Page 69 of Serpent In White

“Drake,” Darian croons, amusement written on his face, though his eyes are narrowed rather suspiciously. “I didn’t expect you tonight.”

“Well, you told me to come by for dinner.” He shrugs, still smiling eerily at Head Priest, before his eyes flick right. “Apparently, Gem and Lauris miss me.”

“Oh yea, we miss you like a yeast infection,” Lauris sneers and Drake bursts out laughing while Gem gasps, throwing her hands over her mouth to hide her giggles.

“It’s a lasting impression,” Drake sighs, then turns his gaze up to me. “I’ll take it.”Wink.

I look away and hustle out of the room. And he watches me go. I canfeelhis eyes on my back.

Once I’m in the kitchen, I take a moment to breathe before plating Drake’s food. I can’t help noticing the look Gina’s giving me, which I try desperately to ignore while I focus on steadying my hands before I drop something.

Sucking in some more air, I let it out slowly and carry Drake’s plate to him. Setting it down in front of him, I linger just enough to hear the conversation without being obvious in my eavesdropping.If the Empyrean was still working, I could hear them two rooms away.

“Drake, we saw fire coming from the mountain the other night,” Emithel’s small, feminine voice breaks through the rest of the dinner noise. “What was it?”

Drake looks at Darian, Darian at Drake. And for a moment they share a telepathic conversation I'm just dying to hear.

I don't know why I'm suddenly desperate to be involved in whatever business these two are attending to. I'm feeling a myriad of new things, for both of them.

The curiosity, yes, that's a given. But also protectiveness, jealousy, a desire to help them if they need it. I'm not sure what I could ever do to help Head Priest and The Alchemist, but I'd love to try... if they would let me.

"It was just a fire." Drake gives Emithel one of his looks. I barely know him at all, but I'm beginning to decode certain looks of his, and this one has a gaslighting vibe.

I have no idea what you're talking about. You must be crazy.That sort of thing.

Emithel glances down at her plate, and Gem reaches out to rub her back.

"Everything is fine, Em," Darian adds, reassuring her, with his words, but mostly his tone and the look in his eyes. She immediately seems to relax beneath his gaze.

Wow, he's good.

"You know, sometimes we have to burn things up there, to keep it from spreading around housing or the crops," Drake says, scooping a bite onto his fork. "It's contained. No worries."

"Oh yea?" Lauris raises her brows in Drake's direction, and he narrows his peculiar serpent-gaze. "What about the gunshots?"

"Excuse me?" He practically hisses at her, dropping his fork.

"Alright," Darian barks, quietly yet commanding enough that everyone immediately goes still. “That’s quite enough of this conversation. We've talked about this, Lauris.” He aims a darkening gaze at her, which says he’s not to be argued with. "The gunshots are training practice for the Tribe. The fires are to get rid of excess debris and animal remains we can't use." He folds his hands on the table and sits back, looking around at the rest of them slowly. "Any more questions?"

Everyone is silent for what feels like minutes, before they all shake their heads and agree, whispering,no, sir,like kids who were just scolded by Daddy. It's as fascinating as it is arousing, and I feel like I'm going to burst by the time dinner is over.

Slinking out of the room, I lean up against the wall, my head spinning.

The rest of the meal goes in a much lighter direction, the conversation staying casual as Drake laughs with Darian and teases the girls. He doesn't come around often, but when he does, it's like a very important piece of the equation is set back in. While an often tense presence, one that works to stir people up on occasion, Drake seems comfortable anywhere that Darian is.

As much as Drake isolates himself, living miles away from the rest of us, up on the mountain, keeping his distance from the Regnum other than the Tribe and his chemists, it's still clear he enjoys being with the family. I'm interested in his dynamic with Darian. They appear to have such a deep love for one another... It’s hard to comprehend why they wouldn't want to make it more.

I doubt people would really disapprove that much. And even if they did, would it be a big deal? I mean, I can't imagine a world I’d want to live in where people don't approve of who I love, out in the open.

Once everyone's done eating, Darian excuses himself, and Drake stays at the table, though his eyes follow his brother, lingering on the direction he disappeared into. The wives get up and mull about, going to the sitting room for drinks, or upstairs to their rooms. Drake gets up last, and he wanders to the hallway between the dining room, which leads to the rest of the house.

As I’m cleaning up, I can see him watching me from the hall. No one else seems to notice him, or they don't care. But it's very distracting; him just watching me,staringwith those rippled eyes. The fact that I can't hear what he's thinking stresses me out more and more as I clean, until eventually I can't take it anymore.

When we're finished, about to dig into our own dinner, which is usually my favorite part of the night, I excuse myself to go to the restroom, though I'm really going to find Drake. I wander the corridor, looking into each room, but I can't find him anywhere. I'm about to give up and head back for dinner when I hear a whisper from the study. ApsstI'm sure is meant for me.

Stepping into the room, I find Drake standing there with a glass of liquor, sipping slowly, eyeing me over the rim.

"Hey there, little mouse," he says on a breath, like he's been expecting me.Was he watching me looking for him?