Page 51

That was an understatement.

Nikhail grimaced, scrubbing his hand over his face. “You’re right, but honestly, Atlas? She’s worth it.”

She was worth everything . No cost was too great, no price too high.

“Your secret is safe with me, Nikhail.” Atlas waved down a server carrying a bottle of wine. “You clearly make her happy.”

Nikhail wanted to do more than make her happy. He wanted to make it so that she never felt the sting of pain again.

The server appeared on Atlas’s left, and Nikhail returned his attention to River.

He hated that they were still having to hide what was between them.

He wanted nothing more than to pick her up and kiss her properly, uncaring of who saw them.

One day, she would be sitting by his side, and he’d loudly proclaim that she was his.

But this wasn’t that day, and the night slowly wore on. He was served two more minuscule cuts of meat, followed by a tiny cheese course, and then a lemon panna cotta that wobbled on the plate.

The entire time, Tertia Waterborn chiseled away at her daughter’s confidence.

By the time the servers cleared the last plate, River looked like she was holding back tears.

When Ryker stood and pulled out a wrapped box from under the table, River drew in a shuddering breath, wrapping her arms around herself.

Nikhail barely heard the words his best friend said to his wife, barely registered the golden glimmer of a gilded chess set before he returned his attention to River.

She was watching her brother and his wife with a watery smile.

Others might not have been able to see her pain, but it might as well have been a knife to Nikhail’s heart.

Gods help him, he hated that River was so upset. He hated that her mother was so fucking awful. More than that, he hated that the Representative had the gods-damned audacity to look relaxed after she’d spent the entire evening tormenting her daughter.

Fuck her.

Just as Nikhail was about to rise from his seat and circle the table, everyone else be damned, his phone buzzed in his suit pocket. He frowned, scooting back his chair and pulling out the offending piece of technology.

A curse slipped from his lips as he saw who was calling. He could feel River’s eyes on him as he stood from his seat.

“Please excuse me.” He spoke to the entire table, but his words were meant for River alone. “I have to take this, but I’ll be back as soon as possible.”

And when he returned, he would rescue his water fae from her horrible mother’s company, one way or another. Accepting the call, Nikhail pressed his phone to his ear and left the formal dining room.

The call took far longer than he had expected—the damned rebels were making moves again, and what was supposed to be a few days’ stay in Golden City might become far more than that—and by the time he returned to the ballroom, River’s seat was empty.

Nikhail’s heart twisted at the sight, and Atlas confirmed that she’d taken her leave fifteen minutes ago. Disappointment churned in his stomach, and he left soon after that, passing on his well-wishes to Ryker and Brynleigh before striding out of the formal dining room.

He paused at the staircase, his gaze lingering on the second floor of the house, down the hallway, where he knew the bedrooms were.

Which one belonged to River? If he knew, he’d be there in a heartbeat.

Nikhail contemplated sneaking upstairs and trying to find her room, but the thought of being caught by the Representative was enough to scare him off for now.

He called a taxi to pick him up, since he’d had a few drinks. They arrived shortly, and he slipped inside, giving them directions to his hotel.

Leaning against the car door, he pulled open his messages.

How are you doing, River?

I’m… okay.

He could almost hear her sigh through the phone, and he leveled one of his own. He should be there with her, running his hands through her hair and telling her that her atrocious mother was wrong. She was amazing, and it didn’t matter what one person thought of her.

But he wasn’t there because their relationship was still a secret. Despising the barriers keeping them apart now more than ever before, he racked his brain for a way to pick up River’s spirits.

What do you call a bear who got caught in the rain?

…

A drizzly bear.

He added all the bear and rain emojis he could find, hoping they would put a smile on her face, and sent the message.

Less than a minute later, she replied.

Thank you for the laugh, Nik. I needed that.

She added a slew of emojis, including a few he didn’t recognize, and his fingers flew over the keyboard as he responded.

They chatted the entire trip to the hotel, staying far away from heavy topics as he attempted to lift her spirits.

By the time his taxi pulled up and he got out, he felt lighter than before.

Not better, because he was alone, but less angry. It meant something that even when River was having a horrible night, she talked to him. It was a privilege he didn’t take lightly.

Their steady stream of conversation kept him company as he brushed his teeth, hopped in the shower, and climbed into bed. River seemed more relaxed by the time his head landed on the pillow. Less tense, and more like herself. Had she gotten something to eat? Gods, he hoped so.

That night, as Nikhail drifted off into a restless sleep, he made a vow: They wouldn’t keep their relationship secret much longer.

It was too stressful, and it wasn’t fair to River.

He wasn’t sure that the Waterborn matriarch would continue harassing her daughter if she knew she was with him, but he’d like to see her try.

River was his, and he would protect her from everyone, including her family, if necessary.