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"You'll get your chance, Daniel," Adrian chided in a very unfriendly voice. "We're all going to get to spend time with our newest female tonight. There's no need to try and insert yourself into our conversation and steal her attention away from me. Come now, brother, we're all here together."
Daniel sneered at Adrian.
"Whatever you say,Adrian," Daniel replied in a low, condescending voice.
He turned to walk away, but something prodded me to reach out to him. I grabbed ahold of his arm and his hair flung around him like a curtain as he whipped back around to face me. His eyes widened in shock as he saw my hand attached to his wrist.
"I'd very much like to meet these people you'd like to introduce me to, Daniel," I told him quietly. "Whenever you're ready, you just let me know. Okay?"
His entire demeanor changed, and if I was a different person I would say he melted entirely at my touch and soft spoken words. I wasn't going to say it, though, because that would freak me right the fuck out.
The hand I wasn't holding onto came up to gently caress my hand on his wrist.
"Of course, lovely. I will be back around later to collect you and introduce you to people. You are very kind to me."
I let go of his wrist as if it had stung and he turned away from me and walked away.
What the hell had just happened and why did I now feel like his interest in me had doubled in the last five minutes?
Fuck my life, seriously.
"My, my," Adrian tisked. "It would seem that our Daniel has certainly fallen under your charming spell, Ariel. The rest of them will soon fall as well, I imagine."
Why did that sound so ominous to me?
Ignoring his words, I gestured toward the long table and asked, "Do we have assigned seats tonight or do we sit wherever? And when do you think we'll be eating?"
I swear if he said we had assigned seats and had put me between people I was uncomfortable with there was a good chance I was going to tell him to get fucked.
Adrian frowned at me as he studied my face far too closely for my liking.
"No, no, child. Nothing like that. You will be able to pick your own seating arrangement just so long as you don't sit at the head of the table. That's a special place reserved for members of the Council. For now, I want you to mingle and get to know the others here. Before dinner there will be a small toast to accept Marcus into our ranks, and then we will have dinner. Afterwards, you're free to go if you so choose, but I want you and your coven to know that we've secured a block of rooms for you all and had them readied in case you'd all like to stay the night here instead of driving all the way back home. We'd be honored to have your coven stay here with us."
That was nice of him but there was no way in hell we'd be staying here. I didn't need to ask the guys to know they'd be in complete agreement with me.
And what was up with him calling it my coven? I know I called them that all the time, but when you got down to the nitty gritty this was Quinton's coven and he ran the show. Rightfully, so.
Quinton stepped up beside me. "That's very kind of you, Adrian. We will take your generosity into consideration when the night draws to an end. I would like to thank you kindly for your invite to the festivities tonight. It is an honor to be included in such Council matters. My coven is most pleased to have been invited and we are all very well aware that we are only here because of Ariel's presence in our lives. We do not mistake where your generosity stems from, and we want you all to know that we are very much grateful for it and give many thanks."
Quinton waved his hand behind him and Dash stepped forward. He held up a big, clear jug that tapered off at the top and had a thick cork stuffed into the opening.
"Alcohol," Dash stated. "Potent and magically induced. Julian made it specifically for this night. We offer it in gift to you and the rest of the Council as thanks for your having invited us to be amongst you and a part of this special night. It is both an honor and a privilege."
Adrian thanked Dash before walking off with the jug held high in his hands, inspecting it.
I did not want to know what the hell was in that jug. I just knew Julian had created it and I would not be ingesting it no matter what. I'd already downed the purple stuff and that was enough for one day.
Dash took my arm and pulled me off toward a corner where there were comfy looking chairs set up in a half circle, a curtain of fairy lights hanging over them and all around them. Right before he pushed me down into a chair he leaned into my ear to whisper, "It's safe to drink the liquor. I promise nothing bad will come to you because of it."
My butt hit the cushion and I sat back, getting comfortable. I was preparing to scope everything out while the others talked around me.
Quinton took the seat beside me. "Yeah, except maybe you'll get drunk off your ass. That shit is potent. If you get drunk just make sure you... You know what, never mind. Someone is going to be glued to your side all night long so you don't even have to worry about that."
I gaped at him. Did he just... encourage me to get drunk, and then tell me I would have someone watching over me if I did so that it was okay?
"Is it just me, uncle, or are you encouraging our girl here to get drunk tonight?" Tyson asked from the other side of the half circle. He was slouched back with one of his arms up and dangling off the back of his chair. He had one leg up, bent at the knee, and his foot resting on his other knee. He looked utterly relaxed and like he didn't have a care in the world. There was a tiny, secretive smirk on his face aimed at his uncle and his eyes were half-lidded.
I could never pull off such a pose. I was far too uptight and anxious.
