Boot to the gut. Not only did my mother not care, but my father hadn’t given enough of a damn to even be here. Maybe I wouldn’t be as invisible somewhere else. Maybe this would be a good move.
Right.
“I’ll miss you,” I offered, even though those words tangled with confusing emotions. I missed parents I didn’t think ever existed—not in Angus and Mina.
My mother’s pinched lips formed a quasi-smile, and she nodded. No touch, no reaching out. Simply a nod. “Do us proud.”
I strode down the stairs, faster, as if I could run past the feelings trying to tug me under like the tide. At the bottom of the steps waited the last person I expected.
The cecaelia from the night of the dinner.
Today, they wore another trimmed vest along with arm wraps, their pale, smooth skin on clear display. Their silver hair was coiffed, their jawline sharp, the ridge of their nose the noble sort that demanded attention. They had magnetic, compelling eyes that made me shiver. I stopped mid-stride.
“I’ve been relegated to fetching you,” they said dryly, arching an elegant brow. Their lips twisted into a wry grin.
“I’m guessing you have better things on your agenda?” I asked, even though my limbs trembled. This was it.
I was leaving.
“I’m one of the top lawyers in Peregrine City, so you tell me.” A cool competence to their words belied what they said, and I couldn’t help but be intrigued. Why were they the one picking me up, then? Ursuline tipped their head in the direction of the door. “We need to get moving along, though.”
“Right.” I turned around to say goodbye to my mother.
She wasn’t there anymore.
Her disappearance slammed into me. Bad enough my father couldn’t be bothered, but my mother was here, and she wouldn’t even see me off in the end. That parting…well, that had been it.
I swallowed the lump in my throat and strode up to where Ursuline waited for me. Their sharp gaze skimmed over me, and they cast an errant glance toward the steps, as if they thoughtI might have a soul to say goodbye to. If only. When silence responded, they took their cue.
They shuffled outside, and I followed, bringing the door closed behind me.
Leaving my old life behind.
Bitterness corroded my insides at what awaited me, at what I’d been forced into. Arielle wasn’t repulsive by any means, and I’d enjoyed talking to her at dinner before my father pushed my hand. However, I wasn’t in love with her. No chemistry existed between us, none of the elusive sparks I’d always longed for.
Ursuline strolled up to a sleek silver car with a wider frame and unlocked it. They settled into the driver’s seat, which fascinated me, since a lot of the cars weren’t designed to cater to monster specifications. At least none I was aware of.
I sank into the passenger’s seat and heaved out a sigh as I stared up at the ceiling. Gods, my heart hurt.
And I’d have to plaster on a false face, pretend everything was okay the second I stepped into the Triton Estate.
“Have you eaten today?” Ursuline asked, the low timbre of their voice snapping me out of my thoughts.
My stomach rumbled on cue, because I hadn’t. Between nerves and a forever daydreaming mind, food had been the last thing on my agenda.
“Right, we’re going to make a stop before we show up at the estate.” They turned to the right and hopped onto one of the main streets leading deeper into Peregrine City.
Gratitude flushed through me. I hadn’t been sure how the hell I’d compose myself before arriving at my new home, and the fact Ursuline was buying me extra time meant a lot right now. Considering they’d just mentioned how busy they were, I had the feeling they extended a kindness, one I’d willingly take.
“How long have you worked with the Triton Estate?” I asked.
“Long enough,” they answered, a darkness to their tone. The elegant arch of their nose, those firm lips held a solidness I craved right now, with how out to sea I felt. They turned on music, and deep, pulsing synth poured from the speakers, which seemed to fit them. In close proximity like this, I caught their scent, a slight hint of brine and cedar, like being on a ship in the middle of the ocean, with the undercurrent of something sweet.
“Do you like being a lawyer?” The second the question left my lips, I wanted to swallow it back. They didn’t seem to be the conversation type, yet here I was bothering them.
Their lips twitched, a flash of humor that surprised me. “Are you always this chatty?”
“Personality flaw, I suppose,” I said, heat flushing through me.
