Page 48 of Rituals & Rivalry

“You never embarrass me.”

Typical golden child.

I roll my eyes playfully. “We’re looking around. Business things.”

He blinks. “Business?”

“Yup.” I lift my shoulders. “Sterling needs my help with event planning. He couldn’t do it without me.”

Sterling’s expression flattens. “You’re a terror.”

“I know. You love it.” I pluck at the front of his shirt, leading him through the shop.

“It’s nice seeing you,” Sterling says to Luke.

Why is he so polite to everyone except me? Ass.

Truthfully, we’re not here to browse. Sterling seems to think he can find a book on astrological magic I haven’t already read, and I’m here to prove him wrong. It won’t look too odd to Luke when we slink off in that area. Sterling groans and squats down, inspecting the titles nearest to the ground.

“Read this one already,” I say, my fingers skimming over the spines. “Read this one too. Oh, I read that one when I was five. You know, I didn’t think you were actually the nerdy type—like the type whose all knowledge is power, blah blah blah.”

“What about this?” he asks, ignoring everything I’ve said.

I glance at the cover. “Duh. My dad helped write that one. And no, he wasn’t above putting his own books on the required reading list. Quite the ego on that one.”

Even though I mean to sound bitter, it comes off more as fond. I miss my dad and all of his self-importance. Everything about him, even the bad bits, would be welcome these days.

Maybe it would be good to revisit his words, but I can’t, and I haven’t since he left me. He’s gone. He can’t help. Why bother?

“Oh.” The tips of Sterling’s ears turn pink, and he puts the book back on the shelf. “I take it you don’t particularly like reading?”

“I do. Sometimes. Like… smutty romance books about aliens. Not dry textbooks written by ancient men.”

“What about one by a woman?” He stands up, holding a book. “This one came out last year. Have you read it?’

Even though I haven’t answered the question, he looks triumphant, dangling the book in front of my face. Of course, I haven’t read it. I’ve barely been keeping up with any new literature regarding my family’s niche magic.

I snatch it from him and open it. “Ah. I can’t read this one. She was my dad’s, like, academic nemesis.”

“And?”

“And…” It would be betraying him, but it’s not like we have a lot of options, and I don’t think my father would actually be petty enough to stop me from reading her book. I bite my lip. “Okay, whatever, but I’m not buying it.”

He stares at me flatly. “You’re making me buy your book.”

“I didn’t say that.” I hold the book out to him. “Just that I’m not buying it. This is about family loyalty, Sterling. I’m a loyal person. You would know that if we were friends.”

“I’ll have to take your word for it.”

To my delight, he takes the book, pays for it, and when I ask, he adds a bar of chocolate to the purchase.

Excellent.

The sun has set by the time we’re leaving the shop, casting a blue hue over the streets of Starbrook. I shiver and step closer to Sterling as he leads the way.

“Should have worn a coat,” he says. “I told you.”

“Whatever.”