“I’ve been burned one too many times by you, sister,” Leo said. “Grimlock.”
Rissa got up and walked to her desk, opened a cabinet, and pulled out a bottle of gray liquid. She poured a small amount into a glass and held it out to Leo. When he drank it, she waited a few seconds before asking, “Who would win in a fight, you or Nox?”
He gave her a bland look. “Seriously? That’s not even a good question.”
“I don’t know, sounds good to me,” I interjected.
“You know the rules, Leo,” Rissa said.
Leo sighed. “Fine. I guess…” He gave a little growl. “Nox.”
Rose snickered, and I barked out a laugh. Leo had slowly warmed up to me over the year I’d known him, but it took a whilefor the broody half Shifter, half Alchemist to fully trust me. It didn’t help that I knew how to push his buttons.
“I’m touched, monkey boy,” I crooned, using the nickname Rose affectionately gave him.
“You’re adragon,” he mumbled under his breath, shifting in his seat as if the words pained him to say. He looked like he was trying to burrow into the ground. “Nobody can beat a dragon. You’re too amazing.” He clamped his lips shut and glared at me.
My grin broadened. “Iknewyou liked me.”
“Fates, as if his ego wasn’t already large enough,” Devora said with a roll of her eyes, then shot me a wink.
“Your turn then, Devora, darling,” I teased. “Grimlock or Glory?”
Devora’s smile slowly faded as she looked between Rissa and me, holding our stares for several seconds. Finally, she turned to me. “Grimlock.”
The steadfast look in her eyes made all the humor leave me. It felt like a turning point. A full white flag of surrender. If there was any part of me that didn’t trust her, this was her way of proving once and for all that she was on our side. The Grimlock would make her spill any secret, any lie.
But I didn’tneedher to prove herself. I trusted her beyond the shadow of a doubt.
The others might have used this opportunity to ask her if she was truly loyal to us. To make sure she regretted her actions with Rissa in Mysthelm, to appease their own worries that she might betray one of us again. That was what Devoraexpected. I could see it in her eyes, like she was preparing for battle.
She was always shielding herself against the words and expectations of others. A quick joke, a sarcastic comment, a defensive stance. Even her shadows liked to guard her, a second layer of skin she subconsciously developed.
I knew I was partially responsible for putting it there, with the way I treated her in the beginning. But I wanted her to know thatI didn’t needproofof the kind of person she was. I knew the truth in my bones.
“Nox?” Rissa held out a glass of Grimlock. I took it, then slowly handed it to Devora. She didn’t take her eyes off me as she downed the contents in one go.
“Devora…” I started, lingering on her name. Her heartbeat remained steady, her shoulders straight, her stare unwavering.
My lips tilted into a smirk. “Petunias or tulips?”
Her head reared back. “What?”
“Marigold told me I should get you flowers for the wedding. So, which do you prefer, petunias or tulips?”
A soft laugh escaped her, and I could have sworn her eyes misted over before she blinked it back. “Tulips. But only the dark ones.”
“Whatever you want, darling.” My fingers brushed hers as I took back the glass, then I looked at Thorne. “That little girl of yours is far more perceptive than I gave her credit for.”
“And she knows it,” Thorne agreed.
Thud. A heavy pair of boots hit the floor as Chaz reappeared. He had a plate piled high with meats, cheese, and all sorts of pastries in one hand, and a pair of black boxers in the other.
When we all glanced between him and the boxers, he grunted. “I thought Lyra would be the cook on duty tonight, but she wasn’t. Say hello to Matthias.”
He waved the boxers in the air, and we all burst into laughter.
57
