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She was digging herself in deeper.

A strange, jittery sensation swirled in her stomach—horror, yes, but also… relief? How could those two emotions mix? It didn’t make sense, yet there they were.

Desperately, she tried once more to smooth the situation over. “Anyway, I actually am very clever and after we’re mated, I will absolutely help you however I can—even if I don’t really like you. No! I mean, I want to like you, I just don’t—No!” She growled in frustration and dodged Valus’s grasp again.

The murmurs of the crowd around them grew louder. Other demonkind were starting to turn, noticing the spectacle unfolding between her and Valus.

She pressed her lips together until they went numb, trying to stem the flow of words.

One of Valus’s friends began to speak, but with lips still tingling, Peri found herself cutting him off. “The thing is, if we made a commitment, it would mean something to me. I take commitment seriously. I take everything seriously. Probably too seriously, actually, now that I think about it. You know what, actually no, my biggest flaw is—”

Panicking, Peri grabbed a drink from the nearest person and gulped it down, anything to keep her mouth from running wild.

Before she could finish, Valus was on her, dragging her away with a bruising grip. She could admit this was probably the best conclusion to their current situation, even if it was incredibly unpleasant.

At least by some miracle, she’d managed to press her lips so firmly together that no more unwanted truths would spill out.

Valus yanked her through the ballroom, past the packed crowd of partygoers, and into a smaller room where her family had gathered for a quiet cup of tea before the ceremony. She glimpsed the familiar faces of grandfathers, uncles, cousins—all of them stunned at her sudden appearance.

Valus shoved her roughly at them and she collided with Sia, slamming both of them into the wall.

Her father’s voice broke through the sudden tension, low and sharp. “What’s the meaning of this?”

Valus glared at her, his disgust palpable. “She’s drunk—or something. I don’t know what it is, but she just humiliated me in front of my friends.”

He stormed away from them then, and for a long moment no one spoke. Peri could feel the weight of her family’s eyes on her, their concern thick in the air. Finally, her mother’s brow furrowed in concern. “Peri, what happened?”

Peri hid her face in her hands, her mind racing for something to say. “I’m alright, I—”

Before she could finish, Sia, ever the protector, pulled Peri behind herself and started stammering in a frantic whisper, “Wait! I think it’s my fault. I gave her this new cream—and it can sometimes make you act erratic. I have something in my handbag that can help. So…” She dragged the word out, pushing Peri slowly backwards and away from their family. “We’ll be right back!”

Before anyone could protest, Sia had grabbed her arm and was pushing her towards a side door. They slipped into the hallway, and Sia spun around, her eyes sharp. “Those aren’t the shoes you left the house in!”

Peri grimaced, her heart thudding painfully. “Yes, I—” The words caught in her throat. Every explanation slipping through her fingers. Finally, she stammered, “A classmate gave them to me.”

Sia pinned her with a sceptical look but said nothing. She tugged Peri towards the bathroom, slamming the door behind them and locking it.

She turned, brows knitted in deep thought. “First of all, you need to leave. Our parents can’t see you wearing those boots at an official ceremony. They’re already suspicious that you’re not as pious as you tell us you are and, gods below! You can’t keep confirming their worst fears.” Sia scrutinised her for a long moment. “Honestly, I don’t know what’s going on with you, but you need to sort it out. You’re too old for this.”

Peri bit her lip, now that she wasn’t so filled with fury it felt almost impossible to speak. She nodded feebly, as guilt crept up her spine.

Sia glanced away and for a while they were drenched in silence. Finally, glassy-eyed she said, “You’re going to miss my mating ceremony, aren’t you?”

Peri’s heart clenched. She had no idea how to fix this, how to undo everything she’d just ruined. “I’m so sorry. I—”

Sia held up a hand before brushing away tears. “It’s alright. You can make it up to me later.”

“I will.” Peri pulled her into a tight hug. “I love you so much. I’m really, really sorry.”

Sia nodded shakily, pulling back with a forced smile. “Just go before you get into any more trouble.”

Sia turned and hurried out, leaving Peri alone in the bathroom. The halls emptied as a band announced that the Winter Solstice ceremony was about to begin. She waited until the hum of the crowd had quieted and everyone appeared to be outside.

Opening the door just a crack, she peeked out to make sure the coast was definitively clear. Then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw a gremlin, scurrying along the walls. The gremlin padded to a large portrait, opened a hidden latch, and slipped inside.

Her pulse quickened as she counted to twenty and then crept forward. She approached the painting carefully, glancing over her shoulder before slipping through the secret door just as the gremlin had, closing it silently behind her.

Chapter