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A face partially obscured in a tangle of blonde hair appeared over Ethan’s shoulder.

Sarah had been beautiful once, but now there was an edge to her looks. Her hair was still the same, but there was a darkness in her eyes now. A squiggle of it ran through her iris when she spotted us.

Sarah tugged on Ethan’s elbow. “Put them in the drawing room. They can wait for us to finish.”

Okay, first of all, eww and gross. Not to mention the appalling lack of manners.

Even Ethan, heavily tangled in the spell, looked at her askance. “No. There’s plenty of time later. Please have one of the kitchen staff⁠—”

He cut himself off. A squiggle of darkness faintly resembling a worm rolled through Sarah’s iris once more. Her lips pursed, and her cheeks pinkened.

Ethan would hear about that later, I had no doubt.

“There’s no one else here,” Cernunnos said helpfully. “Mass exodus or something?”

His smile showed a little too much teeth. Sarah bristled with hostility at Cernunnos’s tone.

“Staff turnover sometimes,” she said with a sniff. “Although our employment situation is none of your concern.”

Cernunnos’s smile widened. I resisted the urge to take a step back. He leaned forward, magic snapping in his eyes. “Everything in this world is my business, girl. Do not forget who you are when you speak to me. People who forget their place do not last long in my presence.”

Sarah apparently did have some self-preservation left. She swallowed hard and stared at the god, the first real flicker of fear shining in her eyes.

Ethan gently pushed her back and glared at Cernunnos. “Why are you here?”

I spoke before the god could make it worse. “Shifter Lord business.”

Ethan’s eyes narrowed. He was our de facto leader and would suspect I was full of shit, but he’d been absent at our last few meetings and wouldn’t know for sure.

“Get our guests some refreshments,” he said.

Sarah stiffened. “Excuse⁠—”

Ethan’s eyes flashed a mix of gold and silver. He turned to face Sarah, and the woman shrank back before turning on her heel and hustling away.

When Ethan turned back to us, he hadn’t quite wiped the grief from his face.

The Lord knew the cracks were there. He just didn’t want to acknowledge them.

“Come in,” he said and held the door open. “And try not to antagonize Sarah any more than necessary, please. She’s in a mood.” Ethan walked away, his posture defeated.

Empathy filled me. The Lord had to realize there was a mating bond. He just didn’t realize it wasn’t with Sarah. If anyone knew what it was like to be madly in love with someone with zero hopes of it working out, it’d be me.

Ethan might be having sex with Sarah, but from the way those two acted, I doubted there was any love there. Even if he hadn’t yet realized so.

Cernunnos snorted.

I nudged him with my elbow. “Can you at least try not to antagonize him?” I hissed as Ethan turned the corner.

“You’re lucky I haven’t violently murdered him,” Cernunnos responded. “So no, I can’t.”

Huh. Fair enough. I side-eyed him as we walked inside.

“Just because you and I are on slightly better terms doesn’t mean I’m suddenly going to spill my guts,” Cernunnos warned.

I chuckled. “You could, you know.”

The god sighed. “As much as I applaud Evie for following her heart, Caelan was easier. Less in tune with his emotions.”