Page 106 of House of Pain
If Blaze hadn’t known Alecto’s family since he was a child, he would have been surprised to find the Black residence so warm and airy from only knowing Alecto at Venefica.
The moment the door to his carriage opened, the salty, cool air greeted his nostrils, the ocean wrapping itself around him.
He made his way inside, walking the rounded white stone path that reminded him of the stony beaches he used to visit with his mom when he was a child. The Blacks’ residence stood on the edge of a cliff overlooking the ocean, and it was all warm shades of beige and earthy brown.
Totally different from Alecto’s room at the House with all black walls and ceilings and dark wood furniture that dated back to when neither of them was alive.
Following the stream of people down the airy corridor, Blaze strolled into their ballroom at the end of the house, with huge windows opening the view to the ocean down the cliff.
Thousands of firebirds were trapped in glass jars floating around the ceiling, thick green and rust ivy vines wrapped around the tall columns holding up the ceiling, trailing around the edges of windows, and a massive white oak fireplace was in the center of the main wall.
Blaze inhaled, tasting the cozy atmosphere on his tongue.
It was a delightful place, where nothing bad seemed to happen. Where the kids were safe and taken care of and had a happy space to come back to.
Nothing like Blaze’s home.
Blaze’s eyes locked with his father’s on the other side of the room, his weakling of a mother hanging prettily off his arm, dressed in an airy white gown that once again accentuated her lean shoulders.
Blaze’s stomach twisted, and he turned away, stopping a passing Crahen with a tray to grab a drink. He lifted the glass to inspect the black liquid inside, a large strawberry sitting on the rim.
“What the fuck is this shit?” he muttered.
“It’s tonight’s special drink, Blazy,” a voice drawled from behind. “As black as your soul. I thought you might like it.”
Blaze whirled to find Andro standing there, a wide grin plastered on his brown face. Tonight, he wore a bright red suit over his black turtleneck, and his long dreadlocks were neatly pushed back.
“I never thought I would have to say it,” Blaze said. “But I’m actually glad to see you here.”
“Suck my dick.” Andro lifted his glass to Blaze’s, clinking them together before he took a sip of the black liquid. “Where is your sidekick?”
“Val?” Blaze asked, glancing around the room casually. “For the first time, she had more important matters than attending a party with me.”
“Oh?” Andro cocked a brow.
Blaze nodded. He was just as surprised as Alessandro because Val did not miss a chance to mingle with influential people.
Not ever.
“The question is, what the fuck are you doing here?” Blaze asked, tilting his chin towards Andro. “You hardly come to my parties, but you come to Alecto’s?”
Andro rolled his eyes. “First of all, it’s notyourparties, it’syourfather’s, and it’s notAlecto’sparty, butherfather’s. And second, I wouldn’t be here if my father had been able to go with my mother. I didn’t want to leave her without a plus-one.”
“Mm-hmm, I wouldn’t want to leave Octavia alone either,” Blaze murmured with a smirk, looking around the room for the most gorgeous woman that was Andro’s mother.
“Exactly the reason,” Andro said.
That only made Blaze grin wider.“I would have taken care of your mother, you know that.”
When Andro’s jaw clenched tight, Blaze had to bite down a laugh.
“Keep talking, and I’ll add a few more bruises to your pretty face.”
It was all a joke, of course. Blaze would have never done such thing as try to seduce his best friend’s mother.
Mostly because Octavia Weir only had eyes for one man—her husband.
Andro and Blaze strolled through the crowd towards the windows and found a comfortable nook where they had a perfect view of the whole ballroom and all the people still streaming inside from the corridor.
