Page 31 of Balance

“You can shove your respect.” Colette snatched the basket back off the table. “Just because everyone else thinks you’re something special, doesn’t mean that I’m going to fall in line. You play your games. Meanwhile, I’ll stay groundedin the real world.”

I pressed up from the table, tempted to reach for the breadsticks that had been so tragically taken away, yet also drawn to the conversation.

“Um…” I began, my question gnawing at me. My confidence wavered as she turned her acute gaze to me, but I pressed forward anyway. “A-a-aren’t you a witch?”

“Absolutely not.” Her heart-shaped face flushed into a light pink and her eyebrow twitched. “Everyone takes this idiocy way too seriously. Miles decided to get involved, so whatever—I can’t stop him. But don’t expect me to take part.”

My pulse raced and, once again, I had no idea what to say. I truly hadn’t meant to offend her. But this was clearly a topic she felt strongly about.

“I changed my mind,” she told Damen. “I want you to leave, I’d rather not see your face for a while.”

Chapter Eight

Bianca

Forward

The return drive was mostly spent in almost-silence as Damen muttered under his breath, glaring over this steering wheel.

“Well,” he said, a bitter chip in his voice, “that went well.”

Honestly though, after piecing everything together. “What else did you expect?” I asked.

Surely, he was not this naïve? He’d basically blindsided both his ex-lover—a woman he never should have been with in the first place—and me into a surprise meeting. And then, since I’d had no warning that this was such a sensitive topic, I’d made her even angrier by saying the ‘W’ word.

There was no way that scene was going to end well.

And outside of all that, we’d never gotten to eat. I would just have to make ramen again.

He glanced at me, eyebrow slowly lifting. “Is that sarcasm?” he asked lowly, clearly not expecting an answer. “Sometimes it’s hard to tell with you.”

I answered anyway, twisting the lace trim of my skirt as it snagged on my tights at the knees. “I’m never sarcastic. I’m just honest.”

Damen turned his attention to the road again, releasing a long, low sigh. His leg bounced, and the nervous energy radiating from him was palpable.

It was like he was waiting for something from me.

“What?” I wasn’t a mind reader. If he had something to say, he should just say it. Although, when it came to Damen in particular, mind reading might one day be a handy skill. For all his flamboyance, he was an extremely hard man to understand.

Technically, it might even be possible. Couldn’t I communicate with Kiania with my thoughts? Although, I hadn’t heard anything from her at all lately—was an aspect of our bond broken? And onmyoji apparently spoke to their shikigami in their heads. There was a connection there between us, I was sure of it.

But then Finn was also involved in this—the memory was like cold water washing away the beginnings of a brilliant idea.

Scratch that thought; mind reading might not be such a good thing. Besides, no one wanted first-hand knowledge of the depravity that was sure to lurk in Damen’s horny mind.

Speaking of depravity, maybe it was possible to read more of that book this evening. If the opportunity arose, I should encourage Bryce to challenge Damen to another match of chess. They were sure to be formidable opponents. It would take hours and keep them distracted.

Everyone else wasn’t set to return until later tonight. This might be my only chance to really have an evening to read.

“I wish there was a way to know what you were thinking,” Damen said, frowning out the window. “You’ve always been impossible to figure out.”

“Let’s not curse it,” I breathed. That was really such a terrible idea.

“Curse what?” His gaze flickered toward me, but when I didn’t respond, he rolled his eyes. “Once again, I’m left in the dark.”

The irony of his dilemma wasn’t lost on me—that was how I felt on a regular basis.

Bryce pulled in the same time we did, exiting his flashy emerald BMW and standing at the bottom of the porch as we approached. Even though he was visibly exhausted, wrinkles heavy in his navy suit and bags under his eyes, he was alert enough to notice Damen’s hand on my hip.