Page 44
Story: A Curse of Stars and Storms (The Choosing Chronicles #3)
All Power and Grace
“ T hese are the wrong napkins.” Tertia’s voice was low, but there was no masking the disapproval in her tone. Any kindness she’d shown on the day Cyrus had been alert was long gone.
Even though her mother’s ire wasn’t directed at her, River winced from where she stood at the ballroom entrance. River had been back in her childhood home for less than twenty-four hours, and it was already too much.
Thank the gods, she wasn’t planning on being here for long. Ryker and Brynleigh’s bonding ceremony was tomorrow, and she would be heading home at the end of the week. She’d worked overtime all last week, trading shifts with Ember to make this work.
River had barely had time to breathe over the past few weeks, let alone think. Work had been incredibly busy.
When she returned to the hospital after the Winter Solstice, Doctor Collins had allowed her to go back to the operating room. She’d participated in several life-saving surgeries since then, and even though she was tired, she was also happy .
River couldn’t help her father—his condition was reportedly stable, although he hadn’t been awake again—but she could help her patients. Saving lives was her calling, and she rarely felt better than when she was armed with a scalpel.
“I asked for ivory napkins.” Tertia’s voice was quiet and direct, and River’s heart palpitated as she hugged her arms around herself. “ Ivory .”
River really didn’t think the color scheme was that big of a deal, but apparently, her mother was not of the same mind.
Waving a napkin in the air, the Representative stepped closer to Annalise and Tyma, two fae servants who’d worked at Waterborn House since before River was born.
They were carrying stacks of napkins as high as their heads, and to their eternal credit, neither of them flinched in the face of Tertia’s fury.
To be fair, they were probably used to it.
“Even a child would be able to see that these are light taupe.” Tertia threw the napkin on the nearest circular table and turned back to Annalise and Tyma.
Her posture was rigid, and there was no mistaking the absolute fury in her gaze.
“You will fix this. The tablecloths are ivory. The invitations are ivory. The gods-damned napkins will also be ivory. Is that understood?”
You love your brother deeply , River reminded herself as she stared past her mother to the vampire-safe blackout curtains covering the windows. This is for Ryker .
The gods only knew, she’d never put herself through helping Tertia plan a party if it wasn’t for him.
Annalise dipped her head, murmuring, “Yes, Representative Waterborn. I’ll contact the supplier and make sure this mistake is rectified immediately.”
“Good.” Tertia spun on her three-inch heels and marched towards the entrance. “River.” Had her tone gotten colder, or was that River’s imagination? “Come with me.”
Arguing with her mother would be futile. Although River would prefer to be literally anywhere else—even being yelled at by Doctor Collins was better than this—she followed Tertia into the hall.
The Representative scooped her tablet off an end table without her stride faltering. The steady click of her heels was a metronome that River had heard thousands of times before. It set the tone for the day, reminding her that her mother was the undisputed queen within these walls.
Glancing at a gilded floor-length mirror as she passed it, River gave herself an appreciative smile.
She wore figure-hugging designer skinny jeans and a navy one-shoulder blouse that fluttered as she walked.
Both her belly-button ring and her sleeve of floral tattoos were on display, a deliberate choice she’d made after visiting Isolation Lake this morning.
Tertia might be the queen, but River wasn’t some helpless commoner. She wouldn’t let her mother walk all over her. She was her own person, and she didn’t need Tertia’s approval.
Especially not when her mother hated her. Over the past few weeks, River had scoured her brain, trying to understand where the hatred stemmed from, but she was coming up empty. She had no idea what she’d done to deserve Tertia’s malice.
“There is still so much to get done before tomorrow.” Her mother marched towards her office with confidence, not once bothering to check whether her daughter was following.
“Who plans a bonding with less than three months’ notice?
It’s not nearly enough time to throw a proper celebration.
I suppose I should’ve expected as much from that vampire . ”
Derision dripped from Tertia’s tone, but before she could add more, a low growl came from ahead of them.
“That ‘vampire’ is your daughter-in-law, Mother.” Ryker’s baritone voice swelled as he stepped into the hallway, glaring at the Representative.
Oh, thank the gods. River was always happy to see her brother, but her heart leaped in cool relief at the sight of him now. She’d been dreading having to deal with her mother all day on her own.
