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KLEOS

L ucian swore under his breath, silver eyes as intense as ever, analyzing every part of me.

I felt just fine. Maybe a little tipsy, but I hadn't eaten tonight, and I was three glasses of wine in. I generally needed my liquid courage to deal with these parties.

"What could that mean?" Had the ritual started early? It couldn't be much later than ten.

"Let's not find out here," he retorted, jaw tight.

The melody was slowing down, reaching the end of the song. Taking my hand, Lucian pressed his lips to it, like the prince charming he looked like in his embroidered custom tux

"Two minutes, then you follow me out of here." His voice was barely over a whisper. "Take any longer, and I don't care who's watching, I'm coming to drag you out."

My core tightened at the threat. In any other circumstances, I would have stayed past these two minutes just to see if he meant it.

But he was right: whatever was going on with me, I didn't want to stay in this place.

Anyone with nefarious intents knew I was supposed to be here. I needed to be safe at h?—

No, not home. Home was the attic in my parent's house. At his manor. That's where I needed to be.

First, I beelined towards a lively corner close to a table covered in empty glasses. "Aunt Nemea!"

My aunt couldn't look more different from my mother: where Zenya was slender, Nemea was round, even when she wasn't pregnant. She'd let herself age a little. She didn't look anywhere close to her sixties, but no one would have carded her if she'd tried to buy beer outside of Highvale.

"Hey, pup," her husband called, affable as ever.

Her husband Vaughn was muscular and generally smiling. An alpha wolf, at the head of his pack, he was respected in many circles. These parties weren't one of them.

I flashed the flask in my purse. "I heard congratulations are in order?"

My aunt chuckled. "Yes. Again , as my sister likely said. Thanks for that, darling. You should come by to see us, soon. Daphne wonders when her pretty cousin will braid her hair again."

I promised I would, feeling rather guilty. The last few weeks I’d been so focused on my rune issues, I barely checked on anyone.

"I have to run, but I'll see you very soon."

I did just that, dashing for the main doors, when a dauntingly familiar voice snapped, "Where do you think you're going?"

Oh, fuck. Mother .

I turned to see her advance towards me in great strides despite her heels. Cousin Castor walked right next to her, smiling in a forced, insincere way that only served to highlight his resemblance to a demented baboon.

"Kleos, don't be irresponsible. You can't leave in the middle of a party. And as you didn't get in touch, Castor was hoping to finalize your date for next week. Really, what were you thinking, dancing with that?—"

"Sorry, Mother, I'm not feeling well." I grasped the front of my dress, lifting it a few inches in order to avoid falling on my face, and took off at a run.

When I reached the doors, a chuckle escaped me. I was positively elated about not giving into her this time. And just as excited by the fact that she'd be horrified if she knew who I was running towards.

"You're late." Lucian leaned behind a column.

"Lurking in the shadows like any good dark wizard?"

He quirked a brow. "Should I come out and make it obvious to mummy and the tool who you're going to leave with?"

Yes please, I wished I could say. Instead, I giggled gleefully.

To my surprise, Lucian looked concerned."What?"

"You're flushed. And you don't usually laugh that much."

Both facts were probably true, but I didn't see why it was a cause for concern.

"Come on. The sooner you're locked up, the sooner I'll breathe easily."

I grinned. "You have the weirdest kinks, Regis."

We headed to the main entrance, Lucian sticking to the darkness of the alcoves, brushing windows and columns while I walked in the center of the hall. But he kept his eyes on me at all times.

We passed some acquaintances and strangers, and whenever one would wave at me, or even stop togreet me, I would feel a shift in the general air around me.

One glance behind my shoulders and I saw silver eyes flash dangerously.

Then we were at the entrance of the Hall of Truce, where I would have been expected to leave towards the main doors.

And I did just that.

I was positively shocked to see me, in my dress, and my necklace, and my off-white red-soled heels, walk out.

I must have drunk more than I thought.

"What the?—"

"Ronan," Lucian whispers,right by my side.

He tilted his head to yet another dark wizard lurking in the shadow, this one truly playing the part, in black clothes and an actual honest to god cape .

I waved at him happily. "Neat trick."

"Illusions are his area of expertise. No one will notice you. But let's get going. We only have a few minutes."

We took the column down to the underside.

T he moment we were alone, Lucian closed in on me, sending my heart into a frenzied gallop. But he merely checked my temperature, palm flat on my forehead, then my pulse point, right at the wrist.

"I'm fine," I grumbled, a little put off.

Couldn't a girl get a good snog rather than a medical examination?

"My spell says otherwise. And my spells are usually right."

I snorted. "Humble much?"

"Humility is the virtue of the mediocre. How are you feeling?"

Annoyed he wasn't kissing me. Now he'd clarified the girl I'd always assumed was his girlfriend happened to be a relative, it felt like I could maybe, possibly, make out with him a little. It didn't have to mean anything. Surely that was what young people did at parties?

"A little tipsy."

"Do you usually get silly when you drink?" he insisted.

"Excuse you, I'm not silly ." I chuckled again, not entirely sure why. "All right, maybe a little."

Lucian looked a world away from amused. "Maybe we should get you a little drunk and silly too, grumpy pants."

"I'm not that easy to drug, thank the gods."

We'd reached the underside's town circle, alive with bright purple, dancing lights, and right in front, were greeted by a vision pulled right out of a fairy tale.A team of four golden horses pulled a coach shaped like a crown, pearl white and solid gold.

"All right. I'm drunker than I thought."

"Hm? Oh, no, that's my carriage. My family's, in any case. Earlier, you mentioned you would have assumed I owned one. I figured I'd show you why I don't make use of it every day."

I laughed so hard my sides hurt, bending in two. At the back of my mind, something told me that, while it was funny, I shouldn't have been this entertained.

Something was wrong with me.

"Kleos?"

Lucian had leaned in, his hand warm on my back, checking on me with concerned eyes.

"I don't know what's wrong with me."

"I do," he replied after a beat. "I hope I'm mistaken. But I doubt I am. You'll be all right. You're safe with me."

Again, I laughed, making myself straighten up.By all rights we should be enemies.Our families have hated each other for decades—hell, centuries. The Pendroses weren't fond of the Regises either.

"Everyone I know would tell me that trusting Lucian Regis, dark sorcerer, necromancer, murderer, is insanity."

Finally, he cracked a smile."Oh, darling. Haven't you heard? Sanity is highly overrated."

And on that note, the heathen grabbed me under the knees and behind my back, and pulled me off my feet, carrying me to the Regis coach.