Page 18 of Gods of Prey
Jovie, ever the friendly one, smiles up at Revel. “There’s an amazing Thai place two blocks east. We order from there all the time.”
“I’m Revel,” he extends his hand to Jovie first. Smart move. She’s the easier target.
“Jovie,” she shakes his hand warmly. “And this is Bash.”
My brother reluctantly offers his hand. “Sebastian Lancaster.” He gives his full name as a clear message that he isn’t friendly.
The moment their hands touch, I see Sebastian flinch almost imperceptibly. Something passes between them—recognition, perhaps, buried deep in my brother’s subconscious. Revel feels it too. I can tell by the slight widening of his eyes.
“Nice to meet you both,” Revel says smoothly, covering the moment. “I won’t interrupt your morning any further.”
“Where did you move from?” Jovie asks, ignoring Sebastian’s subtle head shake. She was always too trusting.
“New York,” Revel replies with perfect casualness. “Needed a change of scenery.”
Sebastian’s eyes narrow fractionally. “Interesting coincidence. We’ve relocated from New York ourselves. Recently.”
Shit. He should have come up with somewhere else.
“Well, it’s a small world,” Revel says with a smile that doesn’t quite reach his eyes.
“Certainly is,” my brother agrees, his tone carrying a warning even he doesn’t fully understand.
I drift closer to their table, unable to help myself. Being near him has always been my natural state, in every lifetime. His eyes flicker briefly toward me—not seeing, but sensing something. The twin bond never truly breaks, even across the veil between Life and Death.
“If you’re new to the area, you should come to this charity event we’re hosting next weekend,” Jovie offers, countering Sebastian’s sharp glance with one of her own that’s equally unsettling. “He owns Lancaster Tech, a tech firm just up the street. We’re hosting our first fundraiser for medical research.”
“Medical research?” Revel raises an eyebrow, glancing momentarily in my direction though he can’t see me.
“My sister was in medical school,” Sebastian says stiffly. “Before she died.” He adds the last part in a harsh tone as a warning not to press any further, but I can hear the hurt lacing his words.
The pain makes me wish, fleetingly, that I could touch him. Comfort him as I had so many times before.
“I’m sorry for your loss,” Revel says, and I’m surprised by the genuine sympathy in his voice.
“Thank you,” Sebastian replies automatically, then checks his watch. “We should go, Jovie. Board meeting in twenty.”
As they gather their things, Jovie writes something on a napkin and hands it to Revel. “The address and the event details. Hope to see you there.”
Sebastian doesn’t look pleased, but he says nothing as they leave. Once they’re gone, Revel sits at their vacated table and takes a sip of his drink.
“You can appear now,” he murmurs. “They’re gone.”
I materialize in the chair Jovie vacated, visible only to him. “He sensed something.”
“I know.” Revel frowns. “There’s still more of Sebastian in there than I expected.”
“And you didn’t exactly make a stellar first impression,” I point out agitatedly. “He’s suspicious already.”
“Your brother has always been suspicious. Even as a god.” Revel tucks the napkin into his pocket. “But Jovie likes me.”
“Jovie likes everyone.” I lean forward. “What was that moment when you shook hands? I saw you both react.”
Revel is quiet for a moment, staring into his coffee. “For a second, I felt Aurelys in him. Like touching sunlight.” He looks up at me. “He’s still in there, Sienna. The God of Life is still inside him.”
Despite everything, relief floods through me. “Then there’s hope.”
“There’s always hope where life is concerned,” he says with infuriating confidence.
