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“Oh!” she exclaimed. “Who?”
“Corvus,” I repeated, taking her frail hand in mine to shake it, hearing Ava Jade grumble something unintelligible at my back. She should’ve been thanking me. Thanking all of us. There were non-violent ways of getting what we wanted, and though they were less fun, we used them often.
Grey cranked up the charm to eleven and took my place in front of the woman. “And I’m Grey Winters. Your niece and I share AP calculus. I was the top of the class before she dethroned me.”
Humphrey blinked rapidly, taking us in like her puny little brain couldn’t compute what was happening. She was trying hard to maintain her frustration, but it was waning fast.
Rook put the last nail in that coffin.
He swept forward, taking her veiny hand up to his lips for a kiss. “Rook,” he said simply. “A pleasure.”
“What are you doing here, Aunt Humphrey?” Ava Jade asked, shoving Rook out of the way with a little more force than she needed to, giving him a pointed look.
“I…well I was…”
Well shit, we broke her.
Her face reddened, and she cleared her throat. “I came to see you.”
“Why?”
“What do you mean, why?” Humphrey demanded, coming back to herself. “You’ve been ignoring all my calls. My text messages. I thought you’d left.”
“I lost my phone.”
Humphrey’s gaze alighted on the brand new cell phone in Ava Jade’s hand. “Just like your father, always telling lies.”
Ava Jade trembled with rage at her aunt’s comment, and I winced, anticipating a number of things that could leave her mouth now.
“It’s a new phone,” she said through gritted teeth. “And I’d appreciate it if you didn’t talk about Dad like that.”
She waved away Ava Jade’s words like they were coils of a particularly odorous smoke wafting near her face. “Yes, well, it’s true, but never mind that. You never replied about Thanksgiving.”
Ava Jade cocked her head, staring with open incredulity at her aunt. “You’re not serious.”
“Why shouldn’t I be? We’re the only family we have now, dear. I should like for you to join me at the house for dinner.”
It didn’t sound like a request, and I wondered why Ava Jade put up with the old cow. Was it truly just because she paid her tuition here at the academy? Fuck, I’d pay it myself to get the hag off her back.
“I don’t do Thanksgiving,” she replied in a careful monotone. “Haven’t since I was, like, four.”
“That’s just sad, Ava Jade. Your parents should’ve—”
The woman cut herself short, clearly not completely immune to my Sparrow’s murderous stares.
Humphrey turned her attention to me. “Well, just ask your friends. You boys must have Thanksgiving plans? Would you rather sit alone at the school?”
“Actually,” Grey interjected. “We don’t. Our father lost his wife the day before Thanksgiving, so we don’t celebrate it.”
Humphrey’s hand went to her chest, fingers clutching the pearl necklace around her throat. “Oh, how very unfortunate. Should you like to, you’d be welcome to attend Thanksgiving dinner at my home with Ava Jade. Everyone should have somewhere to go for Thanksgiving.”
Ava Jade’s eyes went wide at the offer, her mouth dropping open. “They wouldn’t—”
“We’d love to join you, madame,” Rook said, making me choke. I had to cover the sound with a cough and a smile. “What a gracious offer.”
“It’s settled then. I’ll send you the details, Ava Jade, dear. Mind your phone. I don’t want to have to come all the way across town again.”
Ava Jade seemed temporarily mute, glaring at Rook so vehemently that I was surprised she didn’t reduce him to ash with the look alone.
