Page 86 of Research with Rivals
He flipped another pancake and turned to me, brow furrowed and hands at his hips. “You thought I approved it just for the sake of doing so?”
“Well, yes,” I replied. “You had no other reason to even read that paper.”
“Other than caring about what my son spends his time on? Experiments we agreed he shouldn’t be conducting.” He waved the spatula at me. “It may have been convenient timing, I admit that, but I would never forge approval on an academic paper. I’d hope you know me better than that.”
I sighed. Maybe I did? I no longer knew what to believe. At the end of the day, I didn’t like that this technicality was a convenient reason for the Vesten Point to choose me instead of Evelyn. It didn’t consider what we each brought to the position. It reduced the decision to data points without context—now conveniently tipped in my favor.
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner how much blood magic work I was doing, but I want you to know I chose to work on it. I should have been honest about that.”
He turned back to his pancakes. “It’s alright. You did what you had to. Now that you’ll be Vesten historian, you’ll have more control over what goes on there. You can point them in the right direction.”
“That’s not—” Suddenly, I was so tired, but I needed to clear this up. He needed to understand our differing opinions. “That’s not what I’m going to do, Father.” I ran my hand through my hair. “I’ll expand our blood magic research. It’s too important.”
“The risk is too?—”
“There is risk. I acknowledge that. Evelyn taught me ways to mitigate it. Part of our job is to learn these things so when others are in need, we have solutions to offer.”
“It’s dangerous.”
I sighed. “I don’t deny that. All blood magic is dangerous. But we’ve also proven it’s necessary.”
He looked like he’d say more, but I didn’t want to hear it now.
“I have to go.” I turned and left the kitchen. My siblings received a tired smile and a quick goodbye before I left the apartment. There was one more thing I could try.
35
Evelyn
Tears blurred my vision as I opened the staff door to Parkview Tavern. I grabbed an apron from the hook and walked down the hallway. I hadn’t known when I would return from Compass Lake, but Seraphina had said to come into work when I could. I’d missed multiple days, and I didn’t want to disappoint her now. This was one thing I could do.
The tavern had always been a safe space for me. Even as my academic career crumbled to pieces, I knew Seraphina and Parkview Tavern would have a crisp ale and a warm atmosphere waiting for me.
While it wasn’t a guarantee that Ambrose’s paper clearing the review process would grant him the position, it was not nothing. Carter and Gabriel said we were evenly matched. Once, that might have angered me, but now I saw it for what it was—we brought out the best in each other.
Ambrose loved history. He’d studied enough to know that blood magic played a vital role on the continent, even when thefae didn’t acknowledge it. He didn’t diminish the importance of learning more about blood magic’s capabilities, even if he was cautious about it.
I knew Ambrose would do well as Vesten historian. That had never been in doubt.
The problem was how much I’d wanted it. I might not have loved history the way he did, but I respected it. I read it and learned from it. What we learned from history would shape our future. I knew I could help the Vesten Court learn from its mistakes and build on the changes that the Compass Points had started.
Before I arrived beside the bar, I swiped away my tears. Seraphina was mixing a drink, and Luna and Vincent sat on stools opposite her. The picture of the three of them together felt like home. Even with the tavern filled, the females’ attention turned directly toward me, and something in both of their expressions shifted.
Luna stood before I could say anything, and she pointed to Vincent to take Seraphina’s place behind the bar. Seraphina walked toward me, a look of concern furrowing her brow. She took my shoulders and turned me around, heading back down the hallway through which I’d just arrived.
“I think we need a consult,” she said.
The tightness in my chest that had been there since Ambrose and I severed our bond finally released. Seraphina squeezed my shoulders, and Luna snuck by us to hold open the door.
“Are we going to stand in the water again?” I asked.
Luna glanced at Seraphina. “I don’t see why we wouldn’t. It has worked miracles in the past.”
That was questionable, but honestly, I wanted to. And even though wanting things could lead to disappointment, my time with Ambrose made me think that maybe the risk—the dream of what could happen—was worth the potential disappointment.
That wasn’t a theory I could test now. Now, I wanted to do something utterly ridiculous with my closest friends.
“Evelyn’s choice,” Seraphina said.
