Chapter 5
One proposal, and my entire life was shifting at a rapid speed.
The house I’d grown up in would no longer be my home.
A week from the fateful dinner, and I would move to the Triton Estate, since I’d been handed off to them like a prizewinning cow, all for a share in the orichalcum trade.
My father and mother were thrilled, but not for me.
Simply that their income would increase.
I packed up the rest of the things I wanted to take with me, which was less than I’d believed given that I’d grown up in this estate my entire life.
Some clothes I’d grown attached to, a handful of comics I’d been gifted, my collection of notebooks with drawings that hadn’t been confiscated.
However, my parents had chosen and restricted so many of my belongings, of my life, that I didn’t have the same attachment to the paintings on the walls I hadn’t chosen, the wardrobe they’d curated, the books on my shelf they’d deemed worthy.
No, more of my soul remained at Jason’s house, where he stored my art in his studio alongside his own.
I’d packed the basics into boxes over the past week, and they were to be delivered separately. However, today, someone was coming to pick me up to take me to the Triton Estate.
Arielle had seemed thrilled—at least based on the show she put on during the engagement—yet I couldn’t shake the dread that followed me like a cloak.
The Triton family didn’t feel like they’d be drastically different from my parents.
Just more cool, reserved distance from a society I’d never melded with.
“Your chauffeur is here,” my mother stated at the entrance of my room. Like always, her dark hair was pinned back, her attire pressed and neat. Her lips were pressed together in a firm, unyielding line.
My stomach dropped. Right. “I guess this is goodbye?”
She lifted a hand to her mouth and lightly laughed. “How dramatic, Elrich. We’ll be over for dinners, and likewise, the Triton family will attend ours.”
I swallowed hard, trying to ignore the stinging in my eyes. I’d shed enough tears for a lifetime hoping and wishing for their love. And yet, part of me still hoped. Still wished this might be an emotional parting on her end. That she might show some shred of caring for me.
My mother gestured toward the hall. “We can’t leave them waiting.”
“Is Angus around?” I asked, my chest tight.
My mother shook her head. “He had a business meeting that couldn’t be avoided. You know how busy it gets over at Albatross.”
Boot to the gut. Not only did my mother not care, but my father hadn’t given enough of a damn to even be here. Maybe I wouldn’t be as invisible somewhere else. Maybe this would be a good move.
Right.
“I’ll miss you,” I offered, even though those words tangled with confusing emotions. I missed parents I didn’t think ever existed—not in Angus and Mina.
My mother’s pinched lips formed a quasi-smile, and she nodded. No touch, no reaching out. Simply a nod. “Do us proud.”
I strode down the stairs, faster, as if I could run past the feelings trying to tug me under like the tide. At the bottom of the steps waited the last person I expected.
The cecaelia from the night of the dinner.
Today, they wore another trimmed vest along with arm wraps, their pale, smooth skin on clear display. Their silver hair was coiffed, their jawline sharp, the ridge of their nose the noble sort that demanded attention. They had magnetic, compelling eyes that made me shiver. I stopped mid-stride.
“I’ve been relegated to fetching you,” they said dryly, arching an elegant brow. Their lips twisted into a wry grin.
“I’m guessing you have better things on your agenda?” I asked, even though my limbs trembled. This was it.
I was leaving.
“I’m one of the top lawyers in Peregrine City, so you tell me.” A cool competence to their words belied what they said, and I couldn’t help but be intrigued. Why were they the one picking me up, then? Ursuline tipped their head in the direction of the door. “We need to get moving along, though.”
“Right.” I turned around to say goodbye to my mother.
She wasn’t there anymore.
Her disappearance slammed into me. Bad enough my father couldn’t be bothered, but my mother was here, and she wouldn’t even see me off in the end. That parting…well, that had been it.
I swallowed the lump in my throat and strode up to where Ursuline waited for me. Their sharp gaze skimmed over me, and they cast an errant glance toward the steps, as if they thought I might have a soul to say goodbye to. If only. When silence responded, they took their cue.
They shuffled outside, and I followed, bringing the door closed behind me.
Leaving my old life behind.
Bitterness corroded my insides at what awaited me, at what I’d been forced into.
Arielle wasn’t repulsive by any means, and I’d enjoyed talking to her at dinner before my father pushed my hand.
