Cornelius laughed, the sound echoing off the tall ceiling. “Please, dig in. You must be starving after the trip you’ve made. We have plenty of time to discuss politics. For now, you need to fuel up.”
Though my companions looked apprehensive, I didn't need to be told twice. I picked up my utensils and immediately dove into the steaming course in front of me.
I had never tasted anything so divine in my life.
Between the food and the wine that never ran out, I was wholly immersed in the meal.
Time passed in a way that was impossible to measure. We sat there for what could have been ten minutes or an hour.
But eventually, my stomach was full and the wine dulled my senses to a comfortable level.
I sat back, finally tuning into the conversation the men around me were having.
“Vampyres aren’t much different from fae at all,” Xavier explained, fully leaving out the fact thathe was a vampyre. “You could look straight at one and not know the difference.”
Cornelius laughed. “That is so interesting!” he said. “I’ve never met a real vampyre. Perhaps I’ll have to pay Scarlata a visit sometime and change that. I’d love to hear what all the fuss is about, anyway.”
Jessiah remained pretty quiet beside me, frustration rolling off him, but I did my best to avoid looking at him.
He was a big, grown man. He could take care of himself.
It was a damn dinner party, for crying out loud.
“We’d love to have you,” I chimed in, leaning toward Cornelius. “We may not have a castle as grand as this one, but we can be quite accommodating hosts.”
I was flirting. How could I not? The wine made his eyes look bluer. And that damn smile…
“I may have to take you up on that, Miss Rummy. Especially if it gives me an excuse to see your beautiful face again.”
Beside me, Jessiah