“If we’re forced to postpone this, then I may as well call my friends over, too. Fable and Malik have been pestering me for days about getting their presents to you.”
I can’t keep the smile off my face, and he takes my hand in his, squeezing. “But this means your present from me is delayed. I don’t want to make them all look bad.”
• • •
THE DAY BLEEDSaway under a hail of laughter. Draven has food delivered and we play little party games. I open my presents in front of the fireplace. At one point a Solstice tree is brought in by a few servants, the pine nearly too enormous for the space, though Draven insists the place is too dreary without one. We light it with little magically linked strings of zenith lights.
I’m surprised how well Draven and his friends mesh in with me and mine. Malik and Wynter hit it off; the two both like some game I’ve never heard of. Felix chats up Zara, and I think he’s the only one I’ve seen who can make her smile. Fable and Scorpius arrive a bit later, and she clings to me and Draven while her brother maintains his coldness toward me.
Ember fidgets by the tree, and I make my way to her. The others are spread out, half gathered in the living space, the rest drinking in the kitchen with Draven, who loudly charms the room. I stop at Ember’s side, looking the tree up and down, and realize Kasper’s missing.
“I haven’t had a Solstice tree up in a long time. It’s nice to see.” Her voice leaves a tinny note behind, like the plink of a piano off tune. She swallows. “Kasper and I got in another fight. Not sure he’ll make it tonight.”
Some part of me is relieved, but her eyes are lined with tears, and it makes my fists clench up. Do I hug her? Tell her what I truly think about Kasper? “Do you want to talk about it?”
“I … it was just weird.” Her hands rub together, brows pulled tight, lips curved down. “He kept talking about how much he hates Sedah. That we shouldn’t make the Descent at the end of next term. Said our magic was … sinful.”
“What?” That’s an odd choice of words.
“Said he wished we could be Selected by a different immortal group. I told him I love being in Sedah, and he said that was my problem. I finally broke and told him to fuck off and he said you were a bad influence on me.” She shakes her head and now my hackles are up.
“Maybe he’s the bad influence.” I shake my head, unable to help myself. “If he thinks he’d survive the elves or seraphs, he’s an idiot.”
“I told him if he felt that way, not to come. He didn’t.”
“Hmm.” I hesitate a moment but then say, “Did he ever tell you he wanted to be Selected?”
“Really? No.” She folds her arms across her chest. “How do you know that?”
Because Draven and I fooled him into confessing it. “He mentioned it at the Selection. We were standing right next to each other.”
“Hey, you two.” Felix sidles up to us, a sparkling glass in his hands. He presses his lips together, noticing Ember touching the little lights within the tree. “Everything all right?”
I don’t say anything, waiting, and Ember finally manages, “Yeah. I was just telling Rune … Kasper’s probably not coming tonight.”
“Oh?” Felix bites back a smile and I nearly chuckle at his poor attempt to cover it up. He rubs the front of the Fool, the card sparking in his hand, before he blurts, “Anyone would be lucky to come to a party with you, Ember.”
“Why are you always so sweet to me?” Ember’s smile is sad, and Felix runs a hand through his thick hair, a softness in his gaze that makes him all the more handsome, the twinkling zenith lights flickering over a face full of wonder.
I suddenly wish I was anywhere else. This feels private.
“You’re the kindest person I know.” He moves closer to her, and I take a quiet step away from them. “You deserve everything you’ve ever wanted.”
I’m nearly blushing for her as I make a hasty excuse and walk away. I look around the room, smiling to myself, appreciative of this little community of friends I’ve grown. A garden out of dirt and rock.
A gentle hand wraps around my shoulder and I look up into starving, violet eyes. Draven smiles down at me, kissing my cheek, and whispers, “I love our friends, but if I have to wait one more second to give you your presents, I’m going to portal them all into a volcano.”
“I heard that.” Fable rolls her eyes, sitting on the back of the sofa like a cat.
Draven walks me toward my room, a fewoooooooohs trailing after us. He chucks a pillow at Malik, who dodges, and it hits Cleona and Amaya, who are too busy kissing to have noticed it. Fable gestures around the room and declares, “I think that’s all of our cues to leave.”
Everyone gets up except Ember and Felix, still happily chatting by the Solstice tree, and Scorpius who is brooding over his drink by the fireplace, glancing at me as if I can’t be trusted alone with the prince. Not exactly sure why he bothered to come, but I’m too excited about whatever Draven has planned to care.
Draven snicks the door closed, muttering, “I’m sure the last ones will take the hint.”
He uses his magic to clip the windows in the room closed and disappears through the bathroom into his room, returning a moment later with boxes in varying sizes, laying them on the comforter.
“There are three gifts, though there would’ve been more if you’d given me some time to prepare,” Draven scolds. “One is a question, one is information, and one is what you truly desire.”
