Page 166

I still don’t know how it happened, but Rowan’s best friend has apparently annexed our kitchen.

“If one more person touches my sauce, I’m poisoning all of you,” he snaps without looking up.

“Good afternoon to you too.” I toe off my boots near the entrance and dump my bag beside the couch, then loosen the collar of my uniform and drag a hand through my hair as I cross the room.

Rafe is sprawled across the couch with a datapad balanced on his chest while Marius sits on the floor nearby, cleaning blood from his knuckles like that’s a completely normal hobby to have between classes.

“Where’s Rowan?” I ask.

Rafe slowly lowers the datapad. “That’s hello now?”

“You look suspiciously happy,” Lucan says from the kitchen doorway before wandering over to the counter and stealing something straight from one of the trays.

I toss my jacket over the arm of the couch. “Mom’s event starts in less than two hours, by the way.”

Damaris turns so fast he nearly slaps Lucan with the spoon. “Seriously, leave it alone. I’ve been working on this all afternoon.”

Lucan just grins around the bite before sliding an arm around Damaris’s waist and pulling him back against his chest. “Relax.” He steals another taste. “I’m quality control.”

Damaris mutters something under his breath but doesn’t pull away.

“Still trapped in rehearsal,” Lucan says, finally answering my question. “Halvern apparently decided Rowan’s not leaving until he can play the entire thing in his sleep.”

“That’s because Mom specifically asked for him,” Rafe mutters from the couch.

Lucan steals another bite from the tray before leaning against the counter. “Which honestly sounds like a terrible idea. Uncle Christian asked you to keep an eye on him. He didn’t say anything about dragging him into the family.”

I head toward my room, rubbing at the back of my neck.

My multi-slate vibrates before I reach the door.

mouse: I still have a full hour of rehearsal left because of you

me: pretty sure that’s a you problem, not a me problem

mouse: Unfortunately, I’m blaming you for my lack of concentration.

A grin pulls at my mouth before I can stop it.

“Light.” Lucan watches me over the edge of the tray he’s stealing from. “You’re completely gone.”

“Shut up.”

I turn my back on them and push open my bedroom door. The holo-shot from our ride through the lower districts still glows half-projected above the terminal from where I left it last night, Rowan standing beside the hoverbike in my jacket and glaring at me while the city lights burn gold behind him like he’s already become something dangerous to lose.

Which is... yeah. Probably a problem.

Another argument drifts down the hallway followed by Damaris threatening somebody over the food again. Lucan’s laugh carries a second later before a knock lands against my half-open door.

He leans against the frame when I glance up, still looking too entertained. “You were asking around about Rowan’s sister?”

My shoulders tense. “Close the door.”

Lucan pushes off the frame and shuts it behind him.

“What did you find?” I ask.

He grimaces. “Not much. That’s the problem. There’s basically nothing attached to the name Sola Ashford anywhere official.”