Page 23 of Gods of Prey
The Lancaster Tech charity gala is being held at the Seattle Art Museum; the grand lobby transformed with twinkling lights and elaborate floral arrangements that would make the nymphs of Aurelys jealous. I’ve been to countless divine celebrations, but there’s something charmingabout the way mortals try to create magic with their limited resources.
I scan the room, looking for Sebastian among the crowd of Seattle’s elite. Instead, I spot Jovie, stunning in a deep green gown that complements her light hair and Sebastian’s eyes. A gold, heart-shaped necklace hangs around her neck and catches the light in such an odd way, it almost looks like it’s glowing. She’s laughing with an older couple, her hand resting on the bar beside her where Sebastian should be.
Before I can approach, I feel a presence at my elbow.
“Mr. Revel Seravelle, isn’t it?”
I turn to find my friend standing next to me, two champagne flutes in hand. He offers me one, which I accept with a nod. He looks exactly like himself and nothing like himself at once. Same dark hair and striking green eyes that mirror Sienna’s. But there’s a hardness to him in this form. A shrewdness in his gaze that the carefree God of Life never possessed.
“Mr. Lancaster,” I greet him, ignoring that I never offered my last name when he and Jovie invited me to the event. Instead, I busy my lips with taking a sip of the champagne and mutter, “Impressive event.”
“We wanted something special for Sienna,” he shrugs, and I ignore the pang in my chest at the polarity of how familiar it feels for him to utter his sister’s name, yet how odd that he's referring to her mortal life.
“Yes, about that . . . I did some research on Lancaster Tech after we met. I had no idea you were related to Sienna Lancaster, nor that she had a brother.”
His brows shoot up skeptically. “You knew her?”
“Briefly, yes. We were friends when I first moved to New York.” I decided last night that I would spin the story about knowing her as a way to earn his trust. Surely, if Sienna trusted me, he should realize there’s no reason for him not to as well.
But the look on his face tells me that may have been a miscalculation, and I’m wondering if I know my friend at all. “Interesting.”
In an attempt to lighten the mood, I switch subjects. “I’m impressed with your company’s recent work with regenerative medicine. Quite a turnaround from the software tech you were doing before,” I say conversationally, which isn’t entirely a lie. His company now focusing on extending human lifespans has a certain poetry to it.
“Regenerative medicine,” he repeats slowly, studying me over the rim of his glass. “And what exactly is your background in the field, Mr. Seravelle? I’ve had trouble finding information about you.”
Direct attack. I’ve prepared for this.
“I’ve worked mostly overseas. Private research, very exclusive circles.” I smile, letting a hint of divine knowledge seep into my gaze. “Your work on cellular regeneration reminds me of techniques used in eastern healing traditions. Ancient knowledge meeting modern science.”
Something flickers in his eyes—a brief moment of recognition, quickly suppressed. Sebastian is still in there, buried under layers of mortal identity.
“You speak as if you’ve studied these ancient techniques firsthand,” he says carefully.
“Some knowledge feels like memory, doesn’t it?” I respond, watching his reaction closely. “As if we’ve carried it through multiple lifetimes.”
His jaw tightens, and for a moment, I think I’ve pushed too far. Then Jovie appears beside him, slipping her arm through his.
“There you are! I’ve been looking everywhere.” She turns her warm smile to me. “I’m glad to see you made it, Mr....” Herwords die off in question, a sheepish smile crossing her lips as it becomes clear she can’t remember my name.
She clearly hasn’t been looking into my identity as hard as her husband.
“Revel Seravelle,” I say, taking her offered hand. Up close, I can see what captivated the God of Life so completely. There’s a luminescence to her that’s rare in mortals, an almost divine quality in her smile.
“Yes, Revel.” She nods, pointing her finger to her temple as if she’s committing it to memory. “That’s right.”
“Revel was just telling me about his interest in our regenerative medicine projects,” Sebastian says, his arm tightening around Jovie’s waist possessively.
“Oh, you should come tour the labs sometime,” Jovie offers immediately, earning a sharp look from Sebastian that she either doesn’t notice or chooses to ignore. “I help manage the research division. Well, I do a lot of the paperwork for it while our geniuses handle the research.” I don’t miss the insecurity in her tone, nor do I miss the tightness in Sebastian’s eyes at the sound of it. “We’re doing fascinating work.”
Who could have guessed he’d choose a woman with such humility?
“I’d love that,” I reply, genuinely impressed by her openness despite Sebastian’s obvious distrust.
He opens his mouth to interject when his phone buzzes.
“Everything okay?” Jovie asks when he checks it, frowning slightly.
“Just work,” he dismisses, but I notice the concern etched in his features. The mortal world pulling at his attention, keeping him anchored here.
