Octavia had already drifted into the doorway, her shoulders squared, her chin up. Her face impassive. Parties with strangers were kind of like battle, right? And she didn't shrink away from a fight.

(Especially when she could use it to distract herself.)

For a second, she considered pretending she hadn't heard Duke, that she hadn't even been listening. Then she glanced back over her shoulder.

"Always."