Shadowburn (2)

Chapter 54

Sin finished the donuts, then eyed the empty table with a sigh. She was still starving.

She looked at Raiden as he discarded two cards, utterly at ease. It was rather amazing, she decided, to see him so relaxed. She was used to seeing him in his capacity as her general, but here, he had nothing to do.

Though it obviously bored him, he seemed to be making the best of it. And the vodka he'd summoned--she still hadn't asked how he'd done that--was easily the best she'd ever tasted. As had been the donuts he had apparently made.

Raiden De'nerian was full of surprises, it seemed.

"So... are you going to make more donuts?" She asked, looking hopefully at Raiden. He glanced at her as Casian discarded cards of his own.

"I was not planning to, no."

Sin pouted and tapped her fork against her plate. "All of you are going to have to start eating less," she told the rest of them seriously.

Eric smirked at her. "You want more food?"

She nodded.

"Show off," Xander muttered, but Sin ignored him as Eric waved a hand and food appeared. Lots of food.

She grinned at him. "Wonderful."

"Seriously, kid, how do you still have so much energy?" Kalen asked suddenly. Sin only listened to them with half her attention as she focused on filling her plate--after she discarded, of course. Even though they weren't keeping score or using money, she wasn't about to lose the game without a fight.

"I don't know," she heard Eric say. "But, I do know that's why Raphael and the Followers of Light took us. We are prodigies of some sort."

Sin finished filling her plate and glanced up at them, noticing Xander's bored expression. He was still eating as well, she saw, and smirked.

"That, I believe. I don't know about you," she pointed her fork at Eric, "but Xander over there is at least one part demigod."

Kalen looked at her, his eyebrows raised. "Eric definitely is. He's more powerful than me. At seventeen!"

Sin grinned. "Well, there you have it."

"Aww, is someone jealous?" Casian asked, causing Sin to snort.

Kalen opened his mouth, but Xander cut him off when he suddenly looked at Casian and said, "I can heal your wounds."

Sin tsked. "Oh, don't do that. Andreas already refused--he deserves them."

Casian blinked at Xander, then glared at Sin. "Shh, don't tell him that. And I did not deserve the beating Thorn gave me. That was uncalled for."

Sin narrowed her eyes. "Not really. You're underestimating how irritating you are."

"Ember wants me to heal him," Xander said suddenly.

"Can everyone talk to him now except me?" Casian asked, sounding a little exasperated. Sin laughed.

"Poor dragon boy, can't even talk to his dragon. Just what kind of lord are you?"

He sighed. "It's not my fault. The Fae are terrible at explaining things."

"Why thank you," Raiden said dryly from the head of the table. "I appreciate you stereotyping my entire race."

Casian grinned at Raiden as Sin fought a smile. "You are very welcome."

Raiden inclined his head in what Sin would've sworn was mock offense--or condescension. It might have even been both. She shoveled food into her mouth with one hand, clutched her cards with the other, and decided that today had been a very good day.