancing straight away, Blake leads me over to a group of people chuckling at a joke one of them made. Pride seeps through every part of my fiance when he introduces me. "Good evening, Ishaan, Benjamin, Enzo and of course, the lovely Valentina. This is Rebma D'logiram, the merger of West- and Eastern Tygerwell, leader of Sterling and my fiance," Blake says.

The group of people raise their eyebrows at me. "It's an honor to meet you, Miss D'logiram," Ishaan greets - staying a good arm-length away, but the Indian man still has warmth behind his colorful mask.

"The honor is mine, Ishaan...?" I greet.

"Ishaan Anand," he helps, "I'm the second in command of the Ivahdam gang. We're not really from here, but we're looking to expand and thought your country's annual masquerade would be perfect. Blake and I met at the International gathering three years back. You must be there for next year's gathering! I hear it's in Egypt this time! Oh you'll love it! Not like these dances you have. The experience is much more vibrant," Ishaan explains.

Blake leans in close and whispers: "Ishaan likes talking."

I smile politely at Ishaan and say: "If all goes well until then, I'm sure I'll be there." I then turn to the next man and take only a second to remember his name. "It's nice meeting you too, Benjamin," I greet.

Benjamin shakes my hand, but he's not as warm as Ishaan. This one should have an eye kept on him. "Same goes," he says - the half of his face covered by his mask doesn't hide his smirk.

Lastly, I turn to Enzo and Valentina, his partner. He's a bit short, but makes up for it with the grey hairs adorning his dark head. If you can grow old whilst being in a gang, you're doing something right. "I'm in the inner gang of Gladius. We've always had good trades with Sterling and I hope to see that continue," the short man says - his partner, Valentina, stays glued to his side..

"I'm sure it will," I answer before Blake nods at the group and has us walking away.

We great a few more people and when I really can't remember anymore names, Blake leads us to the ballroom. "That other guy. Benjamin. From which gang is he?" I ask.

"Trojan," Blake answers and I manage to hear him over the chatter and music.

"Friend or foe?" I ask.

"The only friends you have here tonight are those from your own gang," Blake admits.

I let out a deep sigh at the thought if being surrounded by enemies. Maybe getting a fork isn't such a bad idea. I know which veins to stab. 

Blake holds me at arms-length as we walk to the dance-floor and a song starts playing. It's old, but with a touch of something new. I immediately feel the rhythm. The beat. Blake and I never really danced at the last ball I attended. Let's see what my fiance has.

"Stop looking so worried. Nothing's going to happen," Blake laughs. One hand is on the small of my back, the other holds my extended hand. He doesn't seem to be too bad. Good form. Very basic.

"Why haven't we seen my father yet?" I ask.

The music catches a faster beat and we pick up the pace with all the other people around us. Because the tail of my dress is so long, we lose a bit of rhythm whenever Blake tries to avoid stepping on the silver material.

"You'll see him, Darling. Don't worry," Blake soothes.

We dance some more, letting the music do the talking, before I suddenly say: "You said you have some confessions."

Blake sighs and lets me out in a twirl. When he brings me back in a fast turn, I have to go a bit slower to avoid tripping over the dress. If I live to the day Blake and I eventually get married, I'll make a note to not have a dress with such a long tail and high slit. Dancing is not easy.

Blake has me close to his chest while we dance on. "Well, it's not that I didn't lie, it's just... I've been so threatened by the North trying to snatch you. I don't trust them. But, we can't just assume either. Now that I have you, we can consider some facts. I don't want Sterling merging with anyone. Not unless we marry Owen off to some Trojan girl. But alliances are important," Blake says over the heavy violin.

I frown at his words. "You said the reason we're engaged is to show we don't need anyone from another gang," I remind Blake.

Black cocks his head to the side while turning us. "See, that's where it gets slightly complicated. It's not lying. It's just... No gang can be on it's own. They'll eat us alive. But that's not the worry here. What I'm stressed about is the North and the South. One of them wants us dead. The other wants to help. Now that Xavier can't have you, we must try figuring out which is which," Blake says. He turns me again and I take a moment to note the other girls twirling in time to make eye contact with me before I'm brought back in a close hold.

