"Dammit, I missed you," she uttered.
As Nyssa collected herself, Reverie turned to her. "Nyssa?" she asked, and Nyssa was once more mesmerized by the lavender of this woman’s eyes. “Finally. He’s been worried sick about you,” she said in a breath. “I’m—“
"Fucking gorgeous," Nyssa heard herself say without realizing it. "Shit. Sorry. I mean... Dorian's told me who you are. Not sorry that you aren't gorgeous. Because you are. Sorry that I cut you off. And you’re gorgeous too, Corbin,” she added quickly. “I don’t want you to think I only think she’s pretty because you’re pretty too. I—“ Nyssa pushed out a solid breath and shut her eyes to stop herself from continuing to blunder.
"Hi," Nyssa finally straightened herself out.
Reverie looked as though she would laugh, but she just smiled up at Dorian again. "I see stammering also runs in the family."
"A lot of things run in the family," Lex muttered. "You get used to it."
It was Corbin's turn to laugh, and he bent over, holding onto Dorian's shoulder as the hearty chuckles left him. Reverie shook her head, a quiet snicker coming from her as well.
"You should all have that tattooed somewhere," she mocked. “Or perhaps matching shirts with it embroidered."
"If we're all done catching up," Bala interjected then. "I think I see my other company coming in. I need everyone at the big tent in fifteen minutes."
"Using her King voice on us," Dorian grinned. "Though I have missed watching my sister make people feel inadequate at such meetings. Actually looking forward to this."
"You should have seen her the other day," Lex said under her breath.
"Fifteen minutes," Bala called as she started walking away from them.
Nyssa searched the shores. "I have to find Nadir."
"He was helping set up the tent," Reverie informed her. "Said he would go change before heading back down for Bala's meeting."
"I'll make sure everything is ready," Nyssa said.
"I'll come with," said Lex.
The pair left Dorian and his guards to make for the meeting tent, chatting mindlessly about what they'd done that morning since their original plan had been sidelined with the incoming of Dorian. More Venari had come into the village and were talking to friends.
But the sight of two that had accompanied the Venari rebels made Nyssa stop walking.
"Did Bala say who the other person was she wanted at the meeting?" she asked without looking away from the rebels.
"She didn't," Lex replied. "Why?"
"Because those are two of the ones that kidnapped me."
Nyssa marched to the tent, her breath shortening as she trudged through the dense sand up and over the dunes. And when she reached it, she whipped the flap back.
Color drained from Nyssa's face at the sight of the tall man standing at the front of the room.
Gail.
He gave her that coy grin he'd given her all over the Preymoor as he turned. "My shadow Queen," he leered, eyes darting over her. "I wondered if you'd escaped."
Nyssa couldn't breathe. He was supposed to be dead. Visions blurred her mind. That scared yet determined girl she'd been as he dragged her across the Preymoor. What it inevitably led to. Seeing Gail turn into the Infi.
"What... How are you here? How—Bron told me you were dead," Nyssa managed, stepping closer to him. Stammering at him being in the room and actually real. She wasn't sure what she should be feeling. Whether she should be angry about his being there or relieved he wasn't dead.
"There’s someone I need on our side," Bala had said.
The words had barely gone through Nyssa's mind when Nadir appeared in the doorway.
And the smile he'd been wearing faded to searing rage.
