Page 238 of Halfblood Deceived

“Can we sit for a while?” Aella asked.

Zeydan smiled. “Of course.”

She held onto his arm as they went up the marble stairs, right behind Kamilla, Gabby, and Lex.

Fortunately, the arrival of the vampire princess drew most of the looks from the many people in fancy outfits.

A warm hand gently gripped Aella’s forearm. She knew who it was even before turning toward him.

“You look beautiful, darling,” Sebastian enthused. Like Zeydan, he was wearing a black suit but without a tie, and his shirt was green. The exact shade of green of Aylana’s magic.

“Thank you, Sebastian,” Aella said as they arrived at the top of the stairs. “So do you. Where’s Aylana?”

Sebastian sighed and pouted. “Tangled up in private detective matters. She’ll arrive a bit late.” He smiled at her. “Luckily, I shall have excellent company tonight while I wait for her.”

Aella chuckled.

Zeydan tensed slightly, growling low for just one second, but Aella heard it clear as day.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

Sebastian tsked. “I think my dearest cousin is feeling a wee bit jealous.”

Aella blinked. Her stomach flipped unpleasantly.

She is mine; the words rang in Aella’s mind. But that wasn’t Zeydan’s voice. It wasn’t.

Sebastian patted Aella’s hand. “We supernaturals all lose our minds a bit when we think our partners are being ogled.”

By then, they’d arrived at an empty table. It had a crystal centerpiece with a subtle privacy spell, just like the tables in the VIP section of Hecate.

Zeydan pulled a chair for Aella. She sat, torn between gauging his expression or not. Don’t be a chicken, she commanded herself, straightening her spine and regarding him.

Zeydan gave her a small, apologetic smile as he sat to her right. “Sebastian is, unfortunately, right.”

Sebastian took his place next to Zeydan. His platinum eyes, bright with mischievous amusement, meet Aella’s. “Let’s have a little demonstration.” He placed his arm on the backrest of Zeydan’s chair and leaned into Zeydan’s personal space, batting his eyelashes. “Has anyone told you how gorgeous you look tonight, darling?”

Aella snorted. She placed her hand over her mouth.

Zeydan arched a brow at Sebastian. “Yes. Aella did a few minutes ago. And you know this is absolutely disturbing, right? You are my cousin.”

Sebastian smiled coyly, completely undaunted. Even though Aella could see with her peripheral vision that at least six people were gawking at him. “Third cousin, it hardly counts,” he argued. “And you do look ravaging tonight, dear,” Sebastian drawled, bopping Zeydan’s nose.

Zeydan batted Sebastian’s hand away, brow furrowed, but lips twitching with a suppressed smile. “If you do that again, you’ll lose that finger.”

“Promises, promises,” Sebastian teased.

Aella’s shoulders shook with laughter. “Oh, gods.”

Sebastian straightened, turning his attention toward Aella again. “So, you’re not even a bit jealous?”

She shook her head. “No. I—I’m not used to feeling jealous, to be honest. And I know you didn’t mean it.”

“I admire how reasonable you are, Aella,” Sebastian said, giving Zeydan a look.

Zeydan sighed. “Point made. But you hardly get to lecture me, you tosser. You get growly and territorial every time Aroth talks to Aylana.”

Sebastian growled low. “That’s because Aroth has harbored a little crush on my soulmate for a long, long time.” He wrinkled his patrician nose. “And we’re not talking about me.” He looked over Aella’s shoulder and smirked. “Aella, six o’clock, two tables over. Vampire female in a white dress.”

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