“That’s you,” she said.
He grinned. “See?” he said quietly. “Now it’s us against the whole room.”
She glanced around again at the staring guests, the towering photos, the watchful elders. Then she leaned slightly closer to him. “Good,” she murmured. “Because I might start breaking things if this goes on much longer.”
His grin widened. “Please wait until after dessert,” he said. “The cake looks expensive.”
Liora followed his gaze to the enormous, multi-tiered cake at the center of the room, decorated with intricate sugar serpents winding around its layers.
She studied it for a moment, then she said, “You know what?”
“What?”
“I give you full permission to destroy the cake.”
Maldenis blinked.
She shrugged lightly. “Wouldn’t want to encroach on your dramatics.”
He barked out a laugh before he could stop himself, and after a second, she joined him.
Their laughter was still fading when he noticed a familiar figure gliding through the crowd toward them. Seraphelle moved with quiet authority, guests subtly parting to let her through. Her sharp golden gaze already fixed on them, or more specifically on Liora.
He followed her line of sight and immediately knew what she was looking at: the piercings. The small silver ring in Liora’s nose and the one on her brow. For a moment, Seraphelle simply studied them.
He braced himself, but to his surprise, the elder said nothing. Not a word. Just a small inhale, like someone choosing their battles.
He hid his relief behind a polite expression and casually reached over and took Liora’s hand. The gesture looked natural enough to anyone watching, maybe even affectionate. But when Liora glanced at him, he pulled a quick, exaggerated face. A silent,don’t say anything.
Her eyes flickered with understanding. Then, perfectly on cue, she pasted on that polite smile again.
Seraphelle reached them. “Maldenis,” she greeted calmly.
“Elder.”
Her gaze shifted to the human beside him. “And Liora.”
Liora inclined her head slightly. “Seraphelle.”
The elder nodded, satisfied. Then she gestured lightly toward the far side of the hall, where a raised platform had been set up.
“We’re ready to begin the program,” she said. “You’ll need to come with me.”
Maldenis nodded automatically and started to move. But his hand was still holding Liora’s, and she didn’t budge. She was staring toward the stage as if it might explode.
He leaned down slightly, lowering his voice so only she could hear. “Come on,” he murmured.
She didn’t look at him. “I feel like this is where things get worse.”
“Probably,” he said honestly.
That made her shoot him a look.
Then he added quietly, “But the sooner we do this…” He gave her hand a small tug. “…the sooner we can get away.” He was glad when she finally moved.
Maldenis had thought the party itself was excessive, but he had been wrong.
Once Seraphelle led them to the raised platform, the evening turned into something else entirely, something that felt less like a celebration and more like a ceremony mixed with a public spectacle.
