Page 70 of Only Cold Depths
“Invitedis a strong word,” Zane drawled, jumping into the conversation. “Your mother made us pay through the nose for the privilege of coming to this shiny little marriage slaughterhouse.”
Asterin slapped her hands on her hips. “Marriagemart. It’s an Erzton tradition.”
Zane waggled his fingers. “Call it what you wish, but I know grasping treachery and desperate deception when I see it. If they could, all the Erzton lords and ladies would eliminate their rivals and take what they wanted, rather than going through the tedious, torturous rigamarole of marrying their offspring together.”
“You were right about one thing,” Siya chimed in. “He’s certainly a jackass. I don’t envy you, sister.”
Asterin gave her a sharp look, but Siya grinned back, merriment dancing in her eyes.
I looked at Vesper.Are you okay? Did Zane hurt you?
I’m fine, she replied, her voice soft and dull in my mind.I can’t believehe’shere. I can’t believe the three ofthemare here.Whyare they here?
Her heartache rippled through the bond, along with sparks of anger.
Wendell held his hands out in a placating gesture. “Vesper, we came here alone. No Holloway, no Arrows, no one else. All we want is to talk. Can we do that? Please?”
An earnest plea filled his voice, and even more heartache rippled off Vesper. This was the first time she’d seen and spoken to Wendell since they’d both learned that he was her father.
A third wave of heartache rippled through the bond, but Vesper crossed her arms over her chest and gave Wendell a cool look. “We have nothing to discuss.”
Beatrice stepped forward, her long skirt rustling with the movement. “We have everything to discuss.”
Vesper gave her grandmother the same cool look she had given her father. “The last time I checked, I wasn’t a member of House Zimmer, so you can’t order me to do anything.”
Several seconds ticked by in tense silence. Then Beatrice cleared her throat. “Wendell is right,” she said in a much softer voice. “All we want to do is to talk, Vesper. Please.”
Vesper kept glowering at her grandmother, but doubt crept into her eyes, and her stern expression softened just a bit.
“You might as well give in and say yes,” Zane piped up. “We’ve come halfway across the galaxy to see you, and I, for one, am not leaving until we have a proper conversation.”
He grinned at Asterin. “Although I’m sure I can find allsortsof things to amuse myself with on Sygnustern while I wait for my sister to grant us an audience.”
Asterin’s eyes narrowed in commensurate measure to Zane’s grin growing wider. He really was an arrogant, insufferable jackass, but unfortunately, he meant every word. I’d seen Zane dig himself in and be far more obstinate about far less important things than the long-lost sister he never knew he had.
Vesper glanced at me, and I shrugged back. It was her choice, and I would support whatever she decided.
“Fine.”Vesper ground out the word. “Let’s talk.”
She crossed her arms a little more firmly over her chest, almost as if she was shielding herself from whatever the Zimmers had come here to say. I stepped closer to Vesper, letting her feel that I was right beside her, no matter what happened.
“Well?” Vesper snapped. “You wanted to talk, so get on with it.”
“Not here,” Zane replied. “Too many prying eyes.”
He jerked his thumb to the side. Several Erztonians had gathered at the edge of the garden, peering in this direction. Zane was right. This wasn’t a conversation to have in front of an audience.
“Fine.” Vesper ground out the word again. “Where do you suggest we talk?”
Zane perked up, as if she’d asked a question he’d been just dying to answer. “Lady Verona was kind enough to offer us some suites at the Collier estate.”
I bit back a curse. Not only was Zane on Sygnustern, but he’d finagled his way onto the estate. This just kept getting worse and worse.
Asterin whirled around to her mother. “You invited the Zimmers to stay with you? That breaks all sorts of marriage mart protocols!”
Verona shrugged again. “I thought it would be the simplest and easiest solution to have everyone in the same place. Especially given the complicated matters Vesper, Kyrion, and the Zimmers need to discuss.”
Asterin threw her hands up in exasperation. Siya, Rigel, and Leland frowned, as did Aldrich, all clearly confused about Vesper’s connection to the Zimmers.
