I haven't been avoiding you. Grandmother keeps me very busy and I—
I know all about how busy you stay surrounded by those dusty books of yours. I don't mind it, Milo. I never did. But the thing about this thing between us is that you don't actually have to go anywhere to speak to me, do you? You could reach out at any time without lifting a finger or crossing the Ring. Just a simple 'hey Is, how's it going' would suffice and yet, nothing. For months.
Color rose to my cheeks as, properly chastised, I turned away and faked a cough into my hand to hide the reaction from Paxon who was far more attentive than I'd previously given him credit for.
You're right, I admitted to Isla.I should have made more time for you. Especially after Cora…
I trailed off. It was still far too embarrassing to talk about. I'd watched the girl I'd trained with my whole life, the soft spoken, quiet girl whom I'd known so long I'd convinced myself I was in love with, become pregnant by a Viper no one even knew she was seeing. I'd shut Isla, her twin sister, out immediately and cut all ties with Lynx and any business which ever brought me to their House. My bonded partner had been understanding, overly so, and had allowed me my distance for all these long months. But I'd been a child, reacting the same way I always did when anything became too awkward to deal with. Avoidance was the Milo specialty.
Now, Isla audibly sighed in my mind.
I know I'm not the sister you asked for, Milo, she said and I cringed at the words,but I'm the one you got.
I felt the tether between us tighten and my world darken just a little bit more, a sure sign that the communication between us had been shut off, from her side this time. I couldn't blame her. I felt like the absolute worst partner of all time. But then we reached the top of the stairs which led down to the foyer and I realized Paxon had been speaking to me for some time and I hadn't heard a word of what he'd been saying.
"—so I told them not to trim the weeds in the rose beds outside. I know grandmother prefers to do the gardening herself, no matter how many times we warn her against it. I swear by the Geist, I don't know how that woman gets around as well as she does at her age. Oh and, um, sir?"
I turned my full attention to him and hoped he wasn't preparing to ask me about something he'd been saying all along that I hadn't heard a word of.
"We can't find—er, Olympia's gone," he admitted.
"Gone," I repeated slowly. "What do you mean she's gone? Where has she gone?"
"We don't know, sir. I've had Nick and Colby out looking for her but they haven't reported back. I’m afraid that if they can't find her we'll have to tell grandmother. I could report it to the Guardians and have them on the lookout in case—"
"No. That's quite alright. Olympia will return. She always does."
Paxon hesitated, staring back at me for just a moment too long before nodding in response to my orders.
"Tell me if you find her," I said before striding down the stairs. I stopped on the third step and turned back to him once more before descending. "And Pax? Try to have some fun tonight."
The corners of his lips quirked up for the briefest instant but he managed to fight the smile as he shot me a curt nod and hustled off to search for our wayward cousin.
Pushing Olympia from my mind, I resumed my descent from the upper level to the grand ballroom below where dozens of guests were already standing around, chatting and drinking under the enormous glass dome that had always been the pride and joy of House Avus. Starlight glimmered overhead as guests in ballgowns and tuxedos of cerulean, crimson, and emerald paraded through beams of moonlight to have their glasses refilled or pull someone else away for conversation. I felt eyes upon me at once, an occupational hazard of being the Heir apparent of a major House, but one set stood out more than the others.
I met Isla's gaze with a welcoming nod and a smile I hoped wasn't creepy. She simply looked me over once before tossing her copper hair over her shoulder and turning back to whatever her grandfather was saying to my Aunt Helena.
Turning away, I noted my grandmother in the crowd, smiling and patting an older gentleman I recognized as Isla's father on the hand she held clasped in her own. I made my way over to them, wondering why in the Geist's name I couldn't seem to get away from this man's family. Straightening my jacket, I approached with a smile just as they started laughing.
"Oh, Milo!" my grandmother exclaimed, eyes bright in the starlight as they swiveled to find me at her side once again. "I wondered where you'd gotten off to. I thought we were going to have to send someone to fetch you out of the library if you stayed away too much longer."
"I wouldn't miss this for the world," I replied, leaning in to plant a kiss on her cheek. "Happy Birthday, grandmother."
"Oh, none of that now," she said, patting my arm as I pulled away. "Let an old woman have a nice evening with friends where she isn't reminded of her age for once, yeah?"
I nodded with a smile, knowing it was all for show. Nascha didn't care how old she was. She always said she was onlyanother year wiser, but women of the elite obsessed over age and my grandmother never wanted to pull too far away from the fray so as not to have her motives questioned more than they already were. People didn't trust someone who was different so sometimes pretending to be the same was the best way to avoid suspicion. She taught me that.
"You simply must come for dinner another time, Arne. Bring those lovely girls of yours and Ingrid as well if she'll come. It's been so long since we all sat down together and I think it's well past due," her eyes trailed to me. "We have much to discuss."
Arne glanced my way as well and cleared his throat, suddenly finding his whiskey far more interesting than he had before.
"Indeed, Nascha," he replied with the same gruff tone I knew from my earliest memories. "That we do."
I frowned. There was nothing to discuss. Cora had her Viper and Isla had her grandfather's ear. I was busy training to inherit the House as well as decoding the journal of a madman and unraveling the secrets of our world, not that anyone knew that. The girls and I weren't children anymore. We didn't need our elders to sit us down and solve our disputes. But I didn't say that. I didn't say anything. I just nodded warmly toward Arne and took my grandmother's hand when she offered it. After saying a brief goodbye, she didn't speak again until we were out of earshot of those members of Lynx lingering near the drinks.
"Cosmo isn't here yet," she told me and I nodded. I'd already known. "When he arrives, I'll need you to keep an eye on him. I have others on the watch as well but none whom I trust more than you."
"He may not come," I offered, hopefully.