However, I wasn’t in love with her. No chemistry existed between us, none of the elusive sparks I’d always longed for.
Ursuline strolled up to a sleek silver car with a wider frame and unlocked it. They settled into the driver’s seat, which fascinated me, since a lot of the cars weren’t designed to cater to monster specifications. At least none I was aware of.
I sank into the passenger’s seat and heaved out a sigh as I stared up at the ceiling. Gods, my heart hurt.
And I’d have to plaster on a false face, pretend everything was okay the second I stepped into the Triton Estate.
“Have you eaten today?” Ursuline asked, the low timbre of their voice snapping me out of my thoughts.
My stomach rumbled on cue, because I hadn’t. Between nerves and a forever daydreaming mind, food had been the last thing on my agenda.
“Right, we’re going to make a stop before we show up at the estate.” They turned to the right and hopped onto one of the main streets leading deeper into Peregrine City.
Gratitude flushed through me. I hadn’t been sure how the hell I’d compose myself before arriving at my new home, and the fact Ursuline was buying me extra time meant a lot right now.
Considering they’d just mentioned how busy they were, I had the feeling they extended a kindness, one I’d willingly take.
“How long have you worked with the Triton Estate?” I asked.
“Long enough,” they answered, a darkness to their tone.
The elegant arch of their nose, those firm lips held a solidness I craved right now, with how out to sea I felt.
They turned on music, and deep, pulsing synth poured from the speakers, which seemed to fit them.
In close proximity like this, I caught their scent, a slight hint of brine and cedar, like being on a ship in the middle of the ocean, with the undercurrent of something sweet.
“Do you like being a lawyer?” The second the question left my lips, I wanted to swallow it back. They didn’t seem to be the conversation type, yet here I was bothering them.
Their lips twitched, a flash of humor that surprised me. “Are you always this chatty?”
“Personality flaw, I suppose,” I said, heat flushing through me.
“I never said I minded,” they responded in the same calm tone, a spark in their eyes.
Comfort rushed through me at the acceptance.
I was so used to apologizing for every misstep, everything that didn’t live up to the Durand name, that finding someone who didn’t mind gave me such relief.
“As to being a lawyer, I’m certain no one enters the field unwittingly.
I like detail work, and I like puzzles, and this career allows me to indulge in both. ”
“I’ve never heard of being a lawyer described like that,” I responded, curiosity sweeping in.
A livelihood like that existed so far out of my skill set, though most careers in the business sector had been.
My parents had tried and tried and tried until they finally sold me off in exchange for shares in orichalcum, I presumed.
The truth settled sour in my gut, ruining my appetite.
“And what do you do, Elrich?” The rich, low way they said my name sent a shiver through me.
I licked my lips, trying to focus on their question rather than how my body perked up. “Nothing of use.” Shame, an old familiar friend, filtered over me.
“I’m not asking for your job or title,” they responded. “In your free time, what do you like to do?”
They slowed down in front of Haven Diner, the neon sign in view.
My heart sped up a little. I’d never been to this part of the city before.
While monsters and humans coexisted in Peregrine City, both tended to dwell in different sectors.
Haven Diner had a reputation for being a sanctuary, particularly for monsters of all walks.
Though, Ursuline was a cecaelia, so of course they wouldn’t think twice about going here.
“Art,” I burst out, realizing I’d never answered. “Uh, painting, drawing, murals, that sort of thing.”
“The world needs more artists,” Ursuline said, passing me a wan smile.
The curve of their generous lips, how their dark eyes soaked in every detail—I couldn’t stop watching them.
And those words—my heart bloomed over them.
I’d grown so used to the usual condemnation of the arts the Durand family delivered.
“I’m glad you think so,” was all I managed to say, my mind whirling. My fingers itched to sketch out a few lines. Maybe I could ask for a pen or pencil and get the impulse out on a napkin.
“Come on,” Ursuline said, cracking the car door open. “Haven’s got the best food in town.”
My legs trembled as I rose, the weight of these changes crashing over me.
Heading into a new life, away from everything I knew.
Marrying someone I’d just met. Everything about this situation made my stomach churn, but when I glanced up, Ursuline’s steady gaze remained on me.
They stared, a quiet solidity to them that I couldn’t help but be drawn to.
I swallowed hard and followed them up the walkway to Haven.