Page 26

26

Vincent

P ierce House was in the Norden District.

It was right on the water where the bay curved to the sea.

It was almost unfair that Darius got the best of both views in Sandrin.

I was sure his water magic felt right at home here.

As quickly as the thought crossed my mind, my hand balled into a fist at my side as we approached the sprawling manor.

I couldn’t believe he’d kept Luna from this.

I’d never been to Pierce House.

It was not a big surprise, given that the truce between fae courts was new.

It looked like my parents’ home—the one I’d grown up in.

I reached for Luna’s hand again as the coach rolled unevenly onto a large, circular path.

I stepped down, releasing Luna momentarily only to offer my hand again as she exited.

It was safe to say I was obsessed with her touch.

She craned her neck to take in the brick building.

It was all a single story.

This pointed to its age.

Newer buildings in Sandrin were two or even three floors.

More citizens than ever wanted to live in the city, so vertical space was necessary.

Only the original homes, claimed by old fae, still took up so much land.

I shook my head, wondering what he did with all the space.

I’d told my parents years ago that they should downsize.

They’d tutted and patted my shoulder like I knew nothing.

I probably didn’t when it came to the status symbol these old houses were to the fae.

As an old fae family, multiple generations of Pierce’s lived here.

I stewed again as I remembered that Luna had never been granted that privilege.

Darius had a small family, from the court records I saw.

He was an only child, so in reality, he and his parents lived in this massive building, although it was common knowledge that Klein, Darius’s father, was in the north doing some Norden magic research.

It seemed like such a waste.

I truly hoped we’d find nothing tonight that supported the tip received by the paper.

Part of me wondered if there was any chance that Darius’s isolation from Luna had anything to do with her mother.

The more she spoke about her, the more concerned I was with her mother’s efforts to disregard part of her nature.

Luna was fae and human.

Half of each, and wholly perfect.

I wished she’d had more people in her life who made her feel that way.

She hooked her hand around my arm as we strolled toward the door.

I glared at the coat sleeve preventing her hand from reaching my skin.

Instead, I let my hand rest over hers while my gaze roamed the scenery.

The grounds were beautiful.

One of the perks of water magic was that he could pull water directly from the sea to ensure all his plants were properly hydrated.

The lush grass, growing ivy, and full copse of trees made it seem like we might be in the park.

“Ready?” I asked, raising a hand to knock.

She nodded, thankfully, because the large wooden door opened before my knuckles even rapped against it .

“Luna! I’m so glad you made it.” Darius answered the door himself.

I was sure this was abnormal.

Even if only he and his parents lived here, there would be household staff.

My parents and grandparents lived in their house and employed ten people to keep it up.

He gestured us in.

“Happy name day.”

I let Luna’s hand slip from my arm and pressed my hand briefly against her lower back as I urged her to follow her father.

I’d be right behind her, but this was her night.

Maybe if things went well enough for them now, she wouldn’t want to break into his study before drinks.

The house was beautiful, as I’d expected it would be.

Marble floors and stone pillars decorated every room.

Large portraits filled the hallways and rooms we passed.

Many appeared to be of members of the family line, or pictures of Sandrin as it progressed.

The Pierce family had been here since its founding.

Darius greeted me courteously but seemed to appreciate my willingness to follow as he led Luna through the halls.

She glanced back at me occasionally, and I smiled each time in reassurance as Darius kept chattering about the family and the house.

He didn’t sound like a fae intent on keeping magic from his daughter, but what did you really know of someone raised in polite society?

They were so good at being what they needed to be in the moment.

It was how I’d been raised, too.

“Vincent, your parents’ home is much the same as ours, no?” Darius asked as he led us to a formal dining room.

“I see many similarities.”

He offered me a seat and pulled the chair next to it out for Luna.

“I hope you don’t mind. We’ll eat first. The cook has said it’s ready, so I’d hate to let it get cold. We can have drinks in the parlor after the meal if you have time. ”

I glanced at Luna, letting her know it was all her show.

“We’d love to,” she said.

Darius went to the corner of the room and grabbed a bottle of wine from a cart.

“Eloise should be here momentarily. They’ll serve the food as soon as she comes down. Wine while we wait?”

Luna nodded, and he filled her glass.

