Page 93 of This Dark Descent
“I don’t like him,” Ari said.
“You aren’t the only one,” Reid muttered as he slid to Damien’s side. His dark hair was a wild mess, and there were more shadows under his eyes than usual. Reid never slept well, but now he seemed not to have slept at all. He’d been fretting over Mikira’s avoidance for days, though he wouldn’t admit it outright.
“We have a problem,” he said.
“I think we have more than one,” Damien replied. Loic had left his entourage behind and was coming toward them.
Ari burned verillion on instinct but held off connecting it to the stone, the simple presence of the magic reassuring her.
They peeled away from the prince’s group as Loic arrived. “Little brother.” He had a flush to his cheeks from drink, but his words were clear and sharp. His eyes even more so as they surveyed Ari, who stared resolutely back at him.
“What do you want, Loic?” Damien shifted in front of Ari.
“I thought we might make a little bargain of our own.” Loic snatched a champagne flute from a passing server.
“What need have I to bargain with you?” Damien’s tone was steady, but Ari sensed his unease, and Reid moved restlessly at his back.
Loic dragged the moment out with a sip of champagne before he said simply, “You will forfeit your bid in the Ascension, and in return, I won’t tell a soul.” He leaned close, a smile on his lips. “I know your little enchanter’s unlicensed.”
The buzz of conversation faded as something cold and quiet spread through Damien. Ari went perfectly still, the burn of magic winking out inside her. That old, familiar unease came creeping back, and she fought to keep it under control.
Damien turned to her. “Go with Reid.”
“But—” She stopped when she realized what was seeing in his eyes: fear. Reid took her arm, and she let him pull her into the crowd.
“She can’t run,” Loic said with a laugh. “Where will you keep her? Not the manor. Not the country estate.” His smile grew with every word. “What a fun game this will be.”
“You don’t know the rules of this game half as well as you think you do, brother,” Damien snarled. “I’ll make you regret ever playing.”
That was the last she heard before the crowd swallowed them up. Reidshoved their way through it with the persistence of an ox until they reached the entrance, where he released her. “Go down to the foyer. I need to find Mikira, and then we’re leaving.”
She followed the staircase down to the empty foyer, where she positioned herself by the exit to wait. Her eyes remained locked on the doorway, and she wrapped her arms about herself against the night’s chill. The scent of roses hung heavy in the air, almost sickeningly sweet.
The crowd shifted, and then Damien appeared. She relaxed as he descended the stairs.
“Damien Adair.”
A lean figure in the blue and white livery of the Anthir stood at the top of the stairs, her brown hair plaited down her back. Two constables flanked her.
Ari stepped into the shadows of the courtyard, sliding between the entrance wall and a low-hanging tree. Was this Loic’s plan? Send the Anthir after her for being unlicensed?
“Sergeant Haraver.” Damien greeted her stiffly. “To what do I owe the delight of your presence?”
The sergeant stepped into the foyer light, illuminating an angular face and affable smile that inexplicably irked Ari. It was the kind of smile that was meant to be disarming, but only put her on edge as she watched, mostly concealed by the roses.
“A delight, Damien, really? I’d have never guessed. You flatter me.”
“Let me rephrase,” Damien said shortly. “What do you want, Talyana?”
Ari inhaled sharply. Talyana was the name of the girl that Mikira had been meeting. Surely she would have mentioned if she was friends with an Anthir sergeant?
Talyana descended the staircase, the constables a step behind. Loic emerged onto the balcony in her place, champagne flute in hand. His laughter was practically palpable in the air.
When Talyana stopped a few feet away, she said in quiet simplicity, “I’m going to arrest you.”
A line of tension ran through Damien like crackling ice. The clatter and noise of the party faded to a dull hum as Ari’s magic flared to life. It took all her control to resist the urge to let her power flood her and go to Damien’s aid. This was not a physical battle, and if she revealed herself, she’d only become a piece to be used against him.
Talyana’s lips quirked into a smile. “Well, you did say get to the point.”
