“I really do,” Nyssa agreed as the room continued to spin around her.
Bala glanced past Nyssa’s shoulder then, and Nyssa watched as the mockery on her features darkened. “Speaking of enjoyment….” Her voice trailed, and Nyssa turned just in time to see the one she’d been told to avoid coming up beside them.
Bala tried not to laugh as Nadir made his way to them. She was surprised it had taken him this long to approach Nyssa. Then again, Nyssa had been so occupied dancing with others that this was the first she had talked to her since they separated in the hall earlier.
Or it could have been that it’d taken him this long to compose himself enough to talk to her.
She wasn’t sure Nyssa was still breathing with the way she was looking at him, and she resisted the urge to reach forward and close Nyssa’s mouth. But Nadir’s domineering gaze didn’t help matters, and when he settled himself beside Nyssa against the table, Bala nearly snorted into her cup.
“Looking delectable, Bala,” Nadir said as he looked at her.
Bala’s chest ached at the way she was holding in her laughter. “Mmhmm…” she teased him. “Don’t come over here acting as though you’ve any interest in speaking with me. I’m aware of the circumstances.”
“So then you’ll be a good friend and stand here acting as though I’m talking to you while I speak with the Princess,” he said, turning his attention back to Nyssa.
Bala chuckled behind her cup and looked back out at the dance floor. “You’ve two minutes,” she told him.
Because Lex’s gaze hadn’t left her the entire night, and she had only spoken with her for a few minutes before being stolen away by one of the Blackhands. She hadn’t stopped thinking about her in two days, not since Dorian had mentioned her after their fun.
“Hello, Princess,” she heard Nadir saying as he kissed her hand. “It’s Nyssari, right?” he asked.
“Nyssa,” she answered.
“I’m—”
“I know who you are, Commander,” Nyssa said in a snap, hugging her cup tighter to her chest. “You’re the one I’ve been told not to flirt with or become engulfed upon, although I’ve not really been told why. Which leads me to believe you’ve either done something very wrong or very right, and my sister simply doesn’t want my heart to be broken by such a man.”
Bala was practically in tears.
“That—”
“Sounds exactly correct,” Bala couldn’t resist saying. “Ninety seconds.”
Nadir grunted under his breath. “Your sister is overprotective,” he said to Nyssa.
“She’s my sister. She’s supposed to be.”
“Are you going to stand here speaking about the Queen, or are you actually going to compliment the beauty standing before you?” Bala cut in.
“I can’t speak to her if you keep interrupting,” he glared.
Bala pushed her cup to her smiling lips, and she turned her attention to the dancing again, catching Dorian swinging one of the Scindo twins around. She wondered if that was who he planned on taking back with him that night and which end of the leash they preferred to be on in his bedroom.
Perhaps one of each.
Bala caught Dorian’s eye, and his grin widened upon seeing Nyssa talking to Nadir. But ginger hair swung in her peripheral as Hagen suddenly brought Aydra closer, and Bala shifted and pointed subtly in Aydra’s direction.
“Distract her,” Bala mouthed to Dorian.
Dorian followed her point, seeing that Aydra and Hagen were nearing, and he swiftly gave the twins kisses on their cheeks before letting them go. He cut between Aydra and Hagen, muttering something with a laugh, and then pulled Aydra in the opposite direction.
Hagen noted Bala and started coming towards her but halted upon seeing Nadir finally talking to Nyssa. He gave Bala a grin and two-finger salute, then made his way across the room to chat with a few of his people.
“—it’s difficult to be here and not allow myself to try and swoon you,” she heard Nadir saying.
“So why did you bother coming over?” Nyssa asked.
“Honestly, I was hoping you’d be this horrendous person and tell me to fuck off. Save me the pain of having to walk away from you without at least asking for a dance.”
