He didn’t let his eyes linger any lower than her chin. He caught a glimpse of Circe staring right where he wanted to look. He shoved his hands in his pockets to hide his tightened fists.

‘Shall we go?’ she stated softly. Tongue-tied, all he could do was smile and nod.

‘Have fun, kids,’ Circe said, closing the door behind them. ‘Take pictures. And be sure to convince everyone you can to not vote for Julius in the elections.’

Agatha nudged her.

‘What? There are going to be very important people jammed in that place.’

‘It’s going to be hard to convince people, considering it is my uncle’s party,’ Elnora murmured.

***

The taxi drove down to the Eastern Quarter, which Bethan had told him was where all the wealthy houses were. He was so used to the red-bricked apartments, terrace houses and sky-high buildings that the Eastern Quarter felt like an entirely different world. The streets in the suburbs were lined with vast and luxurious mansions, the roads narrowed, and the houses became more and more hidden behind grand gardens as they went on. The taxi took a sharp turn down an even narrower street. A large palatial home standing tall on a hill came into Kellan’s view; the car revved up the home’s driveway, allowing Kellan to figure out who owned the castle-like house.

The Rennigans’ home was like a palace made from alabaster, marble and limestone. The garden was excessive and extravagant, with glazed statues used as centrepieces.

They all walked up the cobblestone path that led to the house’s atrium. Bethan latched onto him as they climbed up the path. Wearing high stilettos, Bethan wobbled like a trembling fawn. He barely noticed she had gained four inches in height, deeming her just tall enough to reach past his shoulder. He wasn’t as observant as he once thought.

Two tall, lithe figures stood in front of the atrium’s door as silhouettes cast against the light. The two figures emerged from the darkness: a man who looked exactly like Julius but with greyer hair, stepped forward. It could only be Kai Rennigan, Elnora’s father. He was dressed in a well-tailored suit, and despite being shorter than Kellan, Kellan still felt small with Kai’s sharp eyes on him.

Elnora’s mother was unsettling in a different way. Sunni had a bright smile and an inviting tone in her voice. Like his sister Isla, she had mastered the art of insulting someone suitable for high society.

She wore a similar dress to Elnora, but instead of lilac, she wore the colour of darkness. Instead of feathered trimmings, she had a feather cape draped over her petite frame. She was a glimpse into what Elnora would look like in the future. Both had hair black as ink and hooded eyes with shimmery shadow.

They inched closer, Elnora already deep in conversation with her father, who ignored Sam.