Page 76 of Magic Forsaken

The first day of the Symposium—today, in fact—would feature a welcome reception. The following morning, they would engage in a closed deliberation among the delegates, and on the third day, solutions would be proposed, edited, and voted on before they were hammered into the form of law. At the end of the third day would be a celebratory banquet, followed by a ceremonial signing on the fourth. Thankfully, the Idrian process seemed to be far more speedy and streamlined than the human one.

“Yes, well, I thought we were finished, too.” Angelica looked almost frazzled.Almost.Three hairs had fallen from her chignonand there was a slight crease along the side of her jacket. I had a feeling both the hairs and the jacket would pay later for their insubordination. “But three of our plus-ones were canceled after the attacks yesterday, and that’s thrown off the numbers.”

“I don’t see Raine’s name.”

Both Angelica and Heather turned to regard their boss with puzzled agitation.

“She’s not a delegate,” Angelica reminded him, shooting me an annoyed frown. “And rumors are already circulating that she’s more bodyguard than assistant. Are you certain this is a message you wish to send?”

“Then make her my plus-one.” Callum just dropped that bomb into the conversation and then shrugged as if it were utterly inconsequential. “That should help even out the numbers.”

“I…” The ever-collected Angelica actually sputtered in shock. “She’s not…”

“Raine is half shapeshifter, and a member of my court,” Callum replied evenly, dropping jaws on every side.

Thank you, Your Majesty, for announcing that in the most awkward way possible.

“And if you believe that none of the delegates or their companions were chosen for the sake of protection, you’re far more naive than I expected,” he continued. “Not when a full third of them are also seneschals. Regarding my own choices… I don’t care what the other delegates choose to think. I want Raine there.”

Aaaand he doubled down on the awkward. Angelica and Heather were both staring at me, I could feel eyes on my back from the other side of the office, and I had to remind myself to breathe normally. To pretend I’d known this was coming.

While also plotting the violent death of a certain dragon who had most certainlynotwarned me what he was planning.

“She will need a dress,” Angelica stated flatly, her gaze raking me much as it had when we’d first met, only this time with more apprehension than dismissal. “And very likely an etiquette lesson.”

“I’ll take care of it,” Callum said briefly, his eyes meeting mine firmly with an unspoken request to let him do the talking.

I complied, if only because I was too dumbfounded to speak. Dumbfounded, furious, and more than a little horrified.

I managed to hold my silence all the way through the next half hour when he finally gestured for me to follow him out of the team office and down the stairs.

But the explosion could only be put off for so long. The pressure continued to build until the moment we set foot in the event space on the first floor, which had already been prepared for the opening reception, with tall cocktail tables, a few clusters of elegant but uncomfortable looking chairs, and a gentle rippling sound from the wall fountain now covering the spot where the graffiti had been.

“Have you lost your tiny dragon mind?”

Callum stopped as if I’d hit him.

“What in the actual heck were you thinking?” I demanded.

I probably should have been a little scared of the consequences of my outburst. He was still the same dragon who could throw a lion across a room or crush me where I stood. Still both wildly intimidating and unbelievably gorgeous, with his slightly mussed auburn hair, perfectly cut cheekbones, and that barely shadowed granite jawline.

But at some point, I’d stopped being afraid of him. So I did not flinch, even when those eyes of amber flame burned hot in response to my question.

“I thought we agreed to announce your shapeshifter heritage,” he said, sounding puzzled. “This strategy seemed like the best course under the circumstances. Our saboteur is likelygetting desperate. They’re going to try stopping us again, and I’m going to need all the help I can get to ensure that no one is hurt if they decide to attack the delegates. Whether you believe me or not, your defensive abilities are strong and your instincts are good, so the closer you can be to the center of the action, the better.”

It seemed he truly believed that, even though he knew less than half of what I was capable of.

“Also, I was thinking about Leith’s warning, and decided that if he intends to start a rumor, we might as well get ahead of it. He can’t create any shock or outrage with a dating scandal if we’ve already hinted at the news ourselves.”

But that meant… He was insinuating…

“But then everyone will think…” I didn’t even have words for this. How could he just casually throw around the idea of everyone believing that we were acouple?

“Unless it makes you uncomfortable. There’s no rule that says you can’t be my employee and… my date.” He’d hesitated oddly before that last word. As if he’d almost said something else.

Not that it mattered. The entire concept was…

Ridiculous. Appalling. Panic-inducing. But also somehow perfect. With a side order of completely impossible, threaded with an undeniable ache of longing.

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