ce been fluent in. Her fingers stumbled over a few transitions, but the melody

ar the footst

ded, and a voice-low, delib

u p

stil

his pocket, the other holding a glass of

said, slowly risi

n't ment

didn'

thing in his eyes flicker

rovise as a teenager. Make things up

was...

almost sounded like

Why do I feel like you'r

e room is soundproof

cause of secrets or bec

r, which she to

ow you had a

isted. It was m

someone like y

brow. "Everyone

t of his drink. "S

sk more, he was al

pi

n't interrupted her. Hadn't made a remark about ti

trolled everythin

n, Ivy was arguing

cream machine, we are

hie explo

by, gave her a look t

x i

his blender has a

vy

he kitchen, Ivy.' But when the machine start

tered something abo

the kitchen window-just in time to see Eli

... cont

frow

s ending or someon

own thoughts, partly because the house still felt like someone e

s-titles about power, legacy, law, biographies of m

ght her eye:

smir

e murmured, s

d-thin, folded paper wedged betw

lled i

lded

ano. Simple. Delicate. With

aph

st

the edges-but not ancient. Rece

s's

s Sera

wonder further,

aced the paper a

day. N

gic war between formal dining and actual conve

e head, Damien seated like he was abou

loudly, setting the sala

look up. Da

her a grate

the snake with a smile

ink. "As thrill

weird-adjustin

e wealth or

grinned

ce of roasted carro

"So, Elias, did you en

. "You we

ve a sixth sense for

ly choked o

yes lingered on Amira a momen

ra returned to

dimmer now, th

deliberately. Smooth,

eaked open again

od in the

not

ept p

en them said more

brushing past him gently, he didn't move. He j

oom, Amira cl

the d

sketch she'd

aph

had something to do wit

tended to fi

-