Page 8 of What Beats Within the Tunnels

“Lyra, this is Adira. She’s the one who hit you over the head when you first arrived. Don’t mind her. She has no manners,” Soren explains, appearing beside me.

“Oh yes, and I’m glad you’ve become so well-acquainted with Drew’s favorite pet,” Adira says then chuckles softly as she walks away. I can see Soren’s cheeks flush next to me, and I almost feel sorry for him.

“Soren, do you know the Lamia named Citlali?” I ask, changing the subject.

“Shh, don’t speak her name here. That’s Drew’s daughter. She was exiled, and it’s forbidden to speak of her,” he warns me. I nod, pressing my lips together in a tight line to let him know that my lips are sealed. I want to know the full story though. Maybe I’ll ask Drew myself when we are alone.

Soren guides me to the table where Drew is now seated, looking regal in a dark-green gown that contrasts her fiery red hair. As we approach, she rises gracefully from her chair to greet us. “Lyra, you look absolutely stunning,” she says with a warm smile. “I see you’ve already been introduced to Colton.”

“Lyra and I go way back. It’s a funny story how we met actually—” I elbow Colton in the ribs before he can say anything else.

“Ahem, no, it’s not. It’s a very boring story,” I say, a nervous smile tugging at my lips.

A fleeting expression of confusion crosses Drew’s face, but before I can dwell on it a woman at the table asks her a question, and her attention is diverted.

I find a seat further down the table. Colton sits on one side of me, and Soren sits on the other. I don’t recognize anyone else other then Drew and Adira, who is sitting next to her. The table sprawls the length of the room and easily holds the several dozen people here tonight.

“Would you like a drink?” Colton asks, a slight glow to those emerald eyes of his. I simply turn away from him, ignoring his question. He has to be mad if he thinks I’m going to trust him to give me another drink after last time. I look to Soren, who is eyeing the man holding a tray of cocktails behind us.

“What are they exactly?”

I survey the server wearing black leather pants that don’t leave a lot to the imagination, and that’s all he’s wearing. I never would have thought the Lamias were so—libertine.

“Venomous Vixen is the bright-green cocktail, made with a mixture of exotic fruits and herbs and infused with Lamia venom,” Soren explains. I must make a face, because he pauses before adding, “The venom won’t harm you. It only intensifies the buzz.”

“And the other?” I ask, hoping for a more palatable option, pointing to the darker-colored cocktail.

“We call it Black Sun. It’s a red wine with a smoky flavor, aged in barrels made from trees that only grow here in the Lamia realm,” Soren answers.

“I’ll take a Black Sun, please,” I say, extending my hand to take the glass of wine from the server. I’m not sure I’m ready for venomous cocktails, especially after my experience with Stardust at the elders’ palace dinner party. I take a sip of the wine and can’t help but squint at the potent, smoky flavor that coats my tongue. It’s not exactly my favorite, but it’s better than nothing. I much prefer the sweet wine in the Faery Realm, but I’m not going to complain.

More men clad in black leather pants emerge, and they begin to place trays of food on the table. Despite the appetizing aromas wafting up from the dishes, I’m completely lost as to what anything is. Chepi perks up next to me, no doubt enticed by the scents of the various dishes as well.

Drew has been engrossed in conversation with Adira, and I can’t help but try to eavesdrop on their conversation. Soren notices my distraction and offers to explain some of the dishes to me. However, I find myself zoning out midway through his explanations, the descriptions of snake tongue soup, roasted bat wings, and blood orange shadow fish doing little to stimulate my appetite.

In the end, I opt for a plate of ice berries and nightshade salad, using my fork to push my food around as I try to turn my attention to the other conversations taking place.

“Why aren’t you eating anything?” Colton’s hand nudges my thigh under the table, and I suck in a breath at the feeling. A ripple of warmth seems to spread through me and then dissipate.

I had a similar feeling when he touched my leg at the party before, but I assumed it was from the stardust. I quickly glance around the table to see if anyone is acting different from the cocktails, but everything seems to be normal. He doesn’t appear as though he felt the unusual sensation but is watching me carefully.

I clear my throat. “I’m still getting used to the food here. Besides, I’m not that hungry.” He furrows his brows briefly but doesn’t push the topic.

Suddenly, a voice overwhelms the chatter.

“How can you all sit here dining with her when you know what she is?”

The table falls silent as the woman across from me lashes out, pointing at me. I hadn’t noticed her before, but look down at Drew’s end of the table to see her giving me a death stare. I set my glass down, placing my hands in my lap and trying not to fidget.

“I’m sorry?” I ask, hoping I didn’t hear her right. Gods, I definitely heard her right. I hate that all eyes are on me in this moment. I gulp and subtly wipe my clammy palms in my lap.

“You all welcome her here with open arms. We should end—”

“Enough!” Drew gets to her feet, and the entire room goes utterly still. “Adira, please help Bella back to her room.” She takes her seat again, Adira nods, and Bella throws her napkin down at the table.

“I’ll see you again,” the woman growls. It sounds like a threat, and before Bella can say anything else Adira ushers her out of the room. The chatter around the table starts up again instantly, and I feel incredibly uncomfortable now. I glance over at Colton as he sets his fork down. It shatters into pieces. He quickly places his napkin over it, and I look away, pretending I didn’t see.

What in the gods is happening tonight? I need to get out of here and want to get back to my room and finish reading my book. Now I’m wishing there was a lock on my door. I’m going to have nightmares about Bella coming to suck my blood in my sleep tonight. Why did she say that, and what does it mean? Does she have something against Sorcerers? Does she know I am half-Fae, a mixed breed, or can she see something darker might stir within me?