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“Was this atrick?” Cord whispered indignantly.
“No.” She suddenly found her voice. “I didn’t even feel anything at all—”
Cord took another step back, his eyes hardening. “You feltnothing. I didn’t realise you were quite so skilled at thisdance.”
“I didn’t mean it like that, obviously I feltyou, I meant—”
“Enough,” he snapped. “I’ve heard enough.”
He strode angrily away from her, leaving Tegan hurrying after him before she stopped and watched Cord re-entering the hall. Reaching up, she covered her hand over her heart, wondering what in shade’s name just happened. Tegan took a tremulous breath. She needed to go back into the hall, but she wasn’t sure she could face him after his accusation. With a heavy heart, Tegan squared her shoulders and straightened her dress as she gave herself a pep talk. Cord was suspicious of everyone, Tegan rationalised, he would realise quickly he was being more of a fool than normal, and then he would pretend it didn’t happen.
Nodding to herself, she carefully wiped her eyes—no one needed to see her embarrassment or her misery. With a snort of contempt at her self-pity, she made her way back to the hall as she decided she would dwell on this later, there were more important things happening that she needed to worry about. However, before she pulled the door open, she had the sobering thought that only Cord Lebedev would take the magical beauty of her first proper kiss and trample it under his feet.
Bonded indeed!She fervently wished a plague of boils on the Ancients as she walked into the hall, her head high and her back straight, seemingly without a care in the world. Exactly as her father had taught her.
* * *
“Tegan,” Salem greeted her as she stood in the corner of the room, her train arranged around her as a physical barrier to anyone who may approach. “You’ve been over here for a while, are you okay?”
Tegan nodded as she continued to watch the gatherers of Akrhyn drink and laugh at theparty.
“Hmm.” Salem delicately picked his way over the dress and came to stand beside her. “I didn’t realise you would use it as an actual impediment to get close to you,” he told her with a slight smile.
“Use what weapon is available to you,” Tegan answered with a small shrug.
“You are upset?” Salem said as he placed his hands behind his back. “I know that this frustrates you, but the Sisters are on our side and are infinitely wiser than we can ever hope to be.” Salem looked at the Three as they stood to one side of the room, a handful of Elite Sentinels surrounding them. “If they say this is important, then we need to be here.”
“And play the parts they dictate to us.”
Salem stopped his sigh at his daughter’s heavy sarcasm. “It is more than a part. It may not feel like it, but you have been blessed.”
Tegan snorted as she turned her head to glare at Cord. He stood talking with Sloane where four or five females surrounded them and continuously touched his arm or laughed at his stupid comments. “I am unspeakably honoured.”
Salem followed her stare and caught Cord’s glare in their direction. “Trouble?”
“He is a buffoon.”
“He is,” Salem said with a straight face. “With you,” he added. “However, he is not a fool in other things.”
“He irritates youallthe time,” Tegan said to him in disbelief. “You’re always reprimanding him for being arrogant and...” She struggled for the words. “Overbearing!”
“I do.” Salem nodded. “Because he really is, both of those things, but…” Salem paused. “He is infinitely talented, he is—believe it or not—incredibly fair, and he is agoodmale.”
“He is a buffoon,” Tegan repeated as she rubbed her hand over her heart again.
“What happened?” Salem asked calmly while his fingers crossed behind his back in the hope she would tell him.
“It’s nothing,” Tegan muttered as she realised she couldn’t actually have this conversation with Salem.
“You both went out of the hall together,” Salem said with a casual lightness he didn’t feel. He watched Cord dip his head and talk into the ear of the female whose accompanying laughter could be heard from here. “What happened?”
Tegan’s eyes were glued to the female and herbondedmate. “He was nice and normal, and I stupidly offered him something he should never get,” she snapped angrily. She turned to Salem, her fury mounting. “Is this how my mother felt? When she had to watch you with Mikayla?”
Salem’s face whitened in shock as he took a step backward. “Tegan, I—”
“By Delfar’s grace.” Tegan looked at him with eyes wide in horror. “Salem, I humbly apologise, I am so sorry.” Tears flooded her eyes as she looked around wildly for escape. “I am so sorry.” Pushing past him, she hurried out of the hall. More than a few noticed her departure as Michael crossed the room to his father.
“What happened?”
