Caylin glared at him, but there was nothing left to say. She shoved her chair back with a loud scrape, downing her drink in a single gulp before slamming her glass back down on the table and storming away, her back stiff with anger.
Mara sighed. “Well done, Jaxon,” she said dryly. “She’ll be unbearable tomorrow.”
“Caylin is always unbearable,” Kai said, raising his glass. He caught Araya’s eye, grinning at her. “Don’t judge us all by her, please. Some of us are much more charming.”
Araya managed a weak smile, though the heat in her cheeks lingered. “It’s fine,” she said. The urge to lower her gaze tugged at her, but she resisted, brushing against the back of Jaxon’s hand. The gesture was more for herself than him—an attempt to ground the swirling tension inside her.
Conversation and alcohol flowed easily around the table after that, the humans slipping into a practiced camaraderie. Laughter rippled like a stream, light and effortless as they swapped stories and sharp-edged quips, their voices weaving together in a melody Araya didn’t know the words to. She nodded and smiled where she thought it was appropriate, but no matter how many friendly glances Kai sent her way or how deliberately Jaxon included her in the banter, Araya couldn’t shake the sense of being out of place.
Jaxon’s touch was her only anchor. His arm curved around her waist, his firm grip and the warm press of his chest against her back grounding her in place. She wasn’t sure if his touch was meant to reassure her or to warn everyone else that she was his, but either way, it worked.
The stares that had followed her through the streets were absent here, the weight of human scrutiny diffused by Jaxon’s presence. No one dared openly comment on what Jaxon had so clearly marked as his. The realization left a bitter taste in her mouth, but Araya swallowed it down. The stares were gone, and that counted for something.
“Here, try this,” Jaxon murmured, sliding a small plate of food in front of her. “I know you didn’t stop to eat.”
“Thanks.” She offered him a soft smile, touched by the gesture. He was right—she hadn’t eaten since lunch, and the wine wasalready making her head swim. She picked up a small bite, enjoying the explosion of flavors across her tongue.
“Of course, Starling,” Jaxon murmured, but his attention was already shifting. His gaze snagged on something across the room, his entire posture sharpening in an instant. The easy confidence he’d carried all evening hardened into something colder and more dangerous.
“Watch her,” he ordered abruptly, his voice clipped as he glanced at Kai. The warmth that had laced his tone earlier gone.
Araya blinked. “Jaxon, what?—”
But he was already striding away, his presence disappearing into the crowd like a shadow dissolving into darkness.
She gripped the edge of the table, her fingers digging into the lacquered wood. Her papers didn’t authorize her to be here—not tonight, not in this district, and certainly not in the Gilded Lily itself.
Jaxon had been her shield. Without him at her side, the room suddenly felt too sharp, too exposed. If someone asked for her identification—if an inquisitor decided to check her status?—
“Easy, Araya,” Kai said, leaning forward to slide another drink across the table to her. “He’ll be back before you know it. Jaxon isn’t the only important one here—you’re perfectly safe with us. I promise.”
Araya forced a breath through her nose, nodding quickly as her shaking fingers closed around the cool glass. She took a small sip, but the sweet drink did nothing to lift the oppressive dread that had settled over her.
“I’m not used to any of this,” she admitted.
“I’d imagine you aren’t,” Mara said. Her smile carried none of the sharpness that had colored Caylin’s earlier jabs. “It must feel so different. But I’m sure you’ll adjust quickly—luxury is easy to get used to. It really is too bad your friend couldn’t come—what was her name again, Kai? Serafina?”
The name hit Araya like a blow, sharp and unexpected. “Jaxon invited Serafina?” The words tumbled from her mouth before she couldstop them, her fingers gripping the edge of the table as the polished walls seemed to tilt around her.
Kai winced, his easy smile faltering. “He had me reach out to her weeks ago—she said she had other plans. I’m sorry, I didn’t realize she hadn’t told you.”
“Maybe she didn’t want to spoil it,” Mara offered, her expression contrite. “Surprises like this—they can be hard to navigate. Maybe she thought it would be better coming from him?”
Araya nearly laughed. Serafina hated Jaxon—had made her opinion of him blisteringly clear more than once. She wouldn’t have kept this quiet out of consideration. Not for him. Not even for Araya.
But Mara’s excuse was convenient, and Araya was too exhausted to argue.
“Oh, don’t worry about it,” she said quickly, forcing a tight, brittle smile onto her face. “The entire night has been one big surprise—what’s one more?”
But the room spun around her as she took another big gulp of her drink. The table, the glittering sconces, the polished mahogany walls—they all blurred together, pressing in around her. The voices around her faded into a distant murmur as a single thought looped endlessly in her mind.
Serafina had known.
Serafina had known Jaxon was coming back forweeks. If she hadn’t known for sure he was planning to ask for Araya’s bond, she must have at least suspected—but she hadn’t said a word. The realization struck harder than any insult Caylin could have thrown at her.
Jaxon’s laugh rang out, sharp and familiar, cutting through the hum of conversation. Araya’s head snapped up, searching until she found him in the crowd.
He wasn’t alone.
