Chapter 26 The Picnic

• Elara
• We ended up on a soft patch of grass, the sun warming our faces as we settled on a checkered picnic blanket spread out in the field behind the estate. Zoe and Ella squealed with excitement, running in circles around the basket while Annie hovered a few steps away, looking unsure, and Clyde stood with his hands tucked behind his back, that easygoing smile on his face.
• Alaric sat down on the blanket, his expression calm but his shoulders taut. I felt his gaze flick to me more than once, as if he couldn’t quite decide what he thought of my new dress. I could almost feel Alaric’s thoughts buzzing around me: was he admiring the dress? Or was he just noticing how different I looked compared to what his mother had intended?