It took seconds for the lights to fade.
“Jane, tell Reagan we had to go?” Coriander asked.
“Of course. It was great seeing you.”
Alameda grabbed my arms and pulled me into a hug, her scent of cherries and vanilla reaching my overly sensitive nose.
“We will see each other again soon,” she whispered. “I truly hope he seizes Zara’s favour for himself.”
She slipped from my arms too quickly, leaving me to wonder at her words.
I scanned the area beneath the tree, but Reagan was no longer by the trunk. Instead, he stood a few paces away, nodding as he spoke with a small group, his hands tucked into his pockets.
He appeared so young compared to the others.
“Impressed?” Varian asked, coming up to my side.
I glanced at him without bothering to turn.
Why was he here? Was he alone at the Rite? I hadn’t paid attention.
“Yes, it is a beautiful Rite,” I answered tersely.
To my surprise, he handed me a glass while holding another for himself. I took it only because I could break the cup and defend myself with it if I needed to, but I wouldn’t drink it.
“I wasn’t talking about the Rite,” he replied, smirking. I followed his gaze, landing on Reagan. “He’s always impressed the women with his looks and swagger.”
My lips curled. “Sounds like you’re jealous,” I remarked.
“I was,” he said evenly.
The admission caught me by surprise. I let myself glance at him, finding his unbothered face, as if it were nothing more than a fact.
“I was jealous of him, but not because of his looks or personality. I envied all the things Reagan had the chance to study and practice but never cared for.” He took a sip of his drink. “Do you know how many tutors a future Mage Lord has? Even if you’re born into a well-positioned family, you don’t get that kind of practice.”
Despite looking completely unperturbed, I thought I heard a hint of sadness.
“Your families were close, so couldn’t you learn with him?” I asked.
He snickered. “It doesn’t work that way. Forming a Mage Lord is a special process. They’re given more opportunities to wield power, to make their abilities grand. It’s not a chance you get if you’re not training for the position. But my cousin didn’t seem to realise that at all. He had other interests.” He turned his head, eyeing me from head to toe with a scornful show of teeth. My posture locked in place. “Pretty ladies.Oh, for that, he wasreallydedicated, and he wanted them all.”
My eyes darted towards Reagan, who was running a hand through his hair, still speaking with three others.
Varian resented him, probably after growing up in his shadow, likely coveting every piece of what he had. I tried not to let it bother me how clearly he was painting Reagan as a philanderer.
He shifted next to me, drawing my attention back to him. “You fancy him, don’t you?” he said. “It’s quite obvious even to someone who can’t sense your libido.”
My grip tightened on the glass. “That sounds like a poor use of your power if this is what you focus on,” I replied. No reason to deny my attraction, which he could have easily noticed tonight.
“I don’t need to try that hard. Anyone can see how you look at him. Like you’re mesmerised...begging for his attention. Nearly on your knees already.”
I gripped the glass, suppressing the need to throw the drink in his face, trying to build a wall of steel around my spine.
He noticed it, and the obnoxious smirk turned into a grin.
At that moment, Reagan’s eyes found mine in the middle of the crowd. His smile was brief, vanishing the moment he glanced at the person beside me.
“There’s no need to blush, Jane,” Varian said with false sympathy, touching my arm. I jerked away. “You’re not the first, and you won’t be the last to bruise your knees on my cousin’s rugs. You probably weren’t the first tonight.”
