Page 1 (1/2)

1

"There is no torture so sweet, no punish shower"

The tortured vah to make Apollo ith jealousy, stood beside me at the threshold of a mansion in Oak Park, Illinois

The house belonged toto me

He wore a perfectly fitted dark suit, a crisp white shirt beneath The top button was undone to reveal the silver drop that rested in the hollow of his throat His hair was golden and fell to his shoulders, his eyes the green of flawless emeralds

"You rule a House of vaht monsters, sorcerers, evil politicians You can handle presents and party games for a couple of hours"

The look of horror that widened his eyes was priceless Not that I was thrilled about enteringhere felt like being corseted into a body that wasn’t quiteto be tortured alone Ethan was aze narrowed "You didn’t ames"

"It was understood," I said "That’s the nature of a wedding shower Just be glad it’s the only one you have to attend"

We’d have a short engage to the second--and ere now only two months away fro that would show off his bride-to-be--and as I to argue with that?--the brief engage and lead-in activities were compressed into a short tile couple’s shower instead of the varied bridal variety

Ethan arched a golden eyebrow, skiy dress I’d paired with low black boots, the pearls at my neck, the dark hair I’d left loose around my shoulders "You’ll owe me, Sentinel" He leaned forward, lips at my ear "And I mean to collect"

Just as he’d intended, my blood went hot "You’ll have plenty of time to collect after the party" I swept past hirinned back "We are immortal, after all"

• • •

My parents’Frank Lloyd Wright look-alikes, had been outfitted hite and silver streamers and paper lanterns that were unusually usual for a wedding shower Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad

My er, had organized the party I’d given them a list of my friends, and they’d handpicked the rest of the invitees based on some complicated calculus they hadn’t fully explained to h symbols to populate a spell book

"Happy shower!" My ne flutes in hand Charlotte stood in front of a long table covered with silver dishes and tiered trays of food We both had our father’s dark hair, although hers were green to lanced back and waved, and I did the same

"Thank you, Mom," I said, and took the flute, noted the crine