The sparkling Faerie wine was pleasantly sweet as it hit her tongue. It fizzled as it slid down her throat, and she drank every last drop.
Another server walked by, and River exchanged her glass for a full one.
This one, River sipped slowly. Or as slowly as she could manage, considering the cuffs on her wrists, the grief in her heart, and the anger swirling in her veins.
Everything about this felt so completelywrong, like an ice storm in the middle of the desert. She could barely stand it.
The only bright side to how River felt right now, which admittedly wasn’t very bright at all, was that her disgust over Tertia’s actions had temporarily diverted her attention from the emptiness inside herself.
And that was good. Especially since Nikhail was here.
Even though the air fae was on the other side of the room, following her mother—whywas he doing that?—she could feel the weight of his contemplative gaze. Sense his every movement.
There was a pull inside River that urged her to get closer to Nikhail, but since that meant getting closer to her mother, too, she resisted. She wasn’t sure she could be close to Tertia without screaming.
And that would be bad. Downright terrible, really.
If River caused a scene at her father’s memorial service, she would be confirming every dreadful thing her mother had ever said about her.
The musician’s bow traveled over the strings of his violin. River recognized the first few bars of a slow ballad she used to love.
Now, she’d forever associate it with this disastrous event.
“This is awful,” River murmured into her glass before taking another sip. “I hate this so much.” A larger sip. “All of it.”
The service.
Saying goodbye to her father.
The gold on the walls and the opulence surrounding them.
The fact that Nikhail was so close, yet so fucking far away.
Another swallow. More of a gulp, really.
The wine tasted better the more River drank. It was probably too early to be drinking so much, but she didn’t know how else to get through this.
River swayed as the alcohol hit her stomach. Her head spun. Were those two Rykers standing in front of her? Where in the gods’ name had Ryker come from?
“Whoa, Shortie. Take it easy.” Ryker held her elbow. No, there was only one of him. He was strong and sturdy as he wrapped his fingers around her, holding her up. Steadying her.
He was basically a tree, this brother of hers.
River giggled, then gasped. Mortification flooded through her a moment later. How could she make such a sound at her father’s memorial service?
Shame burned her insides, and her cheeks heated as she stared at the floor. She wasn’t wrong, though. Rykerhadalways been there for her, even during her darkest times. Hewaslike the biggest, strongest tree in the forest. His roots were deep, and he was steadfast despite her storms.
Ryker would have never dishonored their father in such a fashion, throwing a party during what should’ve been a somber event. He was a future Representative, yes, but there was a world of difference between him and Tertia.
“No, I’d never be this callous,” Ryker said.
Oops.
River hadn’t realized she’d been speaking out loud. She peered into her cup, surprised to find it nearly empty.
Oh, well. Waste not, want not, and all that.
River tipped back the glass, finished the wine, and goodness. The gods must’ve taken pity on her because another server was standing in front of her.