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“You hate being here?” Tegan asked softly.
“Don’t you?” The fact that he didn’t deny it and was so open in his dismissal of the formalities expected of him, made Tegan hide her smile.
“Don’t ever change, Cord.”
“Ha,” he grunted. “You might be the first one to ask that of me.”
“Well then I’m obviously right,” Tegan teased him.
Prime Castor Garrick stood talking to a male in black robes. “Prime Becker, Prime Chernov, may I introduce Elite Sentinel Tegan Novikov-Holt.”
Tegan liked the way that Cord hyphenated her name, fighting the warm flutter she felt at him making another effort to make her comfortable.
“Sentinel Tegan, you have everyone in a flurry of excitement,” the Dark Castor watched her intently.
“It seems so,” she acknowledged solemnly. “I do not know why, I am just an Akrhyn female like most of this room.”
“I don’t think you arejustanything,” the Dark Castor watched her closely, his focus shifting onto Cord. “You managed to not wear your robes again.”
“Apparently I am Heir first,” Cord dipped his head acknowledging the admonishment.
“Ridiculous,” the Dark Castor looked away with a frown in Cornelius’s direction. “Your Uncle looks delighted with himself.”
“Maybe he is happy he got such a good turnout after the fear of the last few days,” Tegan answered. There was something unusual about this Castor. Most of the Akrhyn who chose to become Castors, were strange in Tegan’s opinion. However, this tall, slender male in front of her, had her senses prickling.
“What are your thoughts on the Drakhyn appearing at the fence alone?” Prime Chernov asked her. “After all, you talked to it.”
“I think it is a game, and we aren’t out of danger yet,” Tegan answered boldly.
“Is that so?” He held her gaze for a few more minutes, before looking at both Garrick and Cord. “You were right, interesting times indeed.” With a dip of his head he excused himself and walked away.
“Why do I feel like I have just been assessed and… failed?” Tegan asked quietly.
“I’m not sure of the result, but you have been assessed,” Cord replied as he took two flutes of champagne from a passing server. He handed one to Tegan who looked at it in puzzlement. “Tell me you have had champagne before?”
“No, father doesn’t approve of alcohol.”
“In that case, drink up,” Cord’s grin was wicked.
“But perhaps not too eagerly, Sentinel Tegan,” Garrick warned. “The bubbles have a tendency to go straight to your head.” Tegan took a small sip and her nose wrinkled, curious she took another sip. Garrick laughed at her expression. “And that is my call to leave before Salem comes and kills me for allowing his daughter to get drunk.”
Garrick walked away to talk to others, leaving Tegan and Cord alone. “Should I be doing something?” Tegan asked uncertainly.
“I wouldn’t,” Cord scanned the crowd continuously, his manner clearly telling anyone not to come close. A few of the older Akrhyn had tried but his cutting glare had kept them away.
“What do you usually do at these events?” Tegan asked looking over to where Sloane stood, obviously uncomfortable, beside Zahra who was talking animatedly to another male Akrhyn. Tegan looked at Zahra’s dress, a rich wine velvet figure-hugging dress, with a high neck and an equally high split. She wore black heels with ease. Her platinum curls were in soft easy curls framing her face. Zahra laughed at something the male said and turned to swat at him playfully. Tegan noticed her entire dress was backless.
“My brother looks miserable,” Cord said with amusement. He scowled as he looked at Zahra, before looking away again.
“Should we rescue him?” Tegan asked with concern. Sloane met their stares and gave a half-hearted smile.
“You should,” Cord agreed and then walked away from her.
He had barely walked ten steps when Tegan saw the Akrhyn he had been staving off with his natural glare began to descend upon her. She braced herself for the onslaught when a warm hand on her elbow startled her.
“Hey there,” Kai smiled. “Do you want to dance?”
Tegan looked between the oncoming curious Akrhyn and the dance floor. “I have never so badly wanted to dance,” she grinned as he led her to the dance floor.
