Chapter Five
CASSIA
I SMOOTH MY hands down my black dress for the third time in five minutes. I chose something I’ve worn before, a loose-fitting, black silk dress. I have enough on my mind tonight, and I don’t need to add my clothing to the list.
I can’t remember the last time I was this nervous. It’s been years.
“Stop that,” David says, smacking at the back of my hand.
I don’t think David’s been anxious a day in his life. Incubi never are. They choose to live carefree, easy lives, and my brother is no different. There’s no problem he can’t ignore and pretend doesn’t exist. I’m jealous.
David huffs when I move to smooth down my dress again. “You’re acting suspicious.”
“I’m doing the best I can!”
David shoots me a nasty glare. “You shouldn’t have turned Dominic away.”
Is he joking? He must be joking.
“I won’t apologize for that,” I say. “You’re weird for sending me a prostitute.”
“Dominic is a professional incubus,” David continues, ignoring me. “He would’ve ensured you were relaxed for this dinner.”
I’m not going to respond to that.
I take a moment to breathe before pushing open the front door to our family home. Noise immediately assaults my ears, which tells me Uncle Chev and his spawn are here. His teenage offspring are the bane of my existence, and I cringe as David rushes past me to find them.
He loves his cousins. I could do without them.
The oldest is seventeen and almost out of her angsty phase, but not entirely.
I follow the noise into the family room. David has already found his way onto the couch with the youngest two. Valeria is chatting with the seventeen-year-old. I take one look around, notice none of the adults are present, and walk away.
It takes some wandering, but I find everybody in Aziel’s office. They’re crowded around his desk, all tense as they exchange hushed whispers. They straighten up the second I enter the room, which I don’t trust.
“What’s going on?” I ask.
Uncle Chev shakes his head, then fixes his leathers and storms forward to pull me into a hug. I don’t take my eyes off my parents as he smashes my face against his bare chest, and I hold eye contact with Aziel when Aunt Vanessa pulls me into a hug afterward.
“It’s good to see you, Cassia,” she says.
I try to remain pleasant as I face her. She’s very largely pregnant, and I openly stare at her stomach as she releases me. I see her every month during these family dinners, and I’m amazed by how much she’s grown in just a few weeks.
She’s wearing a long, loose dress, but it does nothing to hide the bump.
“You’re big,” I compliment her.
“Cassia! You can’t—”
Aunt Vanessa laughs, cutting off Mom’s reprimand. “Thanks for that, Cassia. That’s exactly what I want to hear today.”
I shrug. She’s big, and it’s exciting. I’m not going to pretend I don’t notice it.
“Well?” I ask, turning back to Aziel. “What’s happening?”
There’s a long beat of silence. I don’t trust it, not for a moment. Aziel’s been preparing me to take his position for several years, and with my new grounding techniques, I’m better than ever at handling bad news.
Aziel clears his throat. “It’s nothing worth discussing right now.”
