Chapter Twenty-Three
I was happier than I'd been in a long time when Rath and I returned to the Wraith Lord Citadel. I walked into the dining hall hand-in-hand with my Varraen warrior. We had spent the morning at the Dellamar house, venturing down into the town for breakfast, but decided to come back for lunch. Mainly because Air started annoying me about training. But Rath and I had made love again before we left. So, we were starving. Food had to come before magic.
Then I saw Vex.
“Go on,” Rath said when he noticed the direction of my gaze. “Training can wait a little longer.”
“No, it can't,” Air said.
“He's already put off talking to Vexen once because of it,” Rath said. “Do not interfere again.”
“Oh, snap!” Fire cackled. “He just put you in your place, Air-head.”
Shaking my head at her strangeness, I headed for Vexen.
Vex got up. I smiled and veered around the table. He went in the opposite direction.
I stopped short and stared after him. I would have called after him too, but my throat was constricted in shock. I was too confused to think of what to do.
“What theactualfuck?” Fire said what I was thinking.
The other Tiger Ladrin at the table shook their heads at me.
“What'sthatmean?” I demanded as I waved at them. “Why are you shaking your heads at me?”
“He's not happy,” Lord Racmar said. “What did you do?”
“Oh, he didn't tell you?” I put my hands on my hips.
“No.”
“Then why do you assume it's something I did?”
Lord Falrun waved his hand in the direction Vex had headed.
I grimaced. “Yeah. Fair. But it's notallmy fault.” I stormed away, heading down the hall to the buffet table.
Halfway there, Graysen caught up with me. “What the fuck was that about?”
“I don't know,” I grumbled. “Vex wanted to talk to me yesterday, but we had to come down to the meeting. So I thought he'd want to talk to me now, but evidently I was wrong.”
“Well, that's not unusual for you. I'd venture to say that you're more wrong than right.”
I stuck my tongue out at Gray.
“Maybe if you used that thing for more than just talking and taunting, that gorgeous guy wouldn't be running away from you.”
“He didn't run. And believe me, I've used it. I've tried to use it more, but he wouldn't let me.”
Gray blinked and stopped walking. “What now?”
“You heard me. Vex won't fuck me. He wants me to be in love with him first.”
Gray stared at me for two seconds before he doubled over with laughter. He laughed and laughed until tears streamed down his face and his cheeks turned red. Wraith lords walked past us, giving us baffled looks.
“I told him a stupid joke,” I said to them.
Gray laughed harder.
