Page 65 of Live Love Lasso

I haven’t learned shit that I didn’t already know under Letitia’s “tutelage,” but that’s neither here nor there.

“I di⁠—”

Father halts her confirmation with a withering look.

Letitia sneers but lifts her chin defiantly. “I’ve got work to do. Comm me if anything comes up, Rikard.”

Father doesn’t bother to watch as she leaves without a further glance at me.

Hunter smirks. “This place is a shithole, Lemon. Father and I are going to the wraith property immediately. At least we know they’ll have passable food.”

Father cuts in, “You’re to come with us for dinner. I’d like to discuss what’s transpired here and my expectations of your behavior.”

I resist the urge to tell him I’ve been a fucking angel. But he won’t listen or care. So I nod. “Of course, Father. Would you like to go now? We can catch the train in a few minutes or⁠—”

“We’ll fly,” he snaps. “As there aren’t any taxis or decent quick public transportation in this godsforsaken place.”

It’s hard not to snap that there are plenty of options. They’re just not the ones he’s accustomed to.

I follow in silence when he turns to leave. Hunter hovers in the doorway wearing that same shit-eating grin. He snaps his fangs at me when I pass, and it’s a struggle not to flinch. But I can’t show him any weakness. Never again will I be at my older brother’s mercy. The best thing I can do is ignore him. He hates that.

When we pass Letitia’s office, she glances up from a stack of papers on her cluttered desktop. I halt and peer in.

“The potion you requested is done. It just needs to decant until this time tomorrow. Do you require anything else of me tonight?”

Hunter passes me as Father disappears up the hallway.

The look on my boss’s face is almost sympathetic, but as Father’s footsteps recede, she slumps back in her chair. “No, Lemon. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

I incline my head respectfully as I back out of the doorway to follow Father and Hunter. Outside, the keeper’s mansion waggles her shutters at me.

“Sorry, friend,” I call out. “Rain check on our get-together, please.”

She lets out an awful groan that draws Hunter’s attention, while Father completely ignores the beautiful old home.

I want to slap everyone.

Giving the house a final mournful look, I flare my wings wide, knowing they’re bigger than Hunter’s and that he’s self-conscious about it. Glittering red eyes follow the path of my wings as I stretch my shadow feathers wide and smile at him. I hope the expression looks fucking smug and superior because I’d love nothing better than to make him feel small right now.

“How we’ve missed you, Sister,” he says as he unfurls his wings. “It’s been terribly boring at home without you. No drama, no nonsense. Just business as usual.”

I can’t let him under my skin, so I bullet up into the sky when Father takes off, careful to glide slightly below and behind him.

The flight over downtown and across the huge fields toward the wraith property is awkwardly quiet. I’m thankful for a brisk wind coming off the mountains, making it almost hard to speak. Father and Hunter don’t try. In fact, neither of them looks at me as we near the wraith property.

I haven’t been out here yet, but it’s stunning from above. Giant conical black spires reach for the sky, punctuating an impressive black stone and glass castle. It’s huge with a big square on the interior. That’ll be the shopping area, if it follows the design of other wraith properties I’ve been to.

Father alights elegantly in the stone courtyard. No sooner have Hunter and I dropped down beside him than a giant black-hooded wraith floats out from the nearest doorway. The hood obscures the monster’s face, twin blue eyes the only visible thing beneath the hood.

“Welllcome to our proppperrtyyyyy,” he hisses, gesturing toward the enormous glossy black doors he just came through. “I’vvvvve sennnnt someone forrrr yourrrr lugggage, Masterrr Denton. Youuuu are already checkeddddd in.” He reaches into the wide sleeves of his robe and withdraws two golden room keys, handing them to Father. “The Tower Suiiiiite perrrr youuuur request.”

Father takes the keys without a word and strides past the wraith manager. Hunter follows him. I watch them sail through the doors with a sigh.

The wraith tucks both spindly hands into his sleeves. “Mayyyyy I hellllp you, Mistress Denton?”

I glance up at the much taller monster as he floats effortlessly, black robes swaying on the breeze. Shaking my head, I cross my arms. “No thank you. I appreciate it, but I’m only here for dinner with my…family.”

The wraith nods slowly, every movement purposeful. Then he snaps his fingers and disappears entirely from view.