But then, Jaxon’s hand found her waist.
“You’ll be fine, Starling,” he murmured, pressing a kiss to her cheek. “You’re with me.”
“Jaxon Shaw—lateto his own father’s party.” Kai raised his glass in mock toast, the amber liquor sloshing close to the rim. “We were beginning to think you weren’t coming at all.”
Jaxon chuckled, unfazed. “Not all of us have time to sit around drinking, Kai.”
Kai snorted inelegantly, but his teasing grin softened as he turned to Araya. “You look marvelous, Araya. I hope you get to enjoy your first Arcanum party.”
Enjoy.Araya smoothed down her skirts, forcing her shoulders to relax. She had every right to be here—she’d earned it, with her work, her sacrifices… and Jaxon’s hand at her back.
“Thank you, Kai,” she said, offering him a genuine smile. He always had a way of making her feel like a person, not a specimen under glass. “Who else?—”
Bright, sharp laughter sliced through the conversation as Caylin swept in, crimson silk clinging to every curve like her gown had been stitched directly to her skin. She attached herself to Kai’s arm, flashing Jaxon a dazzling smile before turning it on Araya—sharper.
“Jaxon,” she purred. “You didn’t tell us you’d be bringing her.” She raked her gaze over Araya, her smile widening into something bright and cruel. “That dress is absolutely stunning. You’ve always had impeccable taste in your acquisitions.”
“Araya always looks stunning,” Jaxon said with an easy grin. “But I’ll take credit for the dress.”
“Well, your seamstress deserves a medal.” Caylin laughed, tossing her hair. “She’s almost made your little halfblood look like she belongs here.”
“Caylin—” Kai’s smile faltered, his eyes darting to Jaxon—whowas already shifting, one hand tightening at Araya’s waist, the other curling like he was preparing to step between them.
But Araya stopped him with a gentle hand on his chest. “It’s fine,” she murmured.
Then she turned to Caylin, her smile perfectly measured. “You’re right, of course. It’s a beautiful gown.” She stroked her hands over the soft, floating layers of the skirt. “Jaxondoeshave impeccable taste. I’m sure he’d be happy to give you the designer’s name—if you wanted something a little more… elegant for the next event.”
Jaxon guffawed, the startled bark of laughter turning heads around them, while Kai coughed into his glass. “Gods,” he muttered, barely hiding his grin.
Caylin blinked, her smile freezing on her face. Her eyes narrowed, and for a heartbeat Araya thought she might actually lunge.
But then?—
“Jaxon. Araya.”
Mira Redmond’s smooth voice sliced through the tension like a well-honed blade. She swept into the circle in a shimmer of emerald silk, every inch of her polished and poised. “I was starting to wonder when you’d arrive. Araya, you look lovely?—”
“Let’s grab a drink,” Caylin cut in, looping her arm through Mira’s and dragging the other woman after her without waiting for a response.
Kai shook his head, his grin lazy but wicked. “She spent all night setting up a performance, and you walked in and took the final bow.” He lifted his glass slightly. “Beautifully done, Araya.”
“Araya usually takes the high road,” Jaxon said, his voice warm with pride as he watched Caylin storm away. “But she knows how to finish a fight.”
But Araya was looking at Kai. “Doesn’t it bother you?”
Kai smirked, but there was something wry beneath the charm. He swirled the amber liquid in his glass, watching it catch the light.
“Caylin being jealous?” He chuckled, tossing back his drink. “No. She doesn’t want Jaxon—she just hates watching you wear thecrown.” He rolled his glass between his fingers, his sharp smile never quite fading. “I was the runner-up—lucky me.”
The words should have stung, but Kai said them with a grin, tipping his drink toward Araya in a mock toast. “To settling.”
Araya smiled, but something in her chest twisted as she lifted her glass slightly in return. Kai might have wrapped his words in humor, but there was no mistaking the truth in them—or the grace it took to say them out loud.
She opened her mouth to respond, but the words died on her tongue as movement at the edge of the crowd drew her attention, her breath hitching in surprise. “Is that Master Carrow?”
Carrow spotted her too, his face lighting up with recognition as he changed direction, cutting through the crowd to reach them. “Adept Starwind—you look lovely tonight.”
“It’s just Miss Starwind, now.” Araya clasped his proffered hand. “It’s good to see you, sir. I didn’t realize you’d be here.”