"You said the North is our enemy. I freed Mr Wessils, I mean, Jacoobah because of that statement. You said the North is framing the South," I say through gritted teeth.

Blake avoids eye contact and looks around. "Now, hear me out," he says as the song gets closer to it's end.

"Trust," I interrupt my fiance. "Trust, honesty and loyalty is all I ask. Have you given me even one of those?" I ask.

"Darling, don't be unreasonable," Blake says and looks back at me.

"Don't tell me what to be and what not to be. Until we say 'I do', I'm still your leader," I warn.

The song ends and Blake holds my arms gently. "Don't fight me, Darling. Everything I do, I do for you-"

"Or for yourself," someone says behind me.

I turn and it's Owen in his dark green mask. The copper hair - turning more brown everyday - gives it away. And of course those sinfully dark eyes peeking through.

Want to dance?" Owen asks as a happy, upbeat classical number starts playing.

Blake starts objecting, but I send him a warning look before turning to Owen and taking his hand in answer. My friend leads me further into the dance floor - away from Blake before positioning himself correctly. I remember Owen being my first dance-partner at the Northern ball last year. He's a good dancer.

"Trouble in paradise?" Owen asks as we move in rhythm with the music.

"That's not your place to ask," I tell him.

"Sorry," he says.

We dance a fast pace with the music. I spend more time scanning the other dance partners and cursing Blake in my mind. I took a bullet for that boy. I patiently waited for him to get better. I basically died for Owen and him. And what do I get in return? No patience and lies. I don't regret saying yes to his proposal. It has it's advantages, but all I ask is half of what I gave him last year.

"About the other night... We never really talked about that... I know you're mad at finding out about whatever is going on between Nessa and I..." Owen says cautiously.

I look back at my friend. I'm always looking up at these boys. Owen might even be a smidgen taller than Blake. Of course, they're both at least a hand's width shorter than Xavier. 

Why does my mind keep drifting back to the Northern devil?

"I'm not angry that you're sleeping with Nessa. You can sleep with whoever you want to," I answer truthfully and Owen sags a bit. "I'm mad that you're sleeping with the North," I add.

Owen looks at me in confusion before spinning me out and bringing me back in. We're a lot more in sync than with Blake, but the dress still proves to be a problem. Whenever I feel myself losing balance, I make sure to clutch tighter onto Owen's broad shoulder.

"If Nessa was any other girl, sure, go ahead. But she isn't. She's the North's second in command. Until we know the truth behind the North and South's intentions, they're the enemy," I try explaining.

Owen snickers. "For someone branding the North as your enemy, you sure wear a lot of their clothes. Don't be a hypocrite, Goldy," Owen says.

"I- I'm not a hypocrite," I defend.

"Yes you are," Owen chuckles. "You tell me to stay away from the North, but you go there yourself. You constantly preached to me about not judging others, but that's what you're doing to Xavier."

"You're defending Xavier now? Did you forget he's the one that got Calvin and Matt killed-"

"Did he pull the trigger at them?" Owen interrupts. I'm stunned for a moment, because the ex-East-side leader has changed. 

I don't know how to respond, but then go for: "He pulled the trigger at me. He shot me. Shot my heart. And Uncle Anton gave his own in return."

Owen goes soft again and doesn't miss a beat in his stepping. I'm surprised to be keeping up. "And that's why Xavier is hated. He's too responsible to make excuses for his actions, so let me make them for him. It was the South that sneaked in that day. They shot and killed Calvin and Matt. Xavier gave his men blanks. They didn't even have real bullets. When it came to me or Blake, Xavier planned to only shoot one of us in the shoulder. He didn't expect you to jump in. And that poison? That was just sedatives," Owen explains.

I feel a thousand storms break in my mind. I try sorting through everything. Some of this I knew. Some I didn't.

