Go figure.
Daniil found it amusing. I didn’t. Nope. Not so much.
There wasn’t much time for any fooling around, and honestly, since we were going to church, I felt a little funny about that anyway, so we quickly readied ourselves, and made it downstairs to the dining room. Oddly, everyone was already there.
Fucking early birds. All of them.
I hadn’t known that Chloe lived with Kirill, but I found out soon enough when she was eating pancakes compared to everyone else’s…gruel…or some such. I stopped next to a chair that Daniil held out for me and then slapped a hand over my mouth, staring at their crap-on-a-plate. If it had just been the look of it, it probably would have been all right because I could have kept my attention averted. But it was thesmell.
Chloe said around a mouthful of pancake, “I think she likes your food as much as I do.”
That was all I had heard before I dashed back out the room, darting to a bathroom I had seen on my way downstairs inside this fucking mansion. The place was so damn big, I barely made it there. Daniil was there, holding my hair back as I lost whatever was left in my stomach. He asked for someone to get a toothbrush and toothpaste for me as I lost my cookies and then dry heaved. I couldn’t believe I had eaten that much yesterday.
After brushing my teeth—Daniil told Trofim to keep the toothbrush and toothpaste on him at all times—we made our way back to the dining room. I was a little nervous about going back in there, but when we entered, the windows had been opened, and everyone was eating pancakes now. Albeit, a little unhappily, but their stinky food was gone.
Chloe grinned. “I’m going to like having you around.”
I smiled weakly, feeling a little sick still. “Um, I’m not sure what for. But, thanks.”
Chloe just chuckled, her gorgeous face clearly happy. Guess I had done something right.
When I sat down, I realized Grigori wasn’t at the table. And I didn’t think he was before. “Where’s Grigori? Doesn’t he eat with you guys?”
Daniil glanced at Artur, his eyebrows raised.
Artur explained, “He spent the night with Ember. I think they were going to talk to the girls this morning.”
“Ah.” Daniil nodded, smiling. He looked damn pleased. “That’s good.”
“I can’t believe they finally got over their riftandwent public.” Chloe wagged her shoulders. “Think we’ll hear wedding bells soon?”
I snorted.
And probably shouldn’t have because everyone’s attention turned toward me.
I bit my lip. Oops.
Daniil leaned in close. “Is that just an opinion or do you know something we don’t?”
My lips pinched as I glanced at everyone.
They were staring at me intently. Like they had frozen except for their intensity.
“You know I saw more than I wanted to,” I stated. “I also heard too much.”
“And?” Daniil asked, his eyes darting all over my face.
I sighed and put my fork down. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but they’re seriously screwed up. They believe they belong to one another, but they don’t think they’re in love with each other. They said exactly, ‘As much as we can be.’ They’re holding themselves back.” I rested on my chair, taking in everyone’s expressions. Nope. They didn’t like that news one bit.
Daniil leaned back in his chair as they grumbled about how idiotic Grigori and Ember were behaving. He mumbled, “Those damn stubborn fools.” He sighed, rubbing his chest, and then glanced at me. He indicated with his hand for me to eat. “They’re public, at least. They’ve taken the first step, even if they don’t realize it.”
The table’s occupants agreed with him, and we all started eating.
That was when Daniil dropped the bomb. “You’re all going to church today with us.” There were a few forks that clanged down onto their plates, but other than that, the table went silent. “It will seem odd if we go there together, just the two of us.” He pointed with his fork. “You’re all going. No arguments.”
“I think I’ve got something—” Chloe felt brave enough to say in the face of Daniil’s fierce expression. But Kirill glanced at her and she shut her mouth slowly, nodding. “Okay. What can one Sunday service hurt?”
Daniil shook his head. “Every Sunday. We’ll all be attending.” He lips pursed and he glanced at Roman. “Call Grigori. Make sure he’s back here. Tell him to bring Ember. And Nikki and Beth too, if she wants. Mr. Forter told me they have a wonderful children’s church.”
