Page 34 of Shadow Warrior
She sighed and tugged on her own dark locks. “Ignore me, I’m projecting. I can’t get mine to grow past my shoulders.”
“This is a pretty inane conversation; you do realize that, right?”
Joti looked taken aback and then burst out laughing. “I love your honesty.”
“Really? So, can I tell you that I absolutely hate dress-up?”
She shrugged and walked past me. “Oh, I figured that.” She twirled to face me and smiled sweetly. “But I had way too much fun to care.”
“Yay for honesty.”
“Come on. Ma doesn’t like tardiness.”
* * *
We enteredthe dining room to a buzz of conversation and a sea of faces. Shit, I hated social gatherings. This reminded me of all the times my parents had dressed me up and dragged me to parties only to abandon me once we got there. I’d spent most of my time at these events standing in a corner, hiding on a window seat behind a set of drapes, or curled up under a table.
Not any longer. I was a fucking shadow caster, and these people wanted me, or at least my eggs, whatever.
I caught sight of Kash across the room chatting to Karishma, who looked totally gorgeous in a navy calf-length, off-the-shoulder dress. But it was Kash that stole my breath. I’d seen him in jeans and a tee, I’d seen him in the Academy garb, but never in a suit. It was a deep midnight blue that was cut to perfection and hugged his body in all the right places. The deep indigo color reflected off his jet-black hair and brought out the flecks of gold in his eyes. Yeah, those eyes were fixed on me now, devouring me from head to toe. Dresses weren’t my go-to garb, but right now, I was glad I’d donned one.
And then he was striding over to greet me.
I registered Joti slipping away but couldn’t tear my attention from Kash. He stopped in front of me and leaned in so his lips brushed the delicate shell of my ear.
“My, you do scrub up well.” His voice was velvet and chocolate.
I closed my eyes briefly, reveling in his closeness, in the peach scent of his lip balm. In him. “You don’t look so bad yourself.”
He straightened and offered me his arm. “May I?”
I took his lead, feeling surprisingly feminine and fragile for once. “You may.”
The room, which had been filled with a light hum of conversation, was suddenly completely silent as Kash led me to the dining table and pulled out a seat.
I’d barely touched down when the table began to fill up. Faces I didn’t know openly studied me. I latched on to the familiar ones—Karishma, Joti, and Kash’s mother, Monica. They were seated opposite me. The head of the table was empty.
Kash shrugged off his jacket and hung it on the back of his chair before sitting down. His leg brushed mine. Usually, I’d have pulled away, but for some reason, the contact was reassuring. I let it be, reveling in the tautness of his thigh against mine.
Silence reigned, and a prickle of unease traced a line up my spine to settle at the nape of my neck, and then the clip of heels interrupted the quiet.
A lady came into view, tall, willowy, with silver hair and piercing blue eyes set against skin that was a shade darker than Kash’s. She swept her icy gaze over the gathered, and it snagged on me. Her lips curved in a small smile as she took her seat.
“Welcome to your first Raj dinner, Indigo.” Her voice was cultured and smooth. “I hope it will be the first of many.”
Everyone murmured in agreement except Monica, who I noted kept her mouth firmly shut.
“I’m glad to see you have taste,” Kash’s gran said to me before smiling at Kash. “My grandson is quite the catch.”
“And so am I.” I smiled sweetly at her. “I wouldn’t be here otherwise, would I?”
A few gasps ran down the table, and Monica looked across at me with a smile that was surprisingly warm. Kash’s gran was silent, her face frozen, and then she let out a bark of laughter that was so contrary to her stiff demeanor that it had me balking.
“Well, well. Not a shrinking violet then. I like that. Not afraid to speak her mind. Good.” She waved a hand at the table. “Eat, please.”
Cutlery clattered, plates were filled, and a low hum of conversation rose up again.
Kash turned to me. “She likes you.” He looked shocked.
