Page 9 of Quiet Burn

“Hey, guys! Do you not check your phones? Sheesh.”

I blink as I pull back, looking at the twitchy kitsune as he comes down the stairs in a huff. “What’s the problem, Zav?”

“Jasper says they’re going to start talking games during the lunch periods. Get in here—now.”

Once again, the Prince of Pain manages to ruin a moment—it’s like he has a sixth sense for this shit.

By the timeKit and I reach the big table, I can tell Jasper’s stressed as fuck. He’s clenching his hands on his silverware as if he’s going to stab the next person that aggravates him. Not a good sign, in my opinion, but lately, the prince is impossible to catch in a decent mood. His eyes narrow as I get Kit settled, then flick to the crowds.

He’s checking to see if they’re noting that this time, I’m the one helping our newest member.

“Oriel, leave the runt here while you fetch the food.”

I roll my eyes, giving Zav alook, but the kitsune shrugs. Maybe Jasper’s worried about appearancesandthe trials. He certainly seems more tense than he was after he formulated the plans for this week. “Got it, boss,” I say drily.

“Don’t be a pain in the ass,” he mutters as I turn to leave. “Remember what we discussed.”

As if I could forget that ridiculous meeting by the next afternoon.

I shake my head ruefully wishing I had more than the wishy-washy gamer to support me. Zav is definitely sorry and I think he’s going to make up for his dumbassery, but standing up to Jasper will take time. It’s a lot easier to get him to back off when there’s a full caliphate present. Sighing to myself, I trudge over to the food service area and scan what’s on the menu. None of itis as appealing as what our personal chef would make, but I see a few things that will do.

Filling two plates with meats and savory vegetables, I pause as I hit the dessert area. I have no idea if Kit has allergies to anything, especially since Hell has its own flora and fauna, but I know Salem said he loved crunkleberries. I grab a huge piece of crunkleberry cobbler topped with loads of black Underworld cow whipped cream and sparkling dark Fae dust. It looks girly as shit, but it’s delicious, so I think he’ll like it. I swipe two pieces of pitch black chocolate silence cake for myself, then move to the drink station.

My hackles raise as I catch the whispers floating through the air. Lower demons are wondering which of us Kit is fucking, while the mid-levels are more interested in what the deal with the Games is. I whip up a couple of iced mochas and two glasses of water, listening for the upper tier rumor mill carefully.

They’re the ones who are the most dangerous if they don’t buy our story.

“I heard he’s working his way to the top the hard way—if you get my drift.”

Covering a snort, I duck my head as I continue eavesdropping on one of the court tables. They’re all so criminally easy to manipulate because they’re so desperate to be part of the in-crowd. It would shock every damn one of them that Kit could a give a fuck less about Jasper, and activelytriesto avoid the prince at all costs. He’s certainly not being friendly with the rest of us to get Jasper’s approval.

“Morons,” I mutter to myself as I turn and head back towards our table. It won’t be too long until Anton joins us, so I hopewhatever bullshit the admin is going to trot out doesn’t happen until he’s here.

When I get to our spot, I put the tray in front of me, off-loading Kit’s half before I even touch mine. Demons can be quite old fashioned about courtship and all seven of us were raised with the appropriate behavior drilled into our skulls by our families’ tutors. He looks at me curiously, then at his plate.

“Does this dessert thing have the mouth-party berries in it?” His eyes widen as a broad grin takes over his face. “I’ve beendyingfor more of those!”

Score one for the crow—it helps to notice shit from the shadows.

“Crunkleberries? Yes. The cream is a delicacy, too, and very rich. Maybe be?—”

Before I can warn him, he digs into the sweet treat, ignoring the rest of the tray as he groans softly. A flare of energy sweeps over our table and my eyes jerk to Zav and Jasper. They’re watching Kit as intently as I am, and I decide my earlier statement isn’t true. Perhaps theyareas interested as everyone else, but they’re too fucking stunted to figure out what to do about it.

The chitter of the kinkajou brings me out of my reverie and I look at the creature giving me an awfully skeptical expression for an animal. That damn thing isdefinitelymagical, but I haven’t quite worked out how yet. My knowledge of familiars is limited because they’re rare, but one of the Fae casters at home has a bloodbird familiar. I need to send her an email to ask a few questions about their origins and what types of hybrids and supes attract them.

“Oriel? Are you with us?” Zavida says, his voice edged with strain.

Damn. I spaced again. This being social shit is harder than I imagined.

“Yes, yes.” I wave my hands as I put my focus on the prince and the kitsune. “I’m here; I was just… noodling a few things. There’s a lot going on and even more we don’t know. Thinking about shit is how we find inconsistencies we might be able to use to our advantage.”

“This isn’t finding a flaw in a security system, O,” Jasper says with a frown. “I know thinking is the ‘go-to’ for you and Zav, but…”

Kit clears his throat, looking up with a face full of berries, cream, sparkling dust, and zero self-awareness. “I dunno, Prince Asshole. Thinking is something you guys don’t do often enough.”

No one says a word as we all stare, and after a minute, I grab my napkin. Kit looks surprised when I turn his head, but he lets me clean the mess off of him before it short-circuits every brain cell at the table. The sight is both adorable and hot at the same time; I know those two have no idea what the actual fuck to do with the image.

“There. Now we can take you seriously.” I grin and let go, allowing him to pull back with a cough. “Go on, Kit. Tell us what you really think.”

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