I pushed Zorn’s scariness and Kieran’s fear away. “Then why not give me the oath? You’ve already started it by giving me your blood. Just finish the procedure, or whatever it is. Then, even if they break me, I’m claimed. It’s official.”

Kieran shook his head slowly. “If you take that oath, your impulse will be to protect me. I need you to protect yourself. I can’t let you take that oath.”

Dylan shifted against the wall, his eyes rooted to Kieran, looking incredulous. No one else was surprised.

I felt like stamping my foot on the ground in frustration. “Right, fine, awesome. I’ll have a bad future if they get a hold of me.” I braced my hands on my hips. “We’ve always known this. It’s not news. So instead of thinking or analyzing all of the horrible ways this can go wrong, let’s prepare for the possibility we may need to fight our way out of here. It’s not like we haven’t had practice.”

“I’m good with that.” Donovan shrugged and grabbed an apple out of a golden bowl.

“Question.” Daisy raised her hand. “How thorough do you think their inventory is of this place? For example, just hypothetically speaking, would they miss something like a golden ashtray inlaid with rubies just randomly left on a low shelf in the library behind a chair? They probably don’t even know it’s there, right?”

The bubble of tension in the room popped. More than a couple of people took deep breaths. Smiles creased previously tight expressions. Chuckling, Kieran headed toward the bedroom and probably the shower.

“Is she being serious?” Jerry, not one of those smiling, asked Dylan.

A big smile lit Dylan’s face. “I think so, yeah.”

“Of course I’m being serious,” Daisy replied. “That clown Demigod doesn’t need all this.”

“That’s no way to speak about a Demigod,” Mordecai said. “Even in private.”

“She made her bed, with all the colors she chose. I just noticed it,” Daisy retorted.

“You shouldn’t steal,” Jerry told her.

“I heard about that mountain lodge you made for yourself,” she replied. “Bones in the corner? Filth everywhere? Who are you to give me advice on how to survive?”

“They won’t notice the little things, but you cannot get caught or give them a suspicion you took anything,” Zorn told her. “That would reflect badly on Demigod Kieran.”

“Unless we have to drop the hammer on this bitch.” Donovan pushed away from the wall. “Then grab whatever you can carry. Rob that bitch blind. Bam!”

“This outfit will take some getting used to,” Jerry murmured.

“When it comes to surviving, there are no rules,” Dylan said, still smiling. “You might take a lesson from her. That kid seems to do it better than most.”

“I learned from Lexi,” Daisy said. “If you want an example of someone good at surviving, look at her. You’ll see. If these idiots turn up the heat on her, they won’t know what hit them.”

28

Kieran

Kieran held Lexi’s hand as they made their way to the main first-floor lounge to await dinner. The servants they passed acted exactly as Kieran would’ve expected, nodding to him before stepping to the side to give him more room. Lexi got a glance, which was correct, and the rest of his staff was ignored. Whatever had gone on earlier in the day was not happening now.

Given Bria and Red were not prone to dramatics, and Bria was especially knowledgeable of the rules of hierarchy within the Demigod world, he wondered what Lydia was up to. Was she testing Lexi, ridiculing her, or were there darker forces at work? It troubled Kieran that he didn’t have a clue.

Once they were in the lounge, a servant approached wearing a hideous, colorful jacket and one of those strange white wigs. Kieran had no idea what sort of fashion statement Lydia was trying to make with the getup. Surely her tastes were laughed at behind closed doors. If not, and if things went poorly here, Kieran would make sure to start the talk. That was an easy button to push.

“Would you like a drink, sir?” the man asked.

“Yes. A whiskey on the rocks, please.” Kieran angled a little to show he would like Alexis to order for herself. By deferring to her, he was making it clear that she would eventually be his co-ruler, with an equal say in all decisions for the territory and a status similar to his, if not that of a Demigod. Making that point now would hopefully dispel some of the rumors surrounding the mark he’d placed.

“And for you, miss?” the man asked.

“Pinot Noir, if you have it,” Alexis said, looking away and lifting her chin haughtily. The soul link said she was annoyed and wary, reacting unconsciously to all the speculation surrounding them, but Kieran wondered if these people believed she was acting up because the special treatment from earlier had been toned down. If so, was that the reaction they’d hoped for?

So many threads to this intricate web. So many nuances. Kieran didn’t have nearly enough information. At present, he would be blindsided if someone made a move. He and all his people would be vulnerable to an attack if one came.

But would Lydia really go to such extremes? Even with the support of an intricate strategist like Magnus, it would be a dangerous gambit. If she were to kill Kieran, she’d be expected to pay the price. If not, the rules of the Magical Summit would be undermined at every turn. He doubted Lydia was foolish enough to try anything.

“Surveillance in this room has been cut out entirely,” Henry said when the man had left, and Henry waved off a different servant that drew near. Only the head servant would wait on Kieran and now Alexis, his sole duty to make sure they were comfortable. Other, lesser servants would see to the rest of the group. “Amber is monitoring the other areas of the house. Nothing is amiss that she can see so far, but certain rooms aren’t accounted for. A block of guest rooms in the east wing are dark, and a second dining area and the rooms surrounding Lydia’s bedroom.”

“Is that cause for alarm?” Kieran asked, looking down at Alexis.

“It doesn’t appear so. There’s little activity in the halls around the guest rooms, and we wouldn’t expect Lydia to allow her people to monitor her in that way.”

Kieran nodded and turned away, excusing Henry for the moment. There was always some suspicion amongst Demigods, even between allies, but Kieran had to be careful not to go overboard. He didn’t want to cause offense, and he certainly didn’t want Lydia to guess he suspected any of her possible plans. If she changed things up, the few hints he’d gleaned so far would be rendered useless.

Lydia sauntered through the lounge, headed his way, her bright pink dress blowing in an unseen wind, her mostly exposed chest layered in diamonds and pearls, and her arms clad in fishnet-type gloves decorated with multicolored gemstones. She glittered and sparkled, and even if he hadn’t checked up on her holdings, he would’ve guessed that the extreme show of her wealth hinted at sagging finances. Old-school Demigods weren’t hard to read when you knew the signs, and it seemed this one hadn’t changed much with the times. Her financial ego was incredibly fragile, another thing people must talk about behind closed doors.