Ryker was dressed casually in jeans and a dark sweater. One hand was in his pocket, while the other was entangled with his wife’s.
“And we’ve talked about this. You will show my wife the utmost respect because I Chose her.” Ryker looked over at Brynleigh, lips tilting up into a soft smile. He squeezed her hand. “I love her.”
Ryker gazed at his wife as if she was his entire world. As if she was the reason he woke every day. As if she was the sole purpose of his existence.
This was why they were here.
River would put up with her mother’s yelling all day without complaint, because the way her brother looked at the woman he adored made it worth it. They were meant to be, and tomorrow, they would bond in the oldest fae tradition in existence.
Ryker was happy and confident, and there was an air of lightness about him that had only grown since the Choosing. Being in love was the best thing that had ever happened to Ryker…
And it was something River could never have. A pang of yearning swept through her, so strong it nearly knocked her off her feet. In another life, she could have had that, too.
Her fingers rose to her neck, closing around the silver water drop. She’d tried to take it off several times since the party, but she couldn’t seem to make herself do it. Each time, it felt like doing so would rip her heart from her chest.
Tertia’s gaze dropped to Ryker’s and Brynleigh’s intertwined hands. Her lips twisted together, and a long moment passed before she sighed.
“I suppose you did rescue my son when he was in danger.” The Representative dipped her chin, the movement so slight that if River hadn’t been looking, she would’ve missed it. “I … appreciate that.”
Brynleigh’s black eyes—a marker of vampire kind—widened, and River felt hers do the same. That was as close to an apology as she’d ever heard her mother make. Was she sick?
The momentous occasion was so stunning that several moments passed before anyone spoke. Even Tertia looked uncomfortable.
“Um… thank you.” Brynleigh smiled tightly. “That’s nice of you to say.”
Another awkward moment passed before the Representative shook her shoulders and straightened.
“Well, that’s enough of that. We have far too much to do; we can’t dawdle.
I assume you want to see your father first?
” She directed the question to Ryker, who nodded.
“Good. Go do that and then meet me in my office.” She scribbled on her tablet, and without looking up, she added, “River, you can?—”
“Actually, Mother, we have a few errands that need doing.” Ryker interrupted Tertia as if she weren’t the coldest fae River had ever met. “I thought Riv might want to do them.”
“I’d love to,” River agreed enthusiastically.
Her brother bit back a smile. “You don’t even know what I need you to do. ”
“It doesn’t matter. I’ll do it.”
If she could be useful and get away from Tertia, it would be a win-win.
“Told you she’d want to do it,” Brynleigh teased, elbowing Ryker in the side.
“You were right.” Ryker smiled indulgently at his wife before pulling out a list and a credit card from his pocket, handing them to River. “Thank you, Shortie. Text me if you have any questions. Davis is waiting out front, and he’ll take you wherever you need to go.”
River scanned the list, her eyes widening when she realized she’d be gone for hours. She might not even make it back in time to help set up for the rehearsal dinner.
As if he knew that, Ryker shared a small smile with her. Even though this was his day, he was still looking out for her. She wasn’t exactly sure what she’d done to deserve such a good brother, but as she headed out to the car, River realized she was more grateful for him than ever.
Ryker had taught her what it meant to be loved, and on a day when her magic seemed closer to the surface than usual, it was exactly what she needed.
A few hours later, the back seat of Ryker’s car was full of bags. River loved shopping, especially when it didn’t involve her own money, and this had been a long but delightful afternoon.
She’d stopped at the bakery, the florist, and the caterers to confirm everything was still good to go for tomorrow. Now, she stood at the counter of Golden Gifts, a specialty shop in the west end of the capital. The store was busy, and she’d waited in line for thirty minutes before her turn.
“I’m here to pick up a package for Captain Ryker Waterborn,” River told the clerk with a smile.
The tired Light Elf, whose name was Dorinda, according to her crooked nametag, looked like she wanted to be anywhere else. Computer keys clicked before Dorinda sighed.
“I’m sorry, ma’am. I have to go search for it in the back.” She looked like she was moments away from collapsing. “It’ll be a few minutes.”
“Go ahead.” River smiled kindly and gestured to the store. “I don’t mind waiting.”
In fact, she’d prefer it. Anything to put off interacting with Tertia.
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