Devyn contacted Lauve Studio. Had his lawyer call Heart and explain that I wouldn't be coming back. Handled my job without asking me.
I don't know whether to be furious or grateful.
He didn't ask. He just decided. Classic Devyn.
But also—I didn't have to face Heart. I didn't have to lie or make excuses.
He did it for me.
I need to talk to him. About the job thing. About last night. About the almost-kiss that's been playing on repeat in my head.
I get dressed and step into the hallway.
The study is empty. The small dining room. The library.
No Devyn.
DAY TWO. STILL NO DEVYN.
By afternoon, I've worked myself into a state that I refuse to call anxiety.
Maybe he regrets last night. Maybe the almost-kiss made him realize this is a mistake.
Maybe there's someone else.
The thought appears out of nowhere, sharp and unwelcome. He said he doesn't share. But I'm not his yet. The wedding hasn't happened.
I find Mrs. Lyme arranging flowers in the east wing.
"Mrs. Lyme. I was wondering if you could tell me where...the king is?"
Her face softens. “He hasn’t told you.”
“About what?”
"The king left for New Jersey yesterday morning. There's been trouble at the border. A gang trying to move drugs into our territory."
"So...he’s working with the FBI—”
Mrs. Lyme looks at me oddly. “What is that?”
New World Information Unlocked: FBI does not exist here.
Noted and filed.
But in the meantime—
“Never mind that, I, um, got my wires crossed,” I say lamely. “So when you say he went to New Jersey—”
"The king always handles these matters personally,” Mrs. Lyme explains. “He doesn't ask his men to face dangers he won't face himself."
Dangers?
My alarm must have shown on my face, with Mrs. Lyme quickly reassuring me, “There is no need to be concerned. The King always comes back victorious. Three years ago, he took four bullets in a skirmish with the Boston faction. Finished the fight before he let the medics look at him."
Four...bullets?
"He always comes back, my lady. You can count on it."
