Chapter 6 #2
I was speaking with Juniper, who hadn’t made it through the First Trial but was more than her fair share of excited for me, when a hush fell over the crowd. I looked up—why was everyone staring at the front door?
An old man stood in the threshold, his opulent emerald cloak pooling upon the warped floor of my mother’s foyer.
His wizened eyes narrowed and gazed about the room.
When they fell upon me, his frown deepened, and he took two long strides into the room.
Someone followed behind him. He held his body straight, rigid, the excellent posture of the elite, but his eyes were downcast.
Dante didn’t even look up at me.
“Are you Adrian?” The old man’s voice boomed like thunder.
A group of women nearest him flinched away, scurrying from the room toward the kitchen.
My lips parted but my eyes caught on Dante.
He raised his gaze to meet mine, and I saw the warning there.
He gave the smallest shake of his head, jaw clenched.
But something about that goaded me, so I jutted my chin out and peered directly into the elder’s eyes.
“I am,” I said. My voice remained as calm and measured as I could manage. My mother stepped up behind me, her arm snaking around my own. Maurice was there as well, hovering just above my right shoulder. “And who are you?”
“I am Cosmo, reigning Patriarch of House Viper,” he announced, then paused for a beat as if we were supposed to bow or something. No one did. It seemed to sour his mood; his lip curled in clear disdain. “My grandson has informed me you have been linked.”
I glanced behind him again, at Dante. This time, his shoulders slumped and his gaze darkened. There was a sorrow there, so deep I couldn’t fathom it. But I felt it. It crashed against me like a wave, threatening to pull me under and tear me in two.
I stumbled and inhaled a sharp breath. I understood, this intrusion, this anger. My eyes narrowed as a rage of my own rose to meet Cosmo’s. I was unworthy. That was what he believed. Unsuitable to be linked with his grandson, undeserving to even touch the hem of his cloak.
“Welcome, Cosmo of House Viper,” my mother interjected. She strode forward and patted him kindly on the arm, smiling. To anyone else, her tone would have seemed warm, friendly even. But I heard the contempt hidden there, the masked, unadulterated hatred. “We are honored to have you.”
Cosmo’s gaze darted to where my mother’s hand rested, his upper lip curling up in disgust. He peered around as if noticing for the first time that there was, indeed, a party taking place around him. He let out a slight hmph and turned back to my mother.
“I’ll need to take the girl for training.”
Again, my eyes flicked to Dante’s. The silent warning remained, but I kept my chin high and my voice steady as I responded.
“No.”
Cosmo raised a brow, turning toward me. “I beg your pardon?”
“You aren’t taking me anywhere. Not without my consent.”
“The officers of the Fellowship rarely ask for consent,” he threatened, waving a hand as if bored by my resistance.
“Particularly when ordered by a member of the Tribunal, such as myself. I’d hoped you would be intelligent enough to see the rationality in my offer, as well as the honor bestowed upon you by my retrieving you myself.
But if you would rather do this the hard way—”
“Go to hell,” I snapped.
The already silent atmosphere thickened. My mother stared between me and the stranger, wide eyed, lips parting in surprise. Maurice frowned as he looked between us as well. Cosmo’s upper lip twitched in irritation. He opened his mouth to speak and Warren stepped forward.
“She’s not going anywhere with you.”
His voice reflected the fury I felt. The rage was surprising, coming from my normally more mild-mannered brother, but in his easy disrespect, I stepped forward, grateful for his support. I clenched my fists at my sides and glanced briefly over to Dante, who remained frustratingly silent.
“Excuse me?” Cosmo looked Warren up and down, recognition lighting his expression like a flame. “I know you…”
“She isn’t going with you,” my brother repeated. “Not while I live and breathe.”
“Warren,” my mother gasped, but he ignored her.
No one moved as my brother and the Viper elder stared one another down.
“How ironic,” Cosmo commented—and Warren lunged.
“Stop!” My mother shrieked, but Maurice had beaten her to it. He stood beside me, arms wrapped around Warren’s, holding him back as he snarled and spat a string of curses that made my mother blush and the women around her turn their attentions to their cups.
I gaped at him as well. I’d never heard such profanity spew from my brother’s mouth, nor seen such pure hatred in his eyes. Even Maurice, who still held him at bay, seemed just as stunned as the rest of us, gazing down at our middle brother as though he didn’t recognize him.
“Rabid dogs, the lot of them,” Cosmo murmured under his breath.
Behind him, Dante stiffened.
“Come, girl,” Cosmo called easily, ignoring the mounting tension in the room. He whipped around on his heels and strode from the house, Dante following after one final glance back at us—at me. “I won’t offer again.”
The spell House Viper had put on the party only wore off a few seconds after the door had swung shut behind them.
Women moved forward to help my mother clear away the food and decorations, men shuffled toward the door, and everyone avoided looking at me or Warren, who was finally shaking free of Maurice’s hold.
Our oldest brother raised his hands in surrender and backed away.
Please, Adrian, Dante’s voice came into my mind unbidden. My grandfather isn’t a man to upset.
I bristled. I don’t care how upset he is.
Adrian, think about this. The more time we have to practice, the better we’ll be and the higher our chances of passing the next Trial.
His cold, hard logic made me see red, but I couldn’t ignore the rationale.
I looked from Warren, who was shaking his head and storming out of the room, to Maurice, who watched him go with an expression even more morose than usual, to my mother, who chatted happily with a few of the woman who’d remained to help clean up despite the uneasiness in her rigid posture, and my heart ached.
I can’t just leave them, I replied, sending him a taste of the desperation from deep within me.
If we do this right, you’ll be doing more for them than they can even dream.
He was right. And I hated him for it.
I hated Cosmo for his vain superiority complex. I hated Maurice for holding Warren back. I hated my mother for throwing the stupid party. But most of all, I hated the Geist for stealing Darius and causing all of this in the first place.
I exhaled.
Give me a minute, I shot back before turning back to my family to say my goodbyes.