Page 104 of Our Radiant Embers

I liked her quite a bit. Certainly more than I liked Caspian Rosier, hailing from a well-known family of earth mages. A frequent collaborator of the Harringtons, he likely would have led the development of the park area in Finsbury if I hadn’t insisted on George. We skirted around interacting directly with each other, yet he occasionally drew my eye because he treated Adam with a strange sort of intensity while failing to murmur so much as a thanks directed at the waiters.

Down, boy. You’re fighting windmills.

The food, of course, was delicious—flaky, buttery feuilletés, a lone onion raviolo with raisins, chablis-poached Scottish salmon, and colourful miniature desserts presented in two services.

Adam picked up the tab. Since no one else protested, I didn’t either. It would have seemed odd, and I wasn’t supposed to draw attention to myself.

It was a mild evening when we left the restaurant. One of the women hailed the first black cab that drove by, kissing Adam’s cheek before she departed, quickly followed by two others sharing a pre-ordered Uber. The rest of us lingered for a moment longer, reviewing the food, before two more people got into a cab while Adam declared he’d be walking the twenty minutes to his flat. “Stretch my legs a bit, you know?”

In the tranquil evening, Cassandra’s laugh pearled like condensation on a frosted glass. “Oh, honey—if this is your attempt to work off the calories, not a chance.”

“Hey.” Adam’s voice was slow and smooth, superficial humour laced with an undercurrent of concern. “The best moments are worth a little indulgence, right?”

It reminded me of the eating disorder he’d mentioned she’d struggled with back in school, how he’d worried she’d fall apart right in front of him. He’d also said that she’d found a healthier balance by trading calorie counting for fitness. That was the kind of shared experience that would be hard to shake, though—just like my memories of when Laurie had started skipping school some five years ago, until we realised some idiot kids in her class were bullies and she their randomly chosen victim.

That sure had stopped once news of the Aqua Reclaimer had made the rounds.

Cassandra’s expression softened. “Yes,” she told Adam, “they are. Thank you for a lovely dinner.”

Her ‘thank you’ was echoed by several of us. “My pleasure,” Adam said and sounded like he meant it.

Into the brief silence that followed, I announced I’d accompany Adam to Piccadilly Circus before jumping on the Tube.

“Public transport?” Caspian’s tone conveyed bewilderment. Spoken like a true Sun, I thought, then realised that I now fell into that category. Minus the entitlement, thank you very much.

“Easily beats London traffic half the time,” I said with a shrug.

“You said you live in East Finchley, right?” Maria asked. “That’s almost on the way for me. If you want me to drop you off, it’s no bother.”

Adam and I exchanged a quick glance, and bloody hell, how did I politely decline without betraying that I didn’t intend to go home? This was…well. It was what I’d signed up for, wasn’t it?

Even if it means hiding.

“Aren’t you meeting some friends after this, Liam?” Amit’s tone was off-handed, like he couldn’t care less. How had he known that I needed saving? Maybe he’d put two and two together—if Amit had an inkling that Adam was gay, and with me out and proud…And Amit and Cassandra covering for us last weekend…

“Way to make the rest of us look old,” Cassandra jumped in. “You’d have to pay me to go clubbing right now.”

“Honestly, we’ll probably just wash up in some pub instead,” I told her, followed by a glance at Amit that hopefully signalled my gratitude. One corner of his mouth lifted by a barely perceptible margin. Kindred spirits, weren’t we?

“Well, have fun with that,” Caspian said flatly. “Some of us have responsibilities and an early start, so…”

Twat.

He was also Adam’s friend, though. But was putting up with the likes of him part of the deal? I didn’t think so.

“Cheers to adulting.” I let my mouth curl into a dismissive curve. “We’ll make sure to keep the laughter down as we toast to your health.”

Caspian’s features tightened, but before he could reply, Adam flashed me a smile. “Maybe I’ll join you for a round. Haven’t been to a proper pub since our presentation to the Prime Minister.”

Well, hey. If that wasn’t going to shut Caspian up, I didn’t know what would. Also, the fact that Adam had just subtly sided with me sent a zing of warmth down my spine.

“You’d be most welcome,” I told him. Maybe my voice had been too low, too soft, because Gale and Cassandra started talking at the same time—Gale announcing that he, for one, would call it a night while Cassandra mentioned how impressed her father had been with how the joint proposal had come together.

Soon after, two more Ubers arrived to collect people. Gale hailed a cab, while Maria and Cassandra headed for where they’d parked their cars.

“Cassandra picking you up?” Adam asked once it was just the two of us and Amit. Ah, so that was why Amit had claimed to have parked elsewhere.

“Yeah.” Amit zipped up a light jacket. “We’re staying in her city flat tonight.”

---