BOUND (#1, of Crows and Thorns)

Chapter 72

We walked across the lawn toward the marquee. The grandly arched opening and windows allowed us to see inside, and as we drew nearer, I could feel the mood of the engagement celebrations wasn't what Evvie had anticipated. The atmosphere crackled with tension, and there was an eagerness amongst the Houses that crept across my skin like a thin layer of frost.

As Graysen and I strode past the elegantly arranged garden and park benches outside the entrance, I saw that the Heads of Houses had gathered into tight pockets throughout the tent. Our elders mingled or danced, as did the younger family members—the next generation. Frivolity reigned at the banquet tables or where my peers stood, drinking, eating, laughing, but throughout it all, the topic of the Estlores hung over everything. How had Elyse hidden herself without anyone suspecting she was an other? What was going to happen now that Sia was Head of Lower House Estlore?

My stomach rose at the sight. How could they carry on like this after what they'd just witnessed at the temple, the brutality of it all? Disgust sickened my insides to see what was going on within the marquee, the response to that savage death of the Estlore parents, and Elyse being stolen by the Horned Gods.

But then what had I done?

Was I no better?

I'd given myself to Graysen to smother the horror and bloodshed, the pain and guilt.

Shame painfully cut through me and I came to a stumbling halt, clenching my fingers in the soft folds of my dress. The shattered adamere bracelet chimed as the beads struck one another. "I-I shouldn't have done it... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to disrespect the Estlores by sleeping..." With you—I should have said, but I couldn't continue. Remorse burned the backs of my eyes with salty tears.

A hand at my back startled me to half-twist around and face Graysen. His dark eyes, full of understanding, held mine as he gently tucked a stray lock behind my ear. "No. That was a normal response to what happened inside the temple. Much like after a funeral. And you needed to expel that wild emotion that could have shown itself." Sweeping a hand wide, he gestured at the tent. "This...this isn't right."

We'd obviously missed everything. The dinner and speeches were over. Mozart flowed from the string quartet. Along with the chatter and intrigue that hummed in my ears were sips of champagne. A burst of laughter. The glide of feet dancing over parquet flooring.

My heels pushed into the soft earth as I shifted my weight, my eyebrows slashing upwards. "It's not right. How can they just act as if nothing has happened?"

"You've been sheltered from this, Nelle. This is our way, as it's always been. The Estlore deaths aren't the first we've witnessed before. And the Houses now will be considering a reshuffle of alignments."

I scowled, crossing my arms over my chest. "They're a nest of snakes."

He hummed his response, a yes, but also with the downward quirk of his lips, a no. "Not everyone feels the same." His eyes slid to where House Troelson and Simonis sat around a series of banquet tables, their mood a little more somber than the other guests. "They don't. Neither do the Qillisans, Lyons, Văduvas, and I suspect a few more Houses. Elyse was well-liked, a skilled hunter. Her parents and House respected too." He returned his gaze to me, tilting his head to say quietly, "Some of the smiles you see in there are masks. No one right now can afford to be seen as weak, or give away how they truly feel about what they witnessed in the temple. Especially if Sirro is still in there with them. Some will feel exactly like you. Don't be too harsh on them."