Page 37 of By the Orchid and the Owl
“Um,” Emelle said, but the next second, we heard the clicking of many locks and the door swung open wide. The woman gestured, and we stepped inside.
It was like stepping into a sky of throbbing stars.
Lights blared and whirled from every corner of the foyer, which was cramped with glittering, sweaty bodies that swayed to the pulse of music. A few people even grinded against each other, and more than a handful of couples were draped over each other on pristine white couches that bordered the room.
“Rayna! Melle!”
Rodhi appeared through the throng, spreading his arms wide. He slung one around each of our shoulders and kissed us both on the foreheads.
“So glad you were able to make it this time!” From the waft of his breath, I could tell he was already drunk. “Come here, I want to show you something.”
Grabbing our hands, he tugged us through clumps of bodies, to a counter near a twin staircase in the back, where an upperclassman was pouring drinks into dozens of tiny glass vessels. Rodhi grabbed two and pressed one into each of our hands.
I winced, trying not to let the memories freeze me up. Never, ever again would I drink this stuff. “I’m not a huge fan of bascale, Rodhi.”
But Rodhi laughed. “It’s notbascale. Why would you needthatstuff when you already have powers? No, this is just pure, uncontaminated ale, my darling.”
He was gone again before I could reply, charging at a Mind Manipulator in our year. Emelle giggled, brought her drink to her lips, and swallowed it in two chugs.
I shrugged and was about to taste mine when it was plucked out of my hand.
“Rule number one,” drawled a soft, dangerous voice that made the back of my neck prickle, “don’t drink random shit at a party when you don’t know what might trigger your condition.”
Emelle mouthed, “What?” but I shook my head as I turned—and yanked my gaze up to find smoky quartz eyes already rested casually on my face. As if the party bored him, and the flush I could feel climbing up my cheekbones was the only thing interesting enough to look at.
“There are people around,” I said in as normal of a voice as I could muster. I wasn’t too worried about Emelle—although I’d done my best to keep my secret from even her—but someone else might have heard.
“So?” Coen Steeler passed my vessel of ale off to the nearest random person, who took it without asking a single question. “I’m talking about your liver disease.” The crook of his damned mouth kicked up. “Obviously.”
“Right.” I nodded and glanced at Emelle, who’d never looked more confused.
A moment later, she shook her head as if to clear it and slapped a hand on my arm, her eyes already glazing over. “I’m going to go find Rodhi, okay?”
“Okay.”
I watched her wander off and felt a sliver of proud satisfaction at all the heads already turning in her direction, following the sway of her hips.
When she was gone, though, and no one could hear us, I rounded on Coen.
“Liver disease? Really?”
He shrugged, his lips crooking. “You told me to stay out of your head, so I’ve had to get creative when it comes to getting secret messages across to you.”
“Privacy,” I bit out. “I’d like some privacy with you. Right now.”
I was tired of asking the orchids questions that they refused to answer clearly.
Coen didn’t even try to hide his smirk. “At least let me take you on a date first.” When I hardened my glare up at him, he sighed. “Okay. Come on. But if anyone asks what I’m doing bringing a first-year into my personal room, Iwillhave to say some vulgar things about you that you might not like to hear.”
His scrutiny zeroed in on my dress, raking the downward path of the black pearls, as if taking note of exactly what he would say.
I tried to twist my face into a smirk that matched his own. “I can handle that.”
Besides, I already had plenty of vulgar things to say abouthim, starting with his broad shoulders and muscled chest. I just wasn’t going to say that out loud.
“Very well.”
He put one of those hands, gentle yet sturdy, on the small of my back now, guiding me downstairs and through one of the doors opposite the Mind Manipulator dining hall. A few people glanced our way, curiosity raising their eyebrows, but no one stopped to talk to us or ask what we were doing.
