Page 32 of The Light Within

The café was quiet, like Auri in general—every sane person was home for the holiday. Scanning the space, Julien lamented his choice. The staff had done exactly the same as last year—that silly gimmick where they’d dusted each table with never-melting snow. Did they not understand that people came into their establishment to getawayfrom ice?

After ordering sandwiches, they sat down with drinks, Julien holding his so the snow didn’t immediately cool it.

“I had expected young Cinnamon Saunders to join us today, as I had proposed.”

Here we go.Off to a stellar start.

“Contrary to your belief, father, you do not run the world.”

There was no way in hell Julien could put Cinn through another round of their tense exchanges and live to tell the tale. So Julien had deposited him en route, safe and snug in their library study room, to be collected when the coast was clear.

His father’s cool grimace tightened with restrained irritation.

Play nice, Julien. One lunch, then you’ve got three days in London with Cinn, and noPèrefor at least half a year,he promised himself.

“He had some errands to run,” Julien said. “Apparently, one pack of ten Christmas cards wasn’t enough.” He shuddered.

“How is he? I heard he was hospitalised after the attack, unconscious for nearly a week.”

“Mmmm.” Julien sipped the heavenly coffee. He was restricted to instant at Cinn’s house and was barely functioning because of it.

“He was reportedly seen suspended in mid-air, enveloped almost entirely by an umbraphage.”

“Yes.”

“But he had no visible wounds, no lacerations to speak of. He wasn’t infected with any contaminant? Am I correct?”

Julien studied his father.

This was a lot of questions about Cinn’s health, coming from a man who barely cared when Béatrice broke her arm.

“The team surrounding him, including Albert Noir, were prepared for him never to awaken. Yet, miraculously, he did. His vitals made a full recovery mere hours later.” His father seemed more animated than usual, leaning forward as if Julien were on the precipice of revealing some great secret.

“How did you get access to his confidential medical records?”

His father blinked and took a moment, running a hand through his neatly trimmed grey beard. “No, no, this is all mere gossip, of course,” he dismissed with a wave of his hand. “Just hearsay, circulating through the grapevine and such.”

“Right.”

“But you two are still quite close, aren’t you? You certainly seemed so during my birthday weekend.”

Julien suppressed a smirk.If only you knew.

His father appeared to choose his words carefully, maintaining eye contact as he inquired, “Would he be interested in assisting with a little project of mine? Of course, we would highly compensate him for his time.”

“What? What project? WhyCinn?” The words came out sharp, laced with obvious suspicion.

“Something that Jonathan Steele is personally overseeing.”

Julien shook his head. “I work for MEET. I have a broad overview of each and every project and product.”

“Not this one.”

They locked eyes in a silent battle.

The sandwiches arrived, giving Julien precious seconds to measure his words. Something was afoot, and he needed the information. “How could Cinn possibly be of assistance?”

Every muscle in his body tensed as his father’s eyes crinkled in a calculated smile.

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