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His gaze slowly swings back to mine, the glare still intact, but he offers a subtle nod, accepting my gratitude while simultaneously drawing the conversation to an end. The darkness outside the window claims his attention once again and I let him distance himself this time.
If the other Bishops are intrigued or confused by my thanks, they don’t say anything. Not even Zane andheusually has an opinion on everything.
We ride in comfortable silence, Eldon’s thumb gently running back and forth over my knuckles until we approach our destination. Carriage after carriage is lined up and a porter opens the door for us once we come to a full stop.
“Please, follow me.”
Eldon steps out first, immediately offering me his hand, which I take, letting him escort me down from the carriage. The second Zane is out, he’s trying to push Eldon off me to take me for himself while Creed watches with his deep onyx eyes, never saying a word. Brax, however, climbs down and stomps toward the entryway without a backward glance.
“Am I causing issues between you guys?” I ask before I can think better of it.
“No. Brax is just…Brax,” Eldon explains. There’s no irritation in his tone, no anger or anything that would indicate he’s worried, so I take his word for it.
Focusing on my surroundings, I notice we’re back at the academy building, the large circular double doors I first saw when I arrived standing before me. It feels like an eternity ago, yet very little time has actually passed. I’m still not much wiser about the world around me, no stronger than I was back at Shadowmoor, yet my life feels like it’s…superior.
“Raven.”
I turn toward Leila’s voice, watching her rush toward me in a red dress. Her blonde hair is braided back into a bun, and her smoky eye makeup accentuates her blue eyes. “You look amazing,” I say as she gives me a hug. She’s practically buzzing with excitement. I can feel it and it’s contagious.
“So do you. Are you ready for an evening with your brother?” I frown at her question, glancing back at the Bishops who look just as confused as I do.
“What do you mean?”
“Oh, we have to sit with our families in there.”
My gut clenches and my heart instantly aches. “I thought we would be able to sit where we wanted, or in our houses at least,” I mutter like it’s going to change the circumstances, and Leila grimaces.
“Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. We can mingle once the meal is over, though,” she adds, and I cling to that fact as we head inside.
The crowd is directed to the left and I startle at the room we’re led into. Candles float across the ceiling in an array of sizes, lighting the entire space and creating a cozy atmosphere. White, gold, and cream drapes decorate the walls, matching the flowers placed as centerpieces on each table.
“Family name, please.” I turn to the man, who looks at me with a warm smile, and realize I’m worrying my bottom lip.
“Hendrix,” I murmur, already hating the taste of that word on my tongue.
“Follow me.”
I glance back at the Bishops, offering them a wary smile as he leads me further into the room. They look about as happy as I do, but as much as that fills me with reassurance, it doesn’t save me from the dinner I’m going to have to endure.
A chair is pulled out for me far too quickly and I attempt to turn my grimace into a smile, but the glimmer in his eyes tells me I’m failing miserably. “Thank you,” I murmur, not sitting down straight away as I build up the strength to see who is here.
Exhaling, I bite the bullet and turn to see Sebastian, Papa, and Mama to my left. While another family fills the other half of the table. Not just any family, though. It’s Finn’s. Great, this just got even more awkward.
“Hey, Raven. You look exceptional,” Finn says from the seat beside me, and I offer him a tight smile, opting to focus on my mama across from me instead.
I don’t bother taking my seat as I rush around the table to greet her. She cuts the distance, meeting me halfway as she holds me in a tight embrace. I feel heavier and lighter all at once. She’s always been my home, my safe place, despite how far apart we may have grown. Right up until the last time I saw her. It was back at the old family house, where she stayed inside and let Papa ship me off. I don’t understand the politics behind anything that happened, but the way she holds me now, pouring all of her emotions into our hug, none of it matters.
“I’ve missed you so much, my sweet girl,” she whispers against my ear, and I hold her tighter.
“I’ve missed you too.”
“I’m so sorry, Raven. I thought I could stop the inevitable, but I was stupid, naïve, and hopeful for a better life for you. It was silly of me to think one existed. It’s hard here, I know that from experience, but I hope you’ll turn it into a beautiful journey, just as you do with everything else.”
Overwhelmed, I lean back to meet her gaze. “You came here too?”
“Of course she did. We all did. It’s the Hendrix way,” Papa interjects, irritating me, and I take that as my cue to find my seat.
I get comfortable without looking at Sebastian, hating that I’m sandwiched between him and Finn. Not that Finn has technically done anything to me. Shit, he healed me earlier, but I know it’s going to piss the Bishops off and something tells me he’ll enjoy doing it.
