What had she meant byadjustments? Did she find me too loud? Too soft? Too eager to please?
She must have noticed my missteps, my awkwardness, my clumsy attempts to belong. She must have seen every flaw I tried to hide.
Shame rose, my insecurities quick to claim the moment.
Gods, why had I come to this dinner?
“You’re not joining, Evie?” she asked, her tone slicing clean through my thoughts.
I shook my head and forced a smile. “Too cold for me. And I’ve still got food to finish.” A lie, of course. I wasn’t planning to eat those peas I’d trapped in the corner of my plate.
“Very well.” Her smile lingered.
She drifted toward the balcony, her blue robe flowing behind her like spilled moonlight. One by one, the others followed. Elwin with quiet grace, Jorren and Isolde still arguing about tariffs, Thalensmilingat something only he found funny.
The noise faded. The air thinned.
And I was alone.
I leaned back, closed my eyes, and exhaled slowly, letting the weight of the evening slip from my shoulders.
“Did you scare them away?”
Kael’s voice cut through the quiet, low and rough, like thunder rolling too close.
He stood by the hearth, one shoulder against the stone, firelight tracing the line of his jaw. His eyes fixed on me, unblinking.
“They… went stargazing,” I managed. My voice sounded smaller than I meant it to.
“Hm.”
He moved around the table, not walked, butpounced, before sinking into his seat next to me and draining the last of his wine. Only then did he look at me properly.
“And you didn’t join them?” he asked.
“I couldn’t leave the food alone,” I answered.
Maybe it was the wine, but I held his gaze. A teasing smile found its way to my lips, one I’d perfected with Lo, or at least tried.
His eyes darkened.
“Don’t smile like that.”
Four words. Heavy as a curse. The sound of them struck deep, vibrating through my chest.
For a heartbeat, I wondered if I’d imagined it. But I hadn’t. The echo of his command left no room for doubt.
My smile vanished. My lips went cold.
I had to hold my ground or I’d crumble like a sieged tower. I lifted my chin, mustering what courage the wine could lend me.
“Why? Becauseyounever smile?”
The words slipped out before I could stop them.
His stare sharpened. Then, slowly, the corner of his mouth curled, and I realized too late what I’d done.
He smiled. My smile. Except on him, it wasn’t jest. It was a warning.
