The second Rhys and Catherine vanished from Yvaine's party, the vibe bounced right back as if they'd never existed. Yvaine was in her element, gliding from group to group like she'd grown up on a champagne tray. She laughed too loud, hugged too many people, and somehow remembered everyone's dog's name. It was her birthday, after all, so every time someone raised a glass, she drank like it was her duty. I kept an eye on her between sips of my own watered-down cocktail. Meanwhile, Cassian had parked himself beside me with a drink he didn't touch and a smile that was trying a little too hard. He asked where I was from, what I did, whether I preferred Cosmopolitan or Old Fashioned—but he wasn't fooling anyone. He knew, and he was dying to get the story behind why his goo

