Abraxas laughed to himself, then said, “You could duel her right here right now- that’d sent her home crying.”
“That would be a start,” said Maeve sourly.
But Abraxas hadn’t heard her at all.
“Bloody hell.,” he said. “Look at that.”
“What?” Maeve followed his gaze over to the garden stairs where her father was walking down with an incredibly well-dressed blonde young man. His face was long, his ears were tipped to a small point. She recognized him. He sat behind Lithandrian at their meeting.
“Who is that?” Asked Maeve in amazement.
He was Elven. Dressed in the finest cream satin dress robes.
Abraxas nearly choked on his drink.
“Amaranthine Maeve Sinclair. I have failed you.”
Maeve shot him an incredulous look at the use of her full name. “It’s your job to know all these pricks and all their secrets, not mine.”
“That’s Olympium Xander. Prince of the Elven Lands. And hand to Queen Lithandrian.”
“They came,” she whispered, and her heart swelled. “Her little brother?”
Abraxas nodded. “He’s pretty.”
Truly, he was. Light beamed off his smooth skin, just like it did Zimsy’s. The Elven people had a feminine and light air about them.
Mal and Ophelia had now made their way up to the balcony.
“Good evening, Maeve,” said Mal, the evening sunset liquifying his molten dark eyes. His eyes trailed up and down her body.
Maeve’s stomach flipped. She had still not grown used to the sight of him in a suit.
“Mal was jus’ giving me some last-minute pointerz in case I get picked tonight to duel. I honestly sink I stand a chance now!”
Ophelia giggled in a shrill way that caused Abraxas to recoil.
Mal took a glass off a floating tray and leaned in close to Maeve’s ear.
“Helpless,” whispered Mal.
His hand glided across her back. She relaxed.
“Did you see?” Maeve whispered, jerking her head towards Xander.
“I did,” he murmured into his glass. “Would you like to join me?”
“Later,” she said. “Let him see you and you alone.”
Mal looked down at her and tucked a loose strand of hair back into one of her braids and whispered, “yes, Little Viper.”
Xander seemed delighted to meet Mal. Maeve and Abraxas took to the bar inside for most of the evening and let Mal work his magic on Kier and Xander.
Maeve’s chest tightened.
“Excuse me,” said Maeve suddenly to Abraxas and Juliet, a stunning blonde whom Maeve attended primary girl’s school with. Her parents were loaded with money and with Pureblood back as far as the first Magicals. Abraxas happily took Maeve’s seat next to Juliet and moved in closer to her.
Juliet’s cheeks flushed.
