Chapter 10
Elias
Icaught the eye of a woman in gray near the door and tipped my head toward the patio. She moved, following quietly after us as we left the ballroom.
Maryn’s hand was tight in mine as she led us outside. I watched the loose tendrils of her hair flying wildly in the soft breeze as we stepped out onto a patio lit only by dim string lights. It was almost romantic.
She released my hand. “All those cameras and the eyes. I just… needed air.”
I reached forward to steady her, but she held up a hand.
I let it fall.
She inhaled slowly.
When she’d asked me to come outside with her, I'd followed without thinking. But perhaps she just didn’t want to come outside alone. The optics would be bad if any other man had followed her out.
“I’ll give you some space.”
“No. It’s just—” she paced away from me, her skirts sparkling when she moved.
My gaze lingered on her hips, waiting for the next reveal of those hidden gems.
She faced me again. “It's cruel,” she said. “Making us wait like that.”
I leaned against the wall, taking in her blotchy chest and its unsteady rise and fall. I had thought about it. It was the reason I hadn’t read their scores aloud. But dancing with each of them, lining them up to await their sentence. They didn’t deserve it.
I dipped my chin. “I see.”
She looked at me, eyes searching mine.
I straightened, pushing off the wall.
“Wait. Elias.” She laced her hands behind her back. “I don’t mean to sound ungrateful. I am—”
“Maryn.” I closed the space between us. “You were right. I didn’t realize how hard this must be on you.” I tugged her hands from behind her back, lacing them in mine. “Thank you… for being honest with me.”
I meant it. That was the problem. August had told me to get rid of her and I had spent a week telling myself he was right.
She was from the Middle. Elite men didn't marry girls from the Middle.
So why did one look from her, those damning gray eyes that saw everything, have me questioning our whole way of life?
“Come on. I’m sure your friend is waiting. Even I can’t protect your reputation if we spend too much time out here.”
She nodded again, letting me pull her back into the party.
I deposited her beside her friend, making her promise to go home and get some rest. Then I turned, searching for Micah in the crowd.
“When do I get my moment alone with you?”
I stiffened, turning to face Sera. “It wasn’t what it looked like.”
“It looked like you were spending more time with one girl than the rest of us.” Sera lifted an ungloved hand and ran a nail down my coat, circling the button before she jabbed my chest. “And I wouldn’t want to have to tell Daddy you weren’t playing fair.”
I scanned the room. She’d selected our spot carefully, and the only person in earshot was her cousin Lydia. Since they told each other everything, it hardly mattered.
“I did everything your father asked of me. I chose you first, I asked your cousin.”
Lydia’s head jerked toward us.
“But we both know how this ends.”
Sera watched me, her long nail circling my button several times.
“We’ll see.” She turned, flipping her hair over her shoulder and moving to lose herself in her circle of friends.
I ground my teeth together, ducking into an alcove before another of the girls could find me.
It wasn’t that I didn’t want to see them, to spend time with them.
Truly, each woman I had selected had a special quality that I looked forward to learning more about.
Apart from the Cannons. But I was tired, and my ribs ached.
I wanted a hot shower and to sleep until noon.
“Hey, you.”
I bit down on my groan and smiled at Mara. She was genuinely the sweetest of the girls, and it would be unkind not to spend a little time with her tonight.
“Hey, Mara. How are you enjoying the ball?”
She dropped onto the cushion beside me, her wide smile infectious.
I should have found her a chaperone, but I didn't have the energy.
“It’s the most beautiful party I’ve ever been to.”
I grinned. “Wait till you see next week’s venue. I picked it with you in mind.”
Her eyes sparkled, and I leaned forward to drink in her genuine goodness. There wasn’t enough of it in the world.
She slid her leg forward, and it bumped mine.
I glanced down.
“It’s late.”
She slid her foot back, tucking it behind her ankle. “Okay. See you next week?”
I nodded, standing and holding out a hand. She took it and pulled me into a hug. “Whatever else happens, thank you for tonight.”
I lingered in the hug for a beat before leaning back. “Find your chaperone, get home safe.”
She released me, stepping out of my alcove and turning back to smile once more before disappearing into the room.
Outside, I exhaled a breath in the cool night air and moved toward Micah, already standing beside the car.
***
My coat was unbuttoned and off before I made it through the door. My shoes echoed on the tile as I crossed the foyer, setting my tablet on the table by the entrance.
“Elias, darling, is that you?”
“Mom?” She was propped against the wall, waiting like she had when I came home too late as a kid. “What are you doing up so late?”
She held out a hand, and I took it. “I want to hear about my son’s first Rite ball.”
A soft smile touched her lips, and we moved to the living room, sinking onto the couch together.
“I wanted to be there.” She squeezed my hand. “But your father had a lot of work tonight.”
She held out her hands. “Tell me everything.”
“It wasn’t… what I expected.”
“No?”
“One of my matches is just so different from what I expected. And…” I shook my head. The words that came next were ones I'd never say outside this room. “It’s not very fair. How they’re treated during the Rite.”
She nodded. “I know, darling. It’s a good thing men like you exist to fix it.”
I looked down. “I'm trying.”
I just wasn't sure I knew how.