“Well, well, well.” He holds out his thick arms when he spots Zadyn. “What’s it been, a century?”
“Not nearly long enough,” Zadyn jokes.
The Prince of Hyrax is a strapping, blonde-haired, blue-eyed golden boy. He greets Zadyn with a bear hug and a hearty clap on the back. Spying us over Zadyn’s shoulder, he steps back, hands on his hips.
“Lord Rhodes, please introduce me to your friends.” He flashes us a lopsided smile that makes him look positively up to no good.
“Prince Eaton Berringer, I’d like you to meet Marideth, Dover,Prince Kai of Vod—” Zadyn’s hand lands on the small of my back. “And this is Serena.”
Eaton glances between us a few times, looking intrigued.
“Za-dyn,” he sings, breaking his name into two syllables. “Is this…yourbond?”
Zadyn nods. Prince Eaton breaks into a loud laugh, smacking Zadyn’s back so hard he coughs.
“Well, shit. Lucky dog. Pleased to make your acquaintance, all of you. You are very welcome here. Come.”
He waves us forward in the direction he came.
“Had I known you’d be joining us, I would have had a feast hot and ready for your arrival.” Eaton casts a pointed glance at Zadyn.
“Where’s the fun in that?” he says, smiling. “I know how much you love surprises.”
Eaton laughs again, a deep, resonant sound. “Alix will be happy to see you.”
Zadyn blows out a long breath. They exchange light banter as I watch from behind. I’ve never seen Zadyn bro out like this before. It’s kind of adorable.
Prince Eaton leads us to a line of rooms, offering one to Mar and Dover and one to Kai. Then, opening the door to a cozy room with a massive bed and roaring fire, he says to Zadyn, “You two can share a room. You don’t mind, do you, old friend?”
Eaton gives him a shit-eating grin.
“Of course not,” Zadyn says through a gritted smile. “The daybed is fine for me.”
“Thought so. I’ll leave you to dress. Dinner’s in ten.”
Zadyn and I quickly change into the clothes hanging in the wardrobe and make our way toward a set of tall wooden doors. He pushes them open, and I blink at the revelry within.
“If this is dinner, then what’s a feast like here?”
“You don’t want to know.”
The hall is loud, lit with a thousand tapered candles and filled with boisterous fae in fur pelts and no-nonsense clothing. The females arerobust and sturdy in practical wool dresses, some even wearing tight pants tucked into riding boots.
“There you are!” Eaton calls from behind the head table. “I thought Zadyn would need more time to primp. Come, sit.” He pats the empty seats beside him.
“Where’s your father?” Zadyn asks, pulling out a chair for me.
“Hunting retreat, where else?” Eaton rolls his eyes as a servant pours wine into his waiting cup. “Alix will be down soon.”
I slide Zadyn a curious look.
Alix?
Just another old friend.
“How do you two know each other?” I venture, leaning around Zadyn to glance at the prince.
“I rescued Zadyn from a pack of thieves about a million years ago.” Eaton takes a greedy sip of wine, wiping his mouth on the back of his hand.
