“I’m ssssssorry that it’s not me. Orders and … what not,” the lieutenant slurs, swaying on his feet.
Gods, how much has he drank?
Williams is notoriously bad at his appointed position, but this is a new low for him. Emerald needs a new military liaison,and if I can somehow convince the governor of Topaz to vote with me, maybe our new king will finally relieve our region of this insult.
“Can you please escort the Lieutenant to his rooms?”
No sooner have the words left my lips does Williams’ body involuntarily pitch forward toward me, the guards barely catching him by the arm before he faceplants.
The drunk continues his mumbling as they haul his half-conscious body down the hallway and away from the party.
“I guess this is as good a time as any to tell you.” My father turns to face me, placing both hands on my shoulders to steady himself. “You’re not going to like this, but … the Lord General has sent a soldier to escort you to Amale and I’ve agreed to accept his request.”
“You’re right, I don’t like that,” I say flatly. “We have plenty of soldiers who are loyal to Emerald. You can’t possibly trust one of Marks’ men with my safety.”
“Normally, no, but this is different. There’s more at play here than you know.”
“Like what?”
He slowly shakes his head in dismissal, his eyes cutting to the crowd that lingers in the open doorway.
“You can’t expect me to leave without all of the information, Father. Failure dooms all of Corinth.”
“I can and you will. Some things are better experienced. Trust my judgement, Ivy.” He tucks an errant strand of fawny hair behind my ear. A soft smile appears on his face as he slowly trails a knuckle over the dusting of freckles that accent my cheekbones. “Gods, you are so much like her.”
I wish I could take the compliment that is so frequently given. I barely remember her beyond her final days—days spent at our cottage by the Eastern Sea, too weak to even lift her head from the pillow. I don’t feel the light in me that I’m told was sopresent in her. Only carefully concealed anger and a gnawing, decaying emptiness lives where it should be.
I square my shoulders and stiffen my spine, refusing to let the grief that still lingers in her absence drag me under tonight. I raise my shields and slip on the mask of the polished politician he raised me to be instead.
“I think I’m an awful lot like my father, too.”
“More than you know, Ivy.”
The Governor pulls me into an embrace before leaving me in the hallway.
With a deep inhale, I step into the dining room and the sea of green that surrounds the banquet table.
Among the Corninthian nobility, clothes are akin to currency, even the color of clothing is a statement. My brown leather pants and olive shirt are starkly out of place amongst the formal gowns and dinner jackets worn by the noble guests.
A bell rings denoting the start of the meal and I spot a smiling Miles holding out a chair for me.
“Why do you look so giddy?” I ask warily as I approach.
“Oh you’ll find out …” he says, scooting my chair up to the table before taking his own, “... in three, two …”
As the last of the nobles take their seats, the ocean of green clothing parts to reveal a single hulking figure clothed in blackest night. Leather pauldrons, wholly unnecessary for a court dinner, bracket the man’s muscular chest, making him appear even more menacing than the stories of his battles. My breath hitches, a tingle racing down my spine at the sight of the fabled warrior amongst us.
“One,” Miles whispers.
The Captain of Corinth, commander of Lord General Marks’ troops and the only person in our nation with a larger reputation than me, sits at the far end of the table. Marks didn’t send justany soldier—he sentthesoldier. A man rumored to have wiped out an entire legion of Synalian soldiers single-handedly.
As his gaze moves to me, a defiant smile turns up the corner of my lips. The deadliest soldier in all of Corinth must have really pissed off his commander if he’s been sent to escort Poison Ivyto the capital.
“Oooh, I love it when you get that look in your eyes,” Miles says as the first course is deposited in front of us. “I’ve asked around and all my sources agree that you will either find Captain Murphy incredibly irritating or completely irresistible.”
Conversation strikes up around me and fades into an indistinguishable hum. Try as I might, I can’t fight the strange pulling sensation in my chest. The invisible rope wrapped around my sternum demands my attention be wholly focused on the deadly creature in our midst.
“Lady Ivy, did you hear me?” Lady Adler’s voice breaks the spell on me. “I was just saying to Lord Miles what a shame it is that you won’t be able to attend the wedding. Lady Quinn will be a stunning bride. Can you imagine how beautiful my future grandson will be?”