I accepted the same.

“So,” Darius said as he sat with his own glass, leaving the bottle on the table.

He finally turned his attention to me.

“Any new recommendations I should know about?”

My shoulders tensed, as I wasn’t exactly sure how to answer that.

The next new recommendation would be Luna’s.

I’d started working on it earlier this week.

I looked at her helplessly.

She shrugged.

“He might be working on a piece for me, for Cliff House, if we can work some things out.” She let the sentence hang there.

Her words broke my heart a little.

I told myself not to panic.

She might be referring to the fact of the locked room and whatever magic prevented visitors from coming to the inn.

She couldn’t still be worried I wouldn’t write the recommendation without her upholding her side of the bargain.

Nothing could be further from the truth, but sharp fear slid down my spine as I replayed our conversations and realized I hadn’t told her that.

My wind thrashed in my chest as if to say You still have time.

Darius’s eyes narrowed like he wasn’t sure how he felt about her statement, but suspicion was absolutely on the list of emotions appearing on his face.

“Is he now?”

I coughed.

“It’s a beautiful property. I can’t believe it doesn’t get more attention.”

“Neither can I,” Darius said flatly, lifting his wine glass to his lips.

He paused and glanced at me like he had me in checkmate, though I had no idea what game we were playing.

“Don’t you only feature fae establishments?” His words sounded almost pained, but his eyes narrowed in anticipation of my response.

Luna frowned, and Darius flinched, catching her reaction out of the corner of his eye.

He must have realized how the question sounded to her.

“I didn’t mean—” he started.

“Luna, I meant he only featured establishments that obviously cater to old fae, not that you weren’t fae.”

Well, he had not minced words with that one.

However, I couldn’t fault him for clearing things up so directly for Luna.

I laughed as I brought my wine glass to my lips and sipped.

“Tell me how you really feel, Darius.” It felt odd to speak so frankly with him.

I was, after all, the fae—how had she phrased it?

—seeing his daughter.

His estranged daughter, all things considered, so I wasn’t sure how much his opinion counted.

I glanced at Luna as I thought the word seeing .

How close to the truth did that come for her?

It had felt that way when we visited my past recommendations together, even through our missteps.

It had felt that way when she kissed me today at the cottage and again in the carriage.

This was another item I needed to clear up as soon as possible.

I wanted to be seeing her.

She reached for my thigh under the table and squeezed.

It was more than reassuring.

“I won’t apologize, Vincent. Your family’s opinions are well known. I want to make sure my daughter knows that.”

“You’ll get no complaint from me if you decide to start being protective of her. I’d say it’s up to her if she’ll allow it, though.”

Darius flushed and opened his mouth, no doubt to respond harshly.

“Father.” The single word brought the male to a standstill.

Luna must have realized its effect but was merciless as she wielded it.

“I told you Vincent was important to me. I’d appreciate it if you at least tried to get to know him, separate from what you know of his family, before jumping to conclusions. ”

Darius looked chastised in a way I could never imagine my father being by anything I said.

In fact, I couldn’t imagine my father and I ever having a conversation mirroring this.

“You’re right, Luna.” He raised his glass.

“I apologize, Vincent. We’re here to celebrate Luna. I will refrain from any further outbursts.”

“ You might, but I certainly will not.” A voice sounded from the doorway.

The older female’s words held a command I was sure she took full advantage of.

She wore the deepest blue from head to toe, and large diamond earrings hung from her ears.

Eloise must be the power of the family.

I could tell the moment she stepped into the room.

Water wasn’t flying from her hands, but her magic smelled like a storm brewing.

I sat up straighter in my seat.

She must be older than I’d realized because her age was showing.

Wrinkles lined her face, and more than streaks of silver like Luna’s covered her hair.

I wasn’t sure what came over me, but I stood, dipping my chin as she took her seat at the head of the table.

“You think manners will impress me?” Eloise tsked.

“It’s been twenty-five years, and we finally get Luna into our home only to have an Andiveron escort her?”

I took my seat and glanced at Luna.

Her brows furrowed in confusion.

I thought she’d caught the same part of that speech that I had.

It’s been twenty-five years, and we finally get Luna into our home.

They’d wanted her here all along.