Chapter 12 · Dinner with the Devil

"Sit. Both of you," Kaelen said, his voice like a velvet glove over a steel fist.

He didn't look up from the table, but the command left no room for debate. He was already seated at the head of the mahogany expanse, a glass of deep red wine in his hand that looked far too much like blood.

I felt Sera stiffen beside me. She didn't sit. She stood there, her shoulders tight, radiating a level of hostility that could have powered the entire city of Solis. I reached out, my fingers grazing her wrist—a warning, or maybe a plea. She didn't pull away, but I could feel her pulse hammering against my skin, fast and erratic.

"I'm not in the mood for a lecture, Kaelen," I said, sliding into the chair. I kept my voice airy, the 'Golden Girl' mask firmly in place. "And Sera is just my... assistant. She doesn't usually join these little family gatherings."

Kaelen finally looked at her. His eyes were cold, analytical, stripping her down to her secrets in a single glance. "Assistant. Is that what we're calling rogue hunters these days?"

Sera let out a sharp, jagged laugh. "I'm not hunting anyone.