Page 114 of Onyx Cage: Volume II
Unfortunately for him, she caught on shortly after Avani did.
“Does your family play games like this?” Gallagher asked as Davin dodged another assault from Gwyn, begging Avani to switch places with him the next round.
“Not…quite like this,” I answered with a sideways glance.
“Don’t let him fool you,” Rowan countered. “His men like to drink and play cards the same as the rest of us. Even Taras enjoys a good arseprint contest. The Socairans only pretend to be no fun, but if that were true, why would they have so much vodka?”
I chuckled at the memory of her teaching them to play Kings and Arselings…and the subsequent tenuous morning-after she had experienced. Even then, she had been impressive, if a bit lacking in common sense. She had ridden without complaint, pulling her hood around her to shield her eyes and gritting her teeth through her apparent nausea.
“Fair point,” Avani allowed, lifting her glass again before draining it.
I reached across Rowan to refill it, and Davin quickly knocked his back as well, holding out his glass toward me.
“I wouldn’t go right to fun.” A rare shadow crossed his face as he stared at the clear liquid filling up his cup, but his voice was low enough that I wasn’t sure we were actually meant to hear it.
Not for the first time, I was curious about what had transpired for him while Rowan had been with me. Between his concerns about her safety and his several casual remarks, I could surmise it hadn’t been pleasant.
Avani narrowed her eyes, assessing him. Catching her scrutiny, he pasted on a blithe smile that turned more genuine when he did actually beat Gwyn. Her expression was likewise forthright, only it showed something closer to murder.
Gallagher pressed his arm against hers, raising his eyebrows mockingly, and she rolled her eyes.
“Good game, Cousin,” she said in a loud, false voice.
“And you as well, Cousin,” Davin returned graciously.
Rowan giggled at my side, leaning close enough that her curls brushed along the bare skin of my forearm. Amber and citrus wafted toward me, stirring something inside me.
Even if she wanted to wait for our wedding night to take things further, I would happily spend the night drowning in her kisses.
But that was not to be.
Halfway through the game of Dominion, the clock chimed midnight. Avani lurched over, placing her hands in front of my eyes.
Instinct roared at me to eliminate the threat to my line of sight, but her playful, “Oh, no,” brought me to my senses, along with the giggles around the table.
“What...” I began.
“It’s tradition,” Rowan all but yelled, pulling away from me. “We can’t see each other the day of the wedding.”
Images of her hair spilled onto the pillow next to mine vanished into the vodka-scented air.
“What if I don’t like this tradition?” I challenged, stopping just short of physically hauling her back toward me.
Gwyn’s voice sounded out from behind me. “Our parents didn’t obey that rule, and look what happened. War.”
“No one wants a war, Van,” Avani said, like it was the most reasonable thing in the world and not a ridiculous superstition keeping my lemmikki from my bed tonight.
My future bride’s giggle eliminated most of my burgeoning disappointment. I could be patient for one more night.
With enough vodka.
“All right, I relent.” I let out a small laugh, surprised when I didn’t have to force it.
Her amusement was infectious, and it was hard to be too disappointed when she was going to be mine tomorrow.
Or today, rather.
“I’ll keep my eyes closed,” I promised, complying.