No. Of course she didn’t. Lux changed much from the little girl who thrived on color, music and joy. She must be unrecognizable.
Lux squared her shoulders and pasted a smirk on her lips. More and more eyes found her: her hair, her dress, her body. Never focusing on her face. She could not vanish here and so must do the next best thing.
Confidence. She oozed it. Rather, she faked it. Lux learned long ago that the more superficial the person, the less likely theywere to see past her mask. Unable to read deeper and discover the truth.
“This way, madams.” The vested server led them through the center of the foray.
Lux’s gaze landed on one man in particular as he unabashedly stared at Riselda, the woman at his side looking on with scarlet cheeks. His dramatic squeal reminded her of a chased piglet as his drink tipped onto his lap by her clumsy fingers.
She tucked them demurely in front of her once more, never pausing. But inside she sparked with flame. She longed to kick the chair from beneath him and press a booted heel to his face, forcing him to apologize to both Riselda and his companion in order to secure his release.
She breathed it away.
Riselda was seated first, followed by herself. The round table was lit by a single candlestick flickering with white flame, at a vantage perfect for observing the entire room. Though Lux was keenly aware this meant she would also be so easily inspected. Riselda ordered wine for them both before she could protest the drink, and, with an unapologetic lift to her lips, gazed at her from across the sleek wood.
“That was a nice trick with the glass. I hardly saw your fingers move.” Riselda’s eyes flicked across the room. “He’s still confused as to what happened.” She chuckled, reaching for the napkin.
“People like that disgust me.”
“Oh, so your male friend is not of the same?”
Lux bit her cheek to keep her harsh words from bursting forth. Unfortunately, the pause allowed Shaw’s face to enter her mind instead. Beneath her. She felt the sear of his lips against hers and heated at the mere memory.
“Oh my. Apparently you don’t believe so.” Riselda turned her wicked smile upon the server, accepting the outstretched glass.“I am going to give you some advice, Lucena. Did you see that woman beside the man you deposited wine upon? Her power was drained long ago. Her gaze holds no fire, her words weigh nothing. She can no longer speak because she doesn’t remember how.”
Riselda took a scandalously large sip of the crimson liquid.
“Do you want to know a secret?” Her eyes were a storm. Lux felt sure she could see the lightning striking within. “I almost became her. And when the last of my flame flickered and sputtered, I made my decision. I disappeared—and rose from the ashes.” She eased back into her seat with eyes that slowly shifted back to familiar indigo. “My power is unfathomable now.”
Lux assumed it to be a metaphor, but a small voice deep down rocked back and forth, terrified it was not.
“I’m sorry about all you’ve been through, Aunt, but you don’t know her story.” Though the scene Riselda had painted left her anxious—a situation she would never near. She meant what she had said to Aline. She fully planned to cease contact with Shaw when this was over.
She frowned. When exactly had they become allies?
“I know enough.” Riselda swirled a final swallow in the glass, studying her. “You haven’t tried your wine.”
“I don’t enjoy alcohol.”
Riselda’s mouth tightened, her gaze chilling. “You remind me so much of your mother.” She sniffed, draining her glass. “Your father too, in fact.” She reached across the table, her fingers enclosing greedily over Lux’s wine. The candle’s flame sought her skin, and either she did not feel it, or she didn’t care.
The server returned.
“The chef here is brilliant.” Riselda’s mouth relaxed around the words. Turning back to the server, she added, “Please tell her we would like something new. Something unique.” Theserver’s lips parted, but her words vanished under the pressure of Riselda’s fingers on her forearm. “Thank you.”
“Tedious.” Her aunt’s eyes found hers again. “Your face is much improved; you’re welcome. Now, tell me how you have been. I feel as if we haven’t spoken much since my return.”
Lux blinked, the demand unexpected. “I have been worried, Riselda. As we all should be.”
“Oh yes. The plague again.” Lux’s eyes bulged against the dismissive tone. “Follow my advice, and you’ve nothing to worry about.”
“I’m not only worried for myself. While I’ve no love for this town, there are still some good people within its walls.”
Riselda snickered into her glass. “There is nothing good left in Ghadra.”
“What do you mean?”
A breadbasket was set between them, and Riselda ripped a roll down its center. “Just as I said. This town is rotting. First the wildlife, the flowers, the walls, and finally, the people.” Riselda bit into the thick crust. “It is rotting. And soon the forest will lay claim to what remains.”
