Dinner at Wrenmouth Manor was a strange affair.
Catalina sat at the head of Kade's elegant dining table, surrounded by the five men who'd pledged themselves to her cause. Talon sat to her right, dark and watchful, his scarred hands resting on the table like weapons temporarily set aside. Jace was across from him, still wearing his rebel's coat, looking vaguely uncomfortable with the formal setting but hiding it behind easy charm. Bastian occupied the chair to her left, his violet eyes occasionally flickering with magical awareness, as if he could see threads of power connecting them all. And Kade, playing host in his own manor, presided over the meal with the sophisticated grace of someone who'd spent years navigating noble society.
But Evander—Evander stood near the wall, half in shadow
