When the acolyte finally thanks him and hurries away, Maven tips her head.
“Kenzie told me about autographing, but I still don’t understand. Does that happen often?”
“Much more often among human fans.” Everett turns back to his food.
Baelfire scoffs. “Okay, it’s so fucking bizarre to think thatyouhave fans. Clearly, they don’t know what an asshole you are, outside of whatever the fuck models do.”
“I’m not an asshole to everyone. Just you three because you fucking deserve it,” Everett corrects in a grumble. “I happen to be really good with humans. Believe it or not, there’s a reason the Everbound staff assigned me to teach Advanced Human Relations.”
Sothat’swhat he supposedly taught.
Baelfire continues to rib him about it as I refill Maven’s cup of wine. Dinner continues for a while with light conversation until, as has happened with every holiday dinner since the beginning of time, politics arise.
Baelfire makes an offhand comment about Everbound’s recent anti-legacies troubles, and my mentor launches into a tirade about his political views.
“…of course, those immortals relish their influence in the mortal world, but at least the Reformists are not nearly so thickheaded as those blasted Remitters,” the Garnet Wizard says, finally taking a moment to sip his wine.
“The Reformists are the other faction of anti-legacy activists?” Maven clarifies.
He hums. “The Legacy Council labeled them as anti-legacies, and so everyone believes it—but that is utter horseshit. The Reformists lobby for legacies and humans to have equal footing in the mortal world, and they question the current system as a whole. They insist we are far more civilized than monsters and thus should be allowed to mingle with humans freely, choose other careers, and even inter-marry.”
He scoffs at that.
“You disagree with them,” she surmises.
“They're idealists. Dreamers. If the world could work the way they want, it would take such a major upheaval that it would create far more problems than it could solve. Their intentions are in the right place, but it hardly helps their cause that they were founded by a human who openly fraternized with demons. I disagreed with the council’s decision to execute Amato, but he certainly contributed to the current unrest between humans and legacies.”
Everett chokes on his wine, cursing as he spills it on himself. I raise a brow at him questioningly, but he shakes his head, glancing at Maven quickly before frowning down at his food.
Our keeper is thoughtful as she slides the steak and ham from her plate to Baelfire's. The dragon shifter pantomimes swooning and kisses her cheek.
“The Reformists sound less insane than the Remitters. After all, the systemisarchaic,” Maven mutters. Then she pushed her plate away, clearly done as she regards the wizard. “Do you have a training area?”
Shit. I know what this line of question is leading to. So do the others because we all groan in synchrony.
“Indeed, I do. Looking to train more,telum?From all you've told me, I would rather think you lack very little in that department.”
My gorgeous, vicious keeper smiles too sweetly as she looks at the four of us.
“It's not for me.”
“Hey, we survived First Placement,” Baelfire protests.
“Barely.”
“That was a skewed result,” I argue. “We fought some of the Immortal fucking Quintet, not to mention their band of followers. Take that into account, at least.”
Maven sips her wine. “You four are not getting out of this. Suck it up.”
Everett sighs and telepathically says,That’s okay. I love even the sadistic, merciless side of you, so I accept the hell that tomorrow will bring.
She downs the rest of her wine, shooting him a look.Stop using that word.
Admit it,sangfluir.Youlovethat we can't get enough of you.I grin when she flips me off.
“All this telepathy shit is getting so fucking old. You don't happen to know what made those two pricks bond when I haven't, do you?” Bael grumbles to the wizard.
My mentor smirks. “You are asking the wrong question.”
