He smirks, shaking his head as his eyes gloss over me. His thumb smooths over my lips, tugging my bottom one down with taunting slowness.
“Then hold that thought.” He leans down and brushes the softest kiss against my cheek. My stomach does a double back handspring. “Hold it until you’re ready for me.”
* Cue:End of the Worldby Searows
78
ZADYN
8 DAYS
The doors of the dining room swing open with a loud shove.
Eaton and Sorscha breeze in, hand in hand, quite literally glowing. Their collective beauty is blinding, making the sunlight beaming in through the floor-to-ceiling windows look dull.
Sorscha has color in her cheeks again, her eyes no longer sunken and hollow as they’ve been since we returned. Even Eaton carries a more regal air about him. I can feel their power in spades—generations of Accostia magic now flowing through the couple I see before me.
“Well, well, well, look what the dust blew in.” Kai places his tea down on the saucer, winding up to deliver his hourly innuendo. “You’re half an hour late. What could have kept you, I wonder.”
Eaton pulls out a chair for his wife, chuckling to himself.
“Couldn’t decide what to wear,” Sorscha sighs, sliding Eaton a knowing glance.
“Hah.” Kai sinks his teeth into a piece of bread, ripping a chunk free with animalistic vigor. “I’m sure.”
“So. How was the Bloodfast?” Dover hops on the bandwagon, wagging his brows.
“Dover!” Marideth grabs a roll off the platter and pelts him with it. “You can’t just ask that. It’s personal.”
Then, turning toward Sorscha, she drops her voice and murmurs, “But really, how was it?”
Sorscha laughs, shaking her head.
“You look wonderful. You’re glowing. Actually glowing.” Serena reaches for her hand, smiling ear-to-ear.
It makes me so happy to see her like this, with the sister she always wanted and never really had until now.
Cece stalks into the room a moment later, scoring Serena with a look sharp enough to kill. She makes a show of ripping out a seat and sinking down. Her jade eyes land on my arm draped around the back of Serena’s chair.
“Cece, what happened to your face?” Sorscha gasps, a hand flying to her chest. Cece’s gaze snaps to her.
Her nose is back in place, but with last night’s booze slowing down the healing process, it’s still red and bruised, purple shadows fading beneath her eyes.
“Ask yourcousin.” Snatching up a pair of tongs, she plops a few pieces of fruit on her plate. “It seems for all yourcourtier lessons, Zadyn, she’s still got the manners of a wild beast.”
Serena’s eyes roll as she takes a bite out of a pastry. “I said I was sorry.”
“No. You did not.”
“Hmm.” Serena drops the pastry and dusts the sugar off her hands. “You know what? You are absolutely right. I guess I’m not sorry after all.”
The look on Cece’s face has me choking on my juice. Serena turns to me, clapping me on the back.
“You alright there, buddy?”
I nod, pounding my chest, tears leaking down my face as I try to keep my laughter at bay. Serena snorts, watching me turn red. Then the two of us are cackling, rocking back and forth, soundless laughter racking our bodies. She clutches my arm, trying to regain control over herself. Which only makes Cece angrier.
“You two hyenas deserve each other,” she snarls.
