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Not knowing where else to go, she made her way to the railing overlooking the first floor. The other Fae were filtering in, laughing and happy. They had drinks in their hands, and they were waving each other down across the room. She scanned them all, searching for just a glimpse of Lange or Dex, but there were so many down there, it was impossible.

“Look at you, wild fury. All dressed up once again.”

Tessa turned to find Tristyn Blackheart leaning back on his elbows against the railing, a drink dangling from his fingertips.

“What are you doing here?” she blurted out.

“Attending the social, apparently,” he replied, gesturing out towards the Legacy.

“But you’re...not mortal,” she said in realization.

“I am not.”

“But you said you were.”

“I never actually said that.”

“You never corrected me. It’s the same difference,” she said flatly, turning back to look over the lower level once more.

“It’s not the same difference,” Tristyn argued, bumping her with his elbow. “Controlling information is controlling power.”

“You’re a Legacy. You have enough power,” she muttered before sighing. She couldn’t talk to a Legacy like that. “I apologize.”

“Don’t,” he said, taking a sip of his drink. When she didn’t say anything else for several moments, he turned to look out over the lower level as well, holding his drink out to her. “It’s not agaveheart, but it’s a peace offering nonetheless.”

“I can’t drink tonight,” she replied.

“Because of Theon.”

It was a statement, and she felt herself flush at the realization he must have known all along who she was. But if that was true, he also knew who Theon was, and he hadn’t backed down an inch from the Arius Heir.

“Yes, because of him,” she answered tightly.

“And yet you were just drinking with your friends.”

“That was… They’re not my friends.”

Accepting she wasn’t going to take his drink, he brought it back to his lips and took another sip before he said. “That’s too bad. You need to let a few people into your chaos.”

“Let me guess. Someone like you?” she asked with a coy grin, glancing at him sidelong. He was too easy to talk to, too easy to fall into idle conversation with. She didn’t need to be told how dangerous that was, but she couldn’t figure out which bloodline he was from.

He huffed a laugh. “I have enough chaos of my own, fury.”

“I have friends,” she said defensively. “Or I did… I do.”

She could feel Tristyn studying her before he jerked his chin at the Fae below. “Down there?”

“Maybe? I haven’t seen them yet.”

“They were with you at your Estate?” he asked, subtly offering her his half-empty drink again.

She took it without thinking. “Yes. Not right away. Only in the last few years, actually.”

“Interesting,” he mused. “And they’re not here?”

“Wouldn’t matter if they were. I can’t go down there.”

“You only break the rules when agaveheart is involved?” he asked, his lips twitching when her head whipped towards him.