Page 208 of Silver Sweet

I’m not the biggest fan of pranks, especially after enduring Evening Glory’s obsession with them, but I think about Beckett and Charlie interrogating me in the elevator. Making me overturn my pockets. Shed my shoes. Pull up my sleeves. Maybe it’ll feel good to get a little harmless payback.

I tell Joana, “Hell fucking yes.”

48

TOM COBALT

“Iheard Audrey is dropping her big news tonight.” Eliot adjusts our 18-month-old baby niece on his hip. Maeve giggles, then tugs at strings running up the sleeves of his velvet Renaissance doublet—a linen shirt beneath. The gold Venetian mask on his head pushes back his wavy brown hair.

“It’s not bigger news than mine, dude.” I brush face paint across my jaw. We’re in the downstairs bathroom while I finish getting ready for dinner.

Since being on tour, I haven’t had the energy to attend a Wednesday dinner in costume—but I’m buzzing tonight. I can’t imagine sharing my news without the added dramatics.

Eliot’s blue eyes light up through the bathroom mirror. “Do tell, brother.”

“You don’t want to wait?”

“And hear your news with the peons? No.” He waves me onward, and Maeve catches his thumb. Eliot lets her practically cut off his circulation, not even flinching. For a baby, her grip strength is out of control.

I brush the final black line across my brow. Half my face is painted like a skeleton. I rotate to Eliot and announce, “Phoenix is my boyfriend.”

He has a thrilled grin. “Officially?”

“Yeah. We’re super official.”

Eliot grips my shoulders. “You have a boyfriend.”

“I have a boyfriend.” It’s a first for me, and it feels like I accomplished the hardest thing in the world. Finding someone worthy of this rare place in my heart.

Eliot grins. “Perfect. When I see him next, I’ll remind him that if he hurts you, I’ll kill him.”

“I think he got the message the first five times, dude.”

“Now that he’s your boyfriend, it’ll hit deeper.”

The door creaks open.Noooo.

Jane peers inside, her humongous smile pulling the dusting of freckles across her cheeks. “You have a boyfriend?” My older sister must have heightened senses like the seven cats she owns.

“Jane Eleanor,” I whisper-hiss, wrenching her farther into the bathroom. When I shut the door behind my sister, her blue tulle skirt snags in the doorjamb.

“Merde.” She says,shit,and rips the fabric away to free herself, uncaring about the damage to her wardrobe. She’s even losing white feathers from her fully feathered top.

I groan. “You weren’t supposed to hear that. The news was forlater.”

“Well, it met me early because I’m your wise, loving sister, and news just naturally travels to me first.” She steeples her fingers to her smile. “This boyfriend is Phoenix, I’m assuming.”

“No, it’s one of the other many male suitors at my door.”

“So Phoenix.”

“Most certainly Phoenix.” Eliot nods.

I scoff. “I have options. Okay. I’m not with Phoenix by default.”

“Of course not, brother. You could’ve been with anyone.”

“Thank you,” I emphasize deeply to Eliot.