Page 105 of Ashes and Lilies
And no one else seemed prepared to de-escalate.
When Damen lifted his eyebrow, I continued. “Does this mean that we trust Bryce and Brayden?” I glanced at Bryce and added. “Can you two get along?”
“We have to,” Damen said as he glared at the other man, and I noted that he hadn’t agreed to play nice with the fae. “At least for her sake. She needs this idiot so she can learn how to use her abilities.”
“If she needs me for education purposes, then I’m not an idiot,” Bryce rebutted.
Damen glowered at the fae.
“We’ll be watching, though,” he said, pointing at him as he stood and stepped closer.
Bryce also stood. It was still clear that, even years later, he was only one of the few who did not fear the onmyoji. “I don’t need your approval,” he said. “There are still some relationships in which even you’ve no right to intervene.”
It took a long moment, but Damen was the first to reach out. “Truce, then,” Damen held out his hand. “For now.”
Bryce met his gesture. “Truce.”
“But this doesn’t mean I forgive you,” Damen added.
“Of course not.” Bryce rolled his eyes. “I would expect nothing less.”
Bianca POV
The autumn morning sunshine was bright and the sky was briskly cheerful when I woke up. I braided my hair and put on a sweater and a long skirt with ankle boots before going downstairs.
“Morning,” Titus greeted as I walked into the kitchen. The dragon sat at the countertop while Damen puttered near his coffee maker. I glanced between them, noting that Damen seemed intent on his project, before sitting next to Titus.
“Good morning,” I said, sitting down and tucking my ankles behind the stool’s leg. Titus’s focus moved to my ear, and I felt the heat rise to my cheeks. “It matches my outfit,” I admitted, touching my fingertips to the hairpin. “I hope you don’t mind.”
“Why would I mind?” he asked, raising his eyebrow. “I wantyou to wear it. That’s why I gave it to you.”
Yes, but… It was still difficult to believe that he’d decided to give me something that belonged to his mother. And even though he seemed pleased, I was afraid that something terrible would happen and I’d lose it.
“You look beautiful,” he said, and his smile lit up the room as he placed his fingers over mine. “I’m happy.”
I felt my breath disappear. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, but there was a difference in how he interacted with me today. He’d hardly spoken to me at all the previous night, but whatever had been bothering him had appeared to resolve itself.
Regardless. My pulse raced and my palms sweat. “T-thank you,” I said.
“That’s an ‘A’ for effort.” Damen leaned over the counter, speaking to Titus. “But you lack a certain finesse.”
Titus frowned at him, but Damen quickly changed the subject, turning back to me. “We’ll head out a little bit early,” he told me, and there was a hesitation in his gaze that caused a lump to form in my throat.
It was strange, but I hadn’t forgotten that I’d upset him the night before. Was I in trouble?
“Um,” I began, pressing my palms against my thighs. “What’s wrong?”
“You were right,” Damen replied. “And since you picked up the lead, I thought you might want to look into it with me.”
“What lead?” I asked, and my attention fell to his hands as he held up the folded paper Ms. Protean had given me.
I’d given Damen the note sometime amid the chaos the previous day.
“Grace Cole,” Damen said, waving the paper. “I want to follow up with her and see what she might say.”
“Oh,” I said. “Do you think Dr. Stephens might interview Ms. Protean?”
Damen’s mouth twisted as he scoffed. “That’d be the day.”
