“Really?” Tawny sighed. “You were smiling like this.”
Then, she smiled, her mouth half-open and cheeks so wide they looked like they were full of cotton.
She looked ridiculous.
“I was not,” I hissed.
“You were,” Kieran remarked, his shoulder brushing mine as he entered the other chamber. He looked over his shoulder. “And it was kind of disturbing.”
My mouth dropped open as he joined Casteel and Malik, who spoke in low voices. I turned back toward Tawny. “Was I really?”
She nodded.
I cringed. “Even with my mouth open?”
“Maybe not the mouth part,” she said.
Thank the gods.
“But it was a huge smile.”
I sighed. “I was trying to be…friendly. You know, because I…”
“Threatened to feed her to barrats?”
I didn’t need to confirm that. “And because you two seem…friendly. Close.”
Pale brows arched, creating wrinkles in her warm-brown skin. “We do?”
Okay, perhaps both Casteel and I had misread their relationship. “Or not?”
“I’m kidding. We are friendly.” Tawny giggled, a white curl falling against her cheek as she leaned in. “And close.”
“Exactly how close?”
Tawny grinned as she straightened, brushing an imaginary piece of lint from her gold-hued gown. “Well…”
“Tawny,” I pressed when she fell silent.
She glanced up, her pale, nearly colorless eyes dancing with…joy.Life. So much, that it was a relief to see. It also hurt. “We are—”
“Penellaphe,” Valyn’s voice rang out from the other chamber. He stood in the entryway. “It’s close to time.”
Damn it.
“We’ll talk later,” Tawny said, turning to a serving table.
We would.
We had to.
But not just about Gianna.
“Here.” She all but shoved a glass of wine into my hands. “Drink this. You’ll do great.”
“Thank you.”
The trace of stale lilacs was barely noticeable as she hugged me and whispered, “Just don’t do that smiling thing again.”
