12-30-2023, 03:38 AM
Maksim drew his brother away from the other guests. There was an intensity in Maksim's eyes that immediately put Ezvin on alert.
"How do you know Jensen?” Maksim asked, his tone low and urgent. His eyes were probing in a way that was very unlike his brother.
Ezvin, slightly taken aback, replied, "We met recently. But I don't know much about him, really. Tonight was... surprising." He thought about Jensen's display of channeling.
Maksim's expression grew more serious. “You came together?” He glanced in Jensen’s direction as if studying him anew, before he continued, “Be careful, Ezvin. Jensen... he's not someone to get tangled up with. I can’t tell you how I know this, though you might have guessed by now, but he's involved in people beyond our level. You don’t want to be mixed up in all that.”
Before Ezvin could probe further, Alina arrived at the party. The conversation shifted abruptly as Maksim and Ezvin went to greet her. Alina and Ezvin exchanged friendly hellos, a brief respite from the tension of the previous warning.
As the trio conversed, Ezvin's gaze wandered to Aiden, who was now standing alone, with his date having engaged Jensen. The earlier conversation with Jensen, coupled with Maksim's cryptic warning, left Ezvin conflicted. Part of him wanted to return to Jensen, to understand more about him and who he was tangled up with, but Maksim’s words echoed in his mind. He did guess, knowing some of the story that Maksim shared the night he left the hospital, but he wouldn’t confront Jensen about it. The worry threaded anyway. If what Maksim suggested was correct, Ezvin had every reason to stay away. Maksim might be afforded some protection as Scion’s heir, but such advantages were abridged extensions for Ezvin. Yet, although they were across the room, a quiet note of jealousy threatened to arise as he watched Sage and Jensen talk. He was utterly torn.
Taking a deep breath, Ezvin made something of a decision — or better yet, he procrastinated on making a more definitive one. He excused himself from Maksim and Alina. He quickly googled Aiden’s favorite drink, requested two from Adrian’s staff, and approached the rock star instead. The opportunity to talk to Aiden was too good to pass up, and perhaps it was for the best to keep a distance from Jensen, at least for now.
He offered the drink as a peacemaking gesture and tucked his hair behind one ear afterward with his free hand, summoning his courage. Even in his industry, it was a big deal to swap drinks with Aiden Finnegan. ”I still owed you that drink.”
"How do you know Jensen?” Maksim asked, his tone low and urgent. His eyes were probing in a way that was very unlike his brother.
Ezvin, slightly taken aback, replied, "We met recently. But I don't know much about him, really. Tonight was... surprising." He thought about Jensen's display of channeling.
Maksim's expression grew more serious. “You came together?” He glanced in Jensen’s direction as if studying him anew, before he continued, “Be careful, Ezvin. Jensen... he's not someone to get tangled up with. I can’t tell you how I know this, though you might have guessed by now, but he's involved in people beyond our level. You don’t want to be mixed up in all that.”
Before Ezvin could probe further, Alina arrived at the party. The conversation shifted abruptly as Maksim and Ezvin went to greet her. Alina and Ezvin exchanged friendly hellos, a brief respite from the tension of the previous warning.
As the trio conversed, Ezvin's gaze wandered to Aiden, who was now standing alone, with his date having engaged Jensen. The earlier conversation with Jensen, coupled with Maksim's cryptic warning, left Ezvin conflicted. Part of him wanted to return to Jensen, to understand more about him and who he was tangled up with, but Maksim’s words echoed in his mind. He did guess, knowing some of the story that Maksim shared the night he left the hospital, but he wouldn’t confront Jensen about it. The worry threaded anyway. If what Maksim suggested was correct, Ezvin had every reason to stay away. Maksim might be afforded some protection as Scion’s heir, but such advantages were abridged extensions for Ezvin. Yet, although they were across the room, a quiet note of jealousy threatened to arise as he watched Sage and Jensen talk. He was utterly torn.
Taking a deep breath, Ezvin made something of a decision — or better yet, he procrastinated on making a more definitive one. He excused himself from Maksim and Alina. He quickly googled Aiden’s favorite drink, requested two from Adrian’s staff, and approached the rock star instead. The opportunity to talk to Aiden was too good to pass up, and perhaps it was for the best to keep a distance from Jensen, at least for now.
He offered the drink as a peacemaking gesture and tucked his hair behind one ear afterward with his free hand, summoning his courage. Even in his industry, it was a big deal to swap drinks with Aiden Finnegan. ”I still owed you that drink.”