Issa and Flix flanked their mother’s chair and stared at me with fang-clad grins, but there was no one else seated with the Waterstones. Ossanna hardly seemed to mind. If anything, she struck me as the type who thrived off total control. I doubted she was keen to share whatever power her name granted.
And then there were Zelyria and Dagas Starglen, aunt and uncle to Briar, the young boy who attended Orin’s lessons, and joint heads of their household. If Briar had parents, they weren’t mentioned. Still, he stood behind their chairs, unmoving and impassive as ever. But instead of looking to the night sky like he had been earlier, he aimed his gaze solely at me. The weight of his unblinking eyes was unnerving. The longer I held his stare, the more my stomach tightened.
When I couldn’t stand it any longer, I shifted my focus to Orin and Seville. Rorik’s chair was empty. Amalyss, Tasia, and their parents were still lingering within the fete, though I occasionally caught Lydia glowering in our direction.
“Thank you all for coming,” Orin said. An attendant had swung by the moment he’d arrived and brought wine for those seated. At least they’d remembered the diamond-inlay stemware, per Seville’s demands. Orin took a small sip. “Let’s keep this brief and enjoy the evening, yes?”
“Wouldn’t want to steal you away from your prize.” Ossanna’s eyes glistened with trouble in the low light of the moon. Removed from the fete as we were, the nearest magicked lantern was several yards away and did little to illuminate our surroundings. Of course, I doubted these Evers noticed. With so many bestial parts on display, I would’ve bet my weight in coin that they could see in the dark. Still, the night was dotted with blistering stars and a half-moon—enough for me to detect the desire and curiosity in her expression.
Orin merely raised a brow. “Alone again, Ossanna? I can arrange for some available suitors, should you be interested. I know plenty who admire the Waterstone name.”
She laughed. “I’m surprised you don’t offer the same to your sister.”
“As if I need Orin’s help.” Seville took a heavy drink from her glass before pinning Ossanna with a heady glare. “You should be thankful my brother is willing to help at all.”
“Indeed I am.” Ossanna’s grin deepened. “My daughter deserves only the best for her future.”
My throat dried at her words, and suddenly I was aware of the lack of drink in my hand. I didn’t like the tension that snapped between Ossanna and Orin, despite his calm facade. He sighed and shook his head once, but I didn’t miss the way his fingers tightened around the arm of his chair.
“Let’s leave that discussion for another day.” He shifted his focus to the Starglens and dipped his chin by way of greeting. “Thank you for joining us. It’s been too long since our families came together like this.”
Zelyria considered him for a long moment. Her indigo eyes were endless, the dark shade of her hair like a black void that seemed to suck in all color. She and Dagas both shared the same constellation pattern as Briar, and it stretched across her face in an intricate dance that highlighted her soft features. When she spoke, her voice was surprisingly low. “Some more than others.”
Just then, a tinkling laugh followed by a heated, guttural growl broke through the faded din of the fete at our backs. Rorik sauntered toward his empty chair with Jules clinging to him like an article of clothing. She whispered something in his ear before swiveling her head toward the gathering. Violet eyes framed by impossibly thick black lashes bounced from one body to the next until she noticed me. Her star constellation was more like diamonds dripping down her temple, but it signaled her family ties just the same.
“You’re late, as always,” Seville drawled.
Rorik effortlessly flopped into his chair, pulling Jules onto his lap with him. “I’m nothing if not consistent.”
Gods, I hated him. I wished I’d lied to him. I didn’t know what caused it—his presence, my anger, or Orin’s steady comfort—but I shifted closer to Orin’s arm. And even though he didn’t meet my gaze, he made sure I knew he was there. With the lightest touch, he grazed my wrist with his pinkie. That subtle action was enough to steel my emotions, and I turned my attention back to the group.
“Daughter,” Dagas said, leaning forward to brace his elbows on his knees. “We missed you at mealtime.”
She didn’t even miss a beat. “I was eating something else.”
I nearly choked on my breath at her words, and I turned away to cough.
I need a fucking drink.
“Edira?” Orin asked as his eyes found mine. Nothing but concern filled those beautiful green irises. They dipped to my throat, and then he glanced back at the Starglens to where Briar continued to stand. “Briar, can you fetch her something to drink, please?”
Briar waited for Zelyria to nod her agreement, and then he was gone, silently ghosting through the crowd like an apparition.
“Thanks,” I mumbled, as I forced a scratchy swallow. Absently, I rubbed the hollow space above my collarbone before letting my hand fall to my side.
Finally, Rorik looked at me. His glassy eyes suddenly sharpened, and the redness of his cheeks and ears faded to a more pallid shade. “You’re missing something.”
The rest of the group fell silent as they rounded their gazes on him.
“I’m not.” I wasn’t sure what the etiquette was for a situation like this, talking back to an Ever in the middle of what felt like a very important—and strained—meeting, but Rorik didn’t exactly come across as favored. If anything, his family barely tolerated his existence. I doubted the Waterstones or Starglens, aside from Jules, cared much for him at all.
“Ywena. Where is she?”
“I sent her back.” Orin placed a hand on mine, and Rorik’s eyes briefly targeted the action. “If she’s not with you, then that’s your responsibility.”
“Ywena?” Ossanna cocked her head to the side, and I swore her grin touched her ears, as if the possibility of conflict could contort her expression to the extreme. “Another consort for the evening?”
“I can assure you, the only one he’s been occupied with is me.” Jules’s disdain was palpable, and she sank farther into Rorik’s arms as if to claim her space.
