She smirked. “Shocking, I know. This is tradition spanning decades if you’d believe that.”
I sucked in a sharp breath, envy stabbing me in the chest. Truth be told, now that I was beginning to see other sides of the demon, I could believe it. I’d witnessed how differently he acted with Charles, Theo, and Amelia compared to his business partners, and I wished I had the sort of friendships that lasted over a decade, or even ones that could last years. Deep down, I’d known it, but coming here had made me realize how superficial and fleeting most of my relationships were.
After the first week or so, messages had dried up from coworkers and acquaintances, confirming that was all I’d ever had. Nothing deeper. Nothing true.
The only one who still contacted me was my father.
“Come on,” Amelia said. “The books will survive a night alone.”
I shook my head, as if I could clear my mind somehow, and pulled away from the stacks. Maybe it was from being trapped up here, maybe not, but the truth was, Charles, Amelia, Theo, and even Cillian were the closest interactions I’d had in a long while outside my immediate family. “You already sold me with pizza. Though how many people should I anticipate?”
Amelia shrugged as she walked in step with me down the corridor. “It varies every month. Depends on obligations, who needs an outlet or an escape. Sofia won’t be attending—though she mentioned she met you—but Ursuline has arrived. Jaffar might be in town tonight as well.”
“You throw these names out as if they should have some meaning to me,” I joked as we slowed closer to the dining hall.
“They will,” she said, placing a hand on my shoulder. “I have a feeling you’ll fit right in.”
My heart squeezed tight at her acceptance. While Charles was affable and easy to like, and gave as much in turn, Amelia didn’t seem as easily won. Her approval meant more than I could vocalize, especially with how much of a right hand she was for Cillian. “Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me,” she said. “I plan on wiping the floor with everyone in Sparks tonight. Adding another head at the table just makes for a more enjoyable victory.”
We stopped in front of the dining hall, which had been transformed for the evening. The lights were dimmer, with a reddish glow that cast a hazy club vibe to the whole room. A few of the tables had been pushed together, which made a larger one to sit around even though there weren’t a great number of people here. Charles sat at the big table along with three newcomers. The lack of Cillian’s presence in the room was noticeable, as if I hadn’t realized how much space he took up until he was absent.
My heart thumped a little harder.
“Did you order the pizza yet?” Amelia asked Charles.
“Yeah,” he said, lounging back in his seat. “I chose different toppings on each one, so no one needs to fight.”
“We’ll always find a reason to debate,” a handsome man said. He had a pallor to his skin despite its brown tone. When he grinned, fangs poked out, clarifying the situation at once. Vampire. The man wore casual clothes like formal wear—a slouchy beige shirt and white chinos—and his black hair was artfully tousled.
“Who’s the newcomer?” An almost regal voice sounded, and I glanced over to the opposite side of the table where a cecaelia sprawled out by the table, their tentacles taking up the space where seats would be on either side of them. Their pale blue skin looked a little purplish in the dimly lit ambiance of the room, and their short silver hair, sharp jawline, and fierce, dark eyes were lethal.
“I’m the personal assistant,” I introduced myself.
“Never expected to meet you here,” the third person at the table announced. I hadn’t recognized her on sight, but the voice was familiar. I blinked for a second, until I registered it was the server from Haven—Gretel. Her dark brown hair was pulled back into a ponytail, and she seemed a little more lethal in this environment, even though Haven hadn’t dulled her sharp edges.
“Same could be said of you,” I responded, taking a seat in one of the open spots next to Charles.
“You must be the innocent waif wandering the halls my wife ran into,” Gretel murmured.
My eyes widened. I shouldn’t be surprised Gretel was married to Sofia, given her ties to Haven. Yet the web here was more intricate than I could’ve conceived.
“Will Cillian be joining us later?” Ursuline asked.
Amelia plunked into the seat on the other side of Charles. “Unlikely, though that’s the goal. He got tangled up responding to Glacierbusiness.”
Jaffar scoffed. “They’re despicable. Their pretense of tolerating our kind is flimsy at best.”
“Olivia will learn that the hard way someday,” Ursuline responded.
My attention perked up at the name of Cillian’s ex. What was Glacier? I’d already filed away the name to research later—it rang a bell. Whatever business Cillian and Theo were dealing with tonight was clearly dangerous, but I remained in the dark. Even if all I had were scraps to work with, I’d uncover what was going on.
“Fuck that bitch,” Charles said with a smile on his face.
“Enough yammering,” Amelia said, casting a quick glance in my direction. Was there something she didn’t want me to know? “Let’s get a few games of Sparks in.”
“You ready to get your ass beat, old woman?” Gretel teased.
