Page 43 of Deck of Scarlets
But it was her sheer ease that made my stomach upset. How easily she dismissed what happened, like how do you explain water turning black? Magic? There was no way, yet she was unharmed beside me, feasting as if it were her last supper.
“Remi?” Josh said. I hadn’t realized he sat across from my place at the table.
“Yeah, sorry. Just a little… surprised,” I confessed.
Kal had finally joined the supper, only to sit as far away from our little group as possible. Thank God.
I looked back over at Josh to find him handing me a plate filled with different meats and sides.
Heather topped it off with a garnish before pouring a hearty glass of red wine. “Eat, please.”
“The food is excellent and you’re missing out just sitting there with a frown on your face.” Josh scooped up a spoonful of veggie mix and devoured it in one mouthful.
I aggressively stabbed at some baby carrots. “Happy?”
He raised an eyebrow and took a sip of the wine. “Ecstatic.”
“If I knew sooner of your acceptance, Remi, I wouldn’t have been so secretive around you,” said Heather, drawing my attention away from Mr. Pain in the Ass.
Nibbling on the baby carrot, I eyed her from the side. “Yeah, I didn’t realize it was a secret.”
The entire table fell silent. A clear sign they were all eavesdropping.
I caught Chloe’s stare, her words floating back to me for a second time. Stay away from the elite. You have no business with us.
I guess I’m one of them now.
“There is a lot to discuss after tonight, but for now, ladies, we will feast in honor of your successful cleansing,” said Father Benedict, raising a wine glass.
Others followed suit, but Chloe remained fixated on me. I squirmed under her stare and turned my attention back to Heather and Josh, thankful for their distraction. We chatted as if what had happened before was a distant memory, which made swallowing the food a bit easier. The white capes never looked up from their meal, and after finishing before us, they exited the room without glancing in our direction.
Josh must’ve been following my gaze and said, “Those are the Aces. The head of this Order.”
“The Aces?” I asked.
“Only a select few from the Scarlets and the Tutelary Saints are chosen to guide the others after they’ve served a certain number of years in the Order,” explained Josh.
I dropped my utensils and leaned forward. “What and what?”
A light chuckle came from Heather’s left. “Josh thinks he’s the master of everything in the Order.”
“Fuck off, Baron.” Josh threw a dinner roll at him, but he caught it with ease. Baron had a familiarity about him; I couldn’t quite put my finger on it.
“Sensitive, are we?” he teased. His dark hair fanned his brows, those bright hazel eyes filled with humor, right down to his dark, flawless complexion. He was quite mesmerizing to look at. Jeremy would find him delectable. Which reminded me…
“Does Nickie know?” I asked Josh, ignoring Baron.
His hand was frozen mid-air with a piece of steak stuck to the fork. “No.”
“Who’s Nickie?” asked Heather.
“His lover,” snickered Baron.
Josh’s eyes turned into dangerous slits. “Mind your business.” His words were filled with venom.
“Well?” I edged.
“Well, what? Our relationship isn’t up for discussion.”