All I wanted to do was find out what it was, to comfort him, to … to touch him. He was in his regular chair at the head, which put him in just the right position for the two of us to hold hands on the table.

God help me. Could I show that kind of affection in front of others without having it be misunderstood as insolence toward my employer? But his skin was calling to me, and I think he needed the touch as much as I did. Fighting the magnetic pull to be near him was uncomfortable.

Why are you doing this to yourself, Andi?

Beautiful wasn’t a word I’d ever use for Magnus if we were strangers passing on the street, but knowing him was like encountering the beauty of a snake. Feared and misunderstood, through no fault of his own. Slender, almost delicate looking, but with undeniable strength beneath the surface. Frightened, hiding and lashing out in turns. It was a brand of beauty not meant for everyone. He had no charm to speak of and all of it at once, made of unruly hair and awkward pauses and shy smiles.

But that didn’t mean anything. It was irrational. Those weren’t reasons to fall in love with—

“What’s so funny?”

I looked up from my food at Kelela sitting across from me. She had long, golden box braids tonight, decorated with thin golden chains and golden flowers made of beads. I’d been proud of my hair makeover, but she looked stunning. Radiant. The most unwise thing I could do would be to compliment her.

She had a curious expression on her lovely face, but an untrustworthy one, like she intended to use my response to shame me in some way.

“Funny?” I replied, keeping my tone level. “I don’t remember laughing.”

“You were smiling.”

Were you, Andi? “I’m just enjoying the food.”

“Peggy is the best,” Esjay chimed in. “I really need to get her recipes for our personal chef.”

“And I’ll need to learn them too,” Kelela said. “Or at least all of Magnus’s favorites.” She grinned at me. “Good advice for you in the future, Andromeda—the way to keep a husband happy is through his stomach.”

It was a seemingly innocent comment, but the implication twisted my gut.

“You don’t need to learn to cook,” Esjay said, “that’s why you hire someone. Focus on your studies.”

“Yes, brother,” she replied, but I could see the victory in her expression. She knew she’d rattled me.

“Oh, you’re engaged?” I asked, trying to keep my tone just as light despite my slowly tightening throat. “Magnus has never mentioned that.”

“Why would he mention it? Men don’t care about things like weddings, do you, Magnus?”

Magnus made a vague sound, though I couldn’t tell if it was a yes or no.

It felt like a betrayal either way.