A couple people gasped in the crowd, and I stifled my own. Skye was playing with fire. A burst of adrenaline coursed through me as I realized just how untouchable I was beside her. I could say anything I wanted to my mother.
I couldn’t think of anything, though. My mouth was dry, my knees buckling slightly, only held firm by Skye’s affinity. I was still terrified of my mother, and I didn’t think anything would change that.
Lucille tried to smile politely. “Of course not,” she said. “I couldn’t help but notice your jewels.”
Skye batted her eyelashes while Lucille grinned.
“They’re just gorgeous,” she went on, her grin sharpening. “I wonder why the Prince chose to adorn you with sapphires, though. Surely the Crown has enough diamonds to spare.”
“These are diamonds,” Skye said, mirroring Lucille’s grin.
Lucille’s expression dropped, and she moved closer as if she were going to take a closer look.
Skye opened her mouth to say something, but then a deep, gravelly voice spoke from behind us.
“That’s close enough, Mrs. Brandt.”
Lucille froze in place, her eyes darting behind us before her lips twisted into a sour expression.
I turned, raising my eyebrows when I saw the guy behind us. He was tall, his skin a dark olive tone, and his hair was…pretty. Meticulously styled curls that would give Zephyr a run for his money brushed along his shoulders. He wore a deep green guard uniform…andhadn’t the guard been in black before?
“Mm. Raaz. I was wondering what that smell was.” Lucille said, his expression turning thunderous in a way that had me wanting to run for my life. Skye’s hand closed over mine.
“Fresh pine and cinnamon, if the cologne bottle is to be believed.” Raaz replied without missing a beat. “Ms. Aria, if you’ll come with me. His Royal Highness, the Prince Rafael has asked me to escort you.”
Skye’s eyebrows were nearly to her hairline before they slammed down in a stern expression. Her silver eyes darted over the man quickly, then she leveled him with a look as if she’d found him lacking. “And who are you?”
He was the informant Rafe told us about, but I didn’t bother sharing that. Skye was handling this whole thing really well on her own.
“I am Raaz, personal guard to Her Grace, the Crown Princess. I’d thought His Royal Highness, the Prince Rafael may have mentioned me to you.”
“He most certainly did not,” Skye said, sounding more regal than anyone else in this stupid party.
Lucille laughed and I gritted my teeth. She still hadn’t looked at me once, and I could tell Skye’s patience was wearing thin.
“Trouble in paradise?”
Skye turned slowly, tilting her head to the side in that way that freaked me the fuck out.
“Raaz, who is this woman who keeps speaking to me?” Skye said.
Lucille’s jaw dropped. Someoneoohed in the crowd.
“Lucille Brandt, Key to the Brandt Chain.” Raaz answered smoothly.
“How interesting. Aiden, do you know her?” Skye asked, turning to me. “Your name is Brandt, isn’t it?”
“No relation,” I ground out, speaking without thinking it through. “My mother’s dead. Or is it dead to me?”
My mother finally looked at me. Her cheeks were bright red, visible even through her makeup and her bright pink lips were twisted into an ugly snarl.
“Aiden,” she hissed.
“Well, if that’s all,” Skye drawled as if Lucille hadn’t spoken.
A searing pain cut into my arm, then, and just as I winced, it stopped. Skye glared at Lucille, and I didn’t think I’d ever been more in love with her than I was in that moment.
She’d cut off Lucille’s affinity.
