Chapter 31
ISOLDE
The night spun, wilder and brighter. My heart felt like it might burst with happiness.
Our friends had transformed a small dining hall into a glittering and beautiful space. A small band stood to the side of the dance floor, on which I’d spent the last two hours.
I fanned myself as I sipped water, taking a break from a Summer Isle wine smelling of plums and cherries. Clem and Luccan remained on the dance floor. They’d been inseparable all night, and as I watched them, I felt almost indecent, as though I was spying on two people falling deeper and deeper in love.
Not too far away, Sayyida and Saga danced wildly. The former leapt through the air, her head tossed back and a smile on her face, though she was careful to keep her healing arm close to her side. She’d not broken a large bone during the battle with the giants, but fractured her small finger, acquired a good many bruises, and strained a few muscles.
Even Filip danced shyly amongst the cabal—most of them having a riotous good time.
In a corner far from the dancing, Anna sat on Arie’s lap, whispering and laughing. My heart clenched seeing my oldest friend so happy and falling in love.
“Having fun?” Bavirra appeared at my side, her umber cheeks shining from her time on the dance floor. She smelled of amber and cinnamon, warm and indulgent, just like my friend.
“I am.” Never had I received such a wonderful gift and had so many people I loved to celebrate my nameday with. “I can’t believe everyone kept this from us!”
Bavirra chuckled. “It wasn’t hard the way you and Thyra hole up together to practice magic. By the way, Father sends his well wishes. He would have loved to come tonight, and is going to make an effort to come to your dinner tomorrow, if he can handle being moved.”
“Truly?” My eyebrows rose. Lord Balik had poked his head in, and quickly left, stating that such wild affairs were for the young. Lord Riis had not come, smartly so, and I had not considered that King Thordur would wish to join us.
“Fatherlovesa party. He’s quite envious that we’re here while he must stay abed.”
“I wish he was here too,” I said. “Perhaps next turn.”
Bavirra cast me a sidelong look, her eyebrows arched and lips pursed to the side. I interpreted the look as, ‘if we’re all still alive’.
“I need to relieve myself before getting back to the celebrations.” I set down my glass of water.
“I’ll make sure no one follows you,” Bavirra replied.
Normally, I’d find such a matter preposterous, but I had barely had three minutes to myself since the party began. It had been much the same for Thyra, though I didn’t see her in the room now.
She better not have retired for the night.
The bells had not yet rung in the hour of the aura owl, but there was only so much socializing Thyra could take. Seeing as there were about fifty people present and everyone had, at the very least, wanted to send us well wishes, she might very well have hit her limit.
I made my way to the door as Bavirra deftly intercepted Bac and Aleksander. Grinning, I slipped out of the room and turned left, knowing where the nearest common toilet was in this wing. When I reached the restroom, I pulled the handle, but it didn’t open. Hand raised, I was about to knock when the sound of laughter caught my ear inside.
Laughter Irecognized. I leaned closer to the door, pressed my ear against it, and caught whispers. One voice belonged to my sister, and the other to Thantrel. The last I’d seen of them, Thantrel was on the dance floor and Thyra had been chatting away with Bac and Vidar. They hadn’t even been close to one another! But when had that been?
I couldn’t remember. There had been so much happening. Not that it mattered. I was going to tease them regardless because that was what sisters did, wasn’t it?
Heart racing, I pulled back and knocked hard. “It’s Isolde! I need to use the facilities, and I know you’re both in there.”
“What are you talking about?” Thyra shot back, her tone a touch too innocent. “I’m relieving myself!”
“That’s one way to put it.”
Thantrel burst out laughing, and when I laughed too, Thyra groaned, knowing that, once again, their cover was well and truly blown. The door swung open.
My sister faced me. She looked lovely in her silver-blue gown. However, her perfectly curled raven hair was slightly mussed, her lips swollen.
“We have got to stop meeting in restrooms,” I teased and then promptly, closed my eyes.
“What in all the nine kingdoms are you doing?” Thyra asked.
