Those eyes! She knew those eyes. The man standing in front of her, she was certain, as Xion. But she couldn’t say anything without giving herself away. He’d know her voice. She was sure of it. Her mask that she Was wearing, however, Concealed her identity. The masked ball was a huge deal for the families in town. It gave everyone a chance to dance, laugh and dress up, and pretend to be Someone they weren't. The stipulation was no one could reveal who they were until after midnight. By then, Gabriella hoped to Be long gone. Her mission for information is hopefully done. Everyone at the party didn’t know her as Gabriella; she was her new identity to them. An identity she’d created when she left this scene years ago. They now knew her as Bella, The artist.

“Well, hello there. That's a beautiful mask you have.” Xion said as he studied the pretty woman in front of him, “Do I know you?” He asked. Her long mousy brown hair swung around her shoulders and down her back as she shook her head. He became lost in her deep emerald green eyes. A familiarness tugged at his brain. Why did he feel he knew this woman? “Are you certain?” He repeated. Again she shook her head and then turned to leave, almost as though she couldn't stand to stay. He tried to catch her arm, but she disappeared quickly into the crowded ballroom. He scanned the room looking for her, utterly enthralled with her, and he didn’t know why. How had she disappeared so quickly, as she vanished without a trace?

Xion was certain the woman had been Bella, the artist he’d encountered just now. She was pretty but not an exceptional beauty. Her short frame gave way to the immense strength she carried. He knew of her by her reputation. Tonight she wore a deep-sea green floor-length ball gown that glittered when she moved. She wasn’t a small woman, she carried a little bit of weight on her, but it didn’t detract from her being on the pretty side. The dress matched those emerald eyes perfectly. That was where the beauty was, those eyes. She barely reached his chest, so she was quite small in stature. Xion scanned the crowd and was again, hoping to catch another glimpse of her; he was unsure why he was so enamored with her. It wasn’t like they talked or even frequented the same circles. He knew her to be an artist, and she was sought out for just that. Her art was amazing and beautiful.

Bella, she’d risen from nowhere to be sought out by the richest and most powerful people in the city. And around the country. Her art hung in galleries and homes all over the world. She was only known as Bella. No last name, nothing was known about her either. A small black and white cat often accompanied her. The cat spoke to Xion in a way as well. He’d seen the cat once when he’d gone to a gallery opening a few years back. The cat was gentle like his owner, staying happily at her feet as she moved around the galleria.

Xion had an affinity for cats, big ones, small ones, all of them. His families were a family of shapeshifters, and his ‘talent,’ as his father liked to call it, was a huge white Bengal tiger. His entire family could shift. Most of the werewolves, but Xion and his mother were tigers. A secret passed down for generations, but it was also why his family held so. Ugh, power in town. Their wealth and class are closely linked to the protection his family offered. No one outside the family knew his family shifted, just that there was something special and different about them. Only one person outside the family had known his secret, but she’d disappeared many years ago. Presumed dead. He quickly changed his thought process. Even after all these years, thinking of Gabriella was painful.

Xion spotted his father across the room and made his way to him.

“Did you see her? The artist? She was here. I’m sure it was her!” His father, Delaney, was fascinated with the artist. Many of her canvases hung in the mansion and at his fathers' office. He’d wanted to meet her for several years but had never had the opportunity. And knowing she was possibly here tonight excited him. “Father, you can’t be certain it was her; everyone is wearing a mask.” Xion tried to reason with him, but he was like a dog with a bone.

“No, I’m sure it was her! She didn’t have her cat with her, but I’m sure it was her!” Delaney exclaimed as he craned his neck, trying to see through the crowd. When he couldn’t see what he hoped, he looked over at his son. “I will meet her one day, and I want to buy one of her canvases from her.” Xion laughed and slapped his father across the shoulders. “And I’m sure you will; just don’t make mother jealous.”

“Your mother knows already,” Delaney exclaimed as he continued to scan the crowd to see his wife. He waved her over. “I’m sure Bella was here!” He exclaimed as she neared them. Grace laughed and tapped her husband's cheek “we will never know, my love, everyone is dressed up, and we all have masks on. It’s hard to tell who is who.”

Delaney shrugged his shoulders and sighed. “I’m sure it was her, though…..”