“Let’s talk about literally anything else,” I interrupt, grabbing Baelfire’s wrist to keep his hand from creeping under my shirt. He just smiles and winks without shame.
Someone knocks on the door of the cottage.
Thank the universe—an interruption.
“Shit. Kenzie, I need to go,” I sigh.
“Fine, fine,” she says petulantly. “But wait—can you guys please make sure that your way-too-practical mate keeps up with her bestie? Girl time ismandatory. She can't just be surrounded by testosterone-fueled, obsessive, wildly horny matches all the time, or she’ll start to get dickmatized.”
That doesn't sound like a real thing, especially because they all burst into laughter again. Kenzie calls them some choice words and then makes me promise to text or call her back soon. I agree and hang up, glowering at my amused matches as I walk to answer the door.
“Gods. You’re all idiots,” I grumble, still annoyingly flushed.
“Who are really fucking in love with you,” Baelfire inserts, suddenly serious.
I die inside, especially because the others don’t argue. That unspeakable emotion tries to well up, and even without a heart, something in my chest aches.
I quickly turn away, opening the door for a distraction from these damned feelings.
It’s Ross. His hand is reattached, wrapped in bandages, and he dips his head far too low, almost like a bow.
“My lady.”
“Call me Maven.”
“M—Maven,” he corrects, glancing at the frozen blondie beside him. “The Garnet Wizard has formally invited you for a business discussion, after which your entire quintet is invited to dine in the Great Hall for our grand Starfall Day dinner. Also…would you, um…mind unfreezing Parker?”
I look over my shoulder at Everett.
He sighs and moves to stand beside me in the doorway. All at once, the ice around the blond acolyte melts away. Parker chokes and gasps for air, falling to the porch in a shivering mess. Ross helps him stand, but the toothy caster sneers at me, brimming with contempt.
“You fucking?—”
“Stop there if you want to live,” I advise.
He huffs, still shivering with blue lips. He glares at Everett, who has his bored-arrogant-professor face on.
“Your boy toys may be formidable, yet I am one of the strongest third-grade acolytes ever to come to the Sanctuary. I can take them.”
“First of all, I don’t know or care what that rank means. Second of all, stop fucking talking.”
He starts to say something else to me, but Ross covers his mouth with a sigh. “I’m so sorry. He has no idea that you’re, you know…”
Just like earlier, I have no fucking idea what he’s talking about. I can only guess, and that seems like a waste of time I could be using to barter with the Garnet Wizard.
“All right. Let’s go,” Everett says, stepping outside.
Ross shuffles uncomfortably, finally letting Parker go. “Only your keeper will be allowed to speak privately with my mentor. You were only invited to dinner.”
The Nightmare Prince materializes in front of Ross, who yelps and leaps back.
Crypt’s voice is pure warning. “She will go nowhere alone.”
“Oh,shewon’t?” I challenge, arching a brow at him. “I’m going, and I’ll be fine.”
His purple gaze is tumultuous as he turns his back on the casters, an insult in the world of legacies that indicates he doesn’t see them as a real threat. He cradles the side of my face and speaks quietly.
“You beingfineand you being properly treated and watched over are two entirely different things, darling. Having you out of my sight is not an option. Besides, if you leave me alone with these buffoons, I’m liable to rip all three of them apart out of boredom while I wait.”