Owen grits his teeth before swinging me low and bringing me up to say: "Blake and I lied. Xavier did try to warn us against the South before you even showed up. He tried, but we were too proud. Newly made leaders, we were too stupid to listen."

That, Xavier told me. Proved to me even, but I was still too stubborn to believe him. Why have I been so stubborn? Was it because that's how I am when intimidated? Was the pain and loss so blinding?

"There is a stubbornness about me that never can bear to be frightened at the will of others. My courage always rises at every attempt to intimidate me," I quote absentmindedly.

"You and your Jane Austen quotes," Owen smiles.

I smile back at my friend. It doesn't reach my eyes, but it's a smile all the same. "Why are you telling me all this now?" I ask.

Owen sighs, does another quick twirl with me and brings me back fast. Everyone else seems to be on the same level as us. In rhythm, but not standing out. "I've known for a while the North only has good intentions. Hell, Xavier has weirdly even become a friend, but... I never told you, because even with Blake as your fiance, I was so scared you'd fall for Xavier and his charm now that he's a good guy. Blake doesn't intimidate me. You might have given me that ring after getting engaged with Bowmen, but still, he never intimidated me as much as Xavier. Foolishly, I always had the idea of us ending up together at the back of my mind," Owen admits.

If I had a heart, it would break for my friend. Not too long ago, his touch made me feel sparks. Not too long ago, I could see myself with his family. Meeting his younger sister. Watching his boxing matches. Who knows how things could've turned out if I didn't die...

"And why are you telling me now?" I ask.

Owen has a sad smile when he quotes Jane Austen and says: "Friendship is certainly the finest balm for the pangs of disappointed love..."

"Oh, Owen..." I try saying, but the song comes to a quick end and my friend only bows before walking off. 

I stand there like a wet sock before walking away from the dance floor as a new song starts. On my way to the buffet tables, my shoulder collides with someone.

"Oh shit, sorry!" I apologize to the girl in a magnificent black dress. It's a tight fit and certainly compliments her. 

"It's fine," she says.

I frown and see if I can recognize her through her detailed black mask. "I've heard your voice before... Do we know each other?" I ask.

"You're Rebma D'logiram. Everyone knows you," the girl says.

I try finding recognizable features, but none come to mind. Her mousy hair is in a low bun and the parts of her face I can see, doesn't have anything that tugs my memory.

"And you are?" I ask.

"You'll know soon enough," she says and before I can ask her what she means, she takes a few steps back and disappears into the crowd.

That, is some horror-movie shit.

I spot the buffet tables and quickly make my way. The closer I get, the sadder I get. The last time I was at a buffet table, it was with Calvin... I remember how that strawberry blond stuffed his face with chocolate eclairs... Absentmindedly, I walk over to the eclairs and stare at them.

"No surprise to find you here," someone says across the table. I look up and it's Xavier. I know it's him before I even see his poison green eyes and dark auburn hair.

Why is everyone so afraid of me falling for this guy? Why not of anyone else? Do they really think I'm just some weak-willed girl that'll fall for anybody.

Is everyone else aware of something I'm not?

Deciding to, for once in my life, listen to my own advice, I try to wipe the slate clean. Push away all foul memories of Xavier and try my hand at just being polite. Maybe that'll make it easier to learn what everyone else seems to know.

I thank him for the dress and he seems surprised.

Damn, I really am harsh.

We exchange a few words over the music and I manage to not call him the devil. By the time Xavier asks to dance and tells me it's a choice, I immediately recognize a difference between the Xavier from last year - the one that apparently pretended to be cruel, and the one in front of me. 

The first time Xavier asked me to dance, he said it wasn't a choice.

I smile and extend my hand. Xavier's emerald green eyes light up and my hand burns where we touch.

Heyyyy goldies!!!!

Soooo Amber's getting a little friendlier, but that doesn't mean the Xamber ship is end game. Y'all know better than to think I don't have twists coming real soon.

Love y'all and please remember to vote for fast updates!!!!! I hope the book isn't getting boring! I can't wait for the end of the masquerade!!! 

~ Holly Shmit