Page 56 of Whispers of the Water

I wasn’t going anywhere.

Sinopa, Rune’s aunt, sat to Myra’s right with her husband, Crevan, on her own right. Aidan was seated next to him. On Myra’s left was Lilith, with Devoss on her left. Alvaro sat at the foot of the table, and he turned in his chair to look our way. They all watched us as we filed into the silent room.

I tried keeping an air of confidence about me as I followed closely behind Rune. Newt and Greshim entered with shoulders back and chins up, like soldiers marching. Alvaro didn’t give them nearly the same welcome as he had the day I met him. I wondered if that had something to do with Myra’s presence.

Ardley smiled brightly, not seeming the least bit phased by the tense atmosphere. He slid into the chair next to Aidan, winking at her as he sat down. She grimaced and quickly turned to face the other way.

Rune took the seat next to Devoss, and he gestured for me to sit next to him. I sat down, flanked on my left by Newt. Greshim took the seat next to his, and Marlow sat next to him. Akira plopped down next to Ardley, while Bassel sat next to Akira, and Avana flanked him.

Once everyone was seated, I felt the room’s silence deep within my bones. No one uttered a word, and everyone sat so still that if a stranger walked in right now, they’d probably confuse everyone here with statues. A veil of awkwardness settled as all of Rune’s party began to glance between each other. None of us wanted to be here, and frankly, I didn’t think Rune’s family really wanted us here, either.

“So,” Alvaro started.

The sudden boom of his voice nearly made me jump out of my skin. I turned and found him looking in my direction.

Alvaro placed his fingers on his chin as he propped his elbow on the arm of the chair. “Bridgett. How was it you and Rune met? We’ve never seen you at Fox gatherings, so we’re curious.”

Forcing a polite smile, I said, “It’s Bria.” Asshole. “We actually met when we were both out one night with friends.”

“She won me over with her dancing,” Rune added. He smirked as he threaded our fingers together on top of the table.

The feel of Rune’s warmth grounded me, and the nerves started to subside. His touch was a reminder that I wasn’t alone in this stifling room with people who didn’t want me here.

I glanced at Aidan and found her narrowed eyes locked on my fingers laced with Rune’s. I wanted to smile, finding some satisfaction in her anger. It felt good to be openly chosen, especially after Aidan had tried seducing Rune the other night.

“So you met at a club,” Myra said, her tone matter-of-fact.

“How esteemed,” Lilith mumbled dryly.

“It’s how a lot of people meet these days,” Rune said, and I didn’t miss the edge creeping into his voice.

“Perhaps people with no class,” Sinopa commented without even looking in our direction.

Before anyone could respond, Myra asked, “How many children do you plan to have?”

Ardley spluttered on the water he’d just drunk. All eyes zeroed in on him as he choked, for which I was thankful, because I was pretty sure I resembled a tomato at the moment. I knew kids were a big part of why I was even here—to show Myra that Rune was ready to settle down and make lots of Fox babies. Still, being blatantly asked the question in front of everyone made me feel like I was sitting there naked with a single spotlight on me.

“Drink slower, son,” Crevan said with an unconcerned shake of his head.

“How about we don’t discuss babies and reproduction at the dinner table?” Ardley asked, giving an incredulous chuckle. “How does talking about our days like a normal fucking family sound? I’ll start. Today, we went to the beach.”

Ardley went through the events of the day, and he seemed overly happy about not letting anyone—specifically Aidan and Myra’s group—get in a word. Rune squeezed my hand and traced a small circle along my skin with his thumb. I gave him a faint smile, grateful that he was there. I was even more grateful that Ardley didn’t stop talking until the food arrived.

Men and women, including Charles and Edgar, came out a set of doors off the dining room. They carried trays covered with silver lids and placed them in a neat arrangement in the center of the table, easy for everyone to access.

When they removed the lids, my stomach dropped into a pit of unease. This dinner was about to get a lot harder.

Chapter Twenty-One

RAW MEAT. THERE were multiple trays with nothing but uncooked—and, in some cases, bloody—meat. One dish had slices of raw fish with the head of the creature placed in the middle of the pieces, and the round glassy eyes, devoid of all life, seemed to practically stare at me with a promise that I was next.

I also noticed something small and narrow on the fish platter. Anger simmered low in my blood, extinguishing my previously unsettled nerves. Near the fish head was a dead, preserved salamander, and it didn’t escape my attention that they seemed to have placed that plate directly in front of Marlow.

He began to squirm in his seat as he started mumbling, “Good salamander. Be a good salamander or that will be you. Good salamander. Be a good salamander. Don’t let them eat you, too.”

I frowned, wanting more than anything to reach out and hug him. I glanced at Myra to see if she was enjoying his reaction like the sick woman she was, but she wasn’t paying any mind to him. Instead she, like those near her, was taking different foods from the dishes set closest to her.

I glanced back at all the food, and my nerves seemed to come barreling back. Only one platter held fruits instead of meat, but it did little to reassure me. The Fae around me ate raw meat, but I wasn’t sure if it was safe for me to do so. Sure, I was Water Fae, but did that mean raw steak and chicken were safe? I wasn’t confident, and even if it was safe, the very idea of trying to bite into chewy, bleeding beef made me gag. The fruit was the safest route, but I worried that eating fruit alone would make me suspicious.

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