Ines exhales sharply, as if she's been holding her breath the entire time. Clarissa starts fidgeting with her bracelets, the sound a jittering percussion of nerves disguised as vanity. Morgan leans back in his chair, chewing on a grape with an exaggerated calmness like someone who knows chaos is the only thing keeping him entertained.
Darien's heartbeat beats against his ribs. The Moon Blessed. The words echo like thunder in his skull.
Kairos prowls under his skin, pacing restlessly. "You know it's her."
"I know," Darien mutters under his breath, pretending to adjust his napkin.
"Then why are we still sitting here?"
"Because," Darien grinds out, "running after her in front of my entire family would make it a little too obvious."
Kairos snorts. "So you'd rather die of small talk."
Darien doesn't answer. He's too busy watching Ines and Clarissa circle each other like twin storms pretending to be civilized weather.
