Gods, he was starving. Would it kill them to serve portion sizes that weren’t made for dolls?
Carefully carving his meat, not that it would take him long, Nikhail glanced up at Ryker and Brynleigh. The soon-to-be bonded pair occupied a small separate table, much like those at wedding receptions. Ryker’s arm was slung over the back of his wife’s chair, and his head was bent as he whispered in her ear. She laughed as he refilled her glass from a carafe of blood wine, the air between them easy.
Nikhail’s heart warmed at the sight of his friend’s happiness. After everything they’d already been through, Ryker and Brynleigh deserved all this and more.
“Do be careful how much you eat, River.” Tertia’s voice was quiet, but there was no mistaking the ice in her tone. “There are still several more courses, and you need to fit in your dress tomorrow.”
Nikhail ripped his gaze away from Ryker, his eyes narrowing as he glared at the Representative across from him. How fucking dare she? His water fae was absolutely perfect just the way she was, and no difference in her weight would ever change that.
To his utter dismay, River sighed and daintily placed her fork on the table. She slowly pushed her plate away, her lips slanting into a frown.
A growl rumbled through the room, and Nikhail didn’t realize it came from him until Atlas turned and raised a brow. “You all right, brother?”
Shit.
Gripping his fork so hard the metal bent in his grip, Nikhail swallowed and dipped his chin. It took far too much focus for him to stop growling before someone else noticed.
River had barely eaten anything tonight, and it was all her mother’s fault. That icy woman might’ve been the picture of fae wealth and poise in her dark blue evening gown, but that wouldn’t keep Nikhail from fighting her if she didn’t stop bullying her daughter.
This had been going on all night, from the moment the servers dressed in black had brought out bowls of tomato bisque for the first course. The dishes had barely touched the table before Tertia said something to River. Her words had been too low for Nikhail to hear, but he hadn’t missed the way River had sucked in a sharp breath, her spoon wobbling in her grasp before she regained her composure.
If it had been the only time it happened, Nikhail would’ve written it off as an isolated incident, but it wasn’t. That had been the first in a long string of remarks that the Representative had made towards River. They were sharp and pointed, each meant to inflict harm.
Throughout the night, River had grown incrementally paler, picking at her food and wilting into her chair. Like a sculptor slowly chipping away at marble, Tertia wore away at her daughter.
It pained Nikhail to see River like this, especially after what they’d just shared. It hurt to see her suffer, hurt to be forced to hold conversations with anyone but her.
Fighting the rebels in Castle Sanguis had been easier than this.
“Hey, man,” Atlas waved a hand in front of his face. “Did you hear what I asked?”
“Hmm?” Even though it pained him, Nikhail yanked his gaze away from River. “Sorry, no. What was that?”
Atlas raised a brow. Even though he was dressed in a tux, like the rest of the men in the room, the earth fae professor still had a hard edge. It had been there ever since Nikhail had met Atlas. It came from his life on the streets, he thought.
“I was asking what your plans were for after the bonding. Are you sticking around for the reception, or do you have to head back to Lakewater?”
“I’ll be here for a few days,” Nikhail replied absentmindedly. “I’ve got some meetings for work.”
Commander Root had asked him and Jayson to attend the debriefing on the incident at Castle Sanguis. They planned to meet the day after the bonding ceremony, and depending on the number of questions the Chancellor and Representatives had, they might be here for a few days.
Atlas grinned. “Awesome. I have tickets for the laser game at the Midnight Center in two days. Want to come?”
Not really. Nikhail had never enjoyed sports. He was about to decline when Atlas added, “River’s coming, too.”
Well, fuck. It wasn’t even a question then.
“I’ll be there,” he blurted.
Atlas chuckled, his gaze sweeping over Nikhail. “Yeah, I thought you might say that.”
Damn. Atlas had always been perceptive, perhaps even more than Ryker. It shouldn’t have surprised Nikhail that the earth fae had figured out that something was going on between him and River.
Nikhail turned to his friend, keeping his voice low.
“River and I…” His voice trailed off as he tried to figure out how much to tell Atlas, but it turned out he didn’t need to say much at all.
“You’re together,” the professor murmured, raising a knowing brow. “Right? I saw the way she was looking at you outside. The way you both watched each other.”