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Lace teased, “Maybe we should color her hair.”

Ivy grinned. “That sounds like fun.” But when she reached a playful hand toward Blue’s hair, Dominic swatted it away. “Ouch!” Ivy exclaimed.

“You’re not touching one hair on her head.”

Blue tried asking him a question, to which he replied in choppy Ilevyn. His answer made Blue plant both hands on her head, the look of horror on her face earning a giggle from Ivy and a smile from Lace.

Loren turned so she could see Darien’s face. When she almost slid off his knee, he gripped her by the waist, steadying her. “She was speaking Ilevyn?” Loren asked. She wasn’t sure what she was trying to say, exactly. But she could have sworn…

“Yeah, it’s called Ilevyn.” Confusion marred Darien’s features. He reached up to brush a strand of hair that was caught in her eyelashes aside. “It’s an old language—as old as Ancient Reunerian but even harder to learn.”

Blue had been speaking Ilevyn.

So why had Loren somehow understood what she was saying?

With a rattling breath, Loren got to her feet. “I think I hear my cab. I need to get to work.”

“You called a cab?” Darien’s hand closed around her wrist. “I can drive you.” There was a weight to his words that suggested he was worried about more than he was letting on.

Typical Darien—probably overthinking and causing himself more stress than necessary.

“It’s okay, you’re busy.” She bent down to kiss him. A kiss that was brief, but just as sweet as all the rest, the kind that transported her away from here, their surroundings melting away.

When they broke the kiss, Darien brought his hand up to her jaw, knuckles trailing along it. “You still got that knife on you?”

She nodded. The blade with the handle of carved bone hadn’t left her purse since he gave it to her, two days after Kalendae.

“You remember what I taught you?” He’d given her a couple lessons on how to use it, mainly where to strike to do the most damage if a threat had her cornered. His lessons were extremely informative, but she prayed she would never have to put them to use.

“I remember,” she assured him, straightening. He let his hand slide off her wrist, his touch lingering long after he’d let go, a memory printed on her skin. “What are you doing tonight?”

“I need to pay a visit to the House of Souls.”

“That Malakai alliance thingy?”

“Yeah, the Malakai alliance thingy.” He winked.

Lace muttered, voice dripping with sarcasm, “That is going to be one fun night.”

“Can I come?” Loren asked.

Darien glanced about the room. “We’ll talk about that later.”

Dallas had been nodding off, but she suddenly sat up in her chair like she was being electrocuted. “If she’s going, so am I!” she exclaimed.

Loren swallowed the laughter that bubbled up her throat.

Darien rolled his eyes so far back into his head that the whites showed. “That is exactly what I was afraid of.”

The witch gave him a smug smile. “No double standards allowed in this friend group, Darien.” Crossing her arms, she nestled back into her chair, eyelids visibly heavy.

“Oh, I am very aware of that, Dallas,” Darien replied. “You have not let me forget that once.”

Max, who was standing behind Dal’s chair, offered, “It actually might not be a bad idea.”

Dallas clapped her hands, tipping her head back to look her boyfriend in the face. “Thank you, Maximus!”

Max explained to Darien, “You told me you were worried about Delaney assuming an ambush when all of us pull up at his door.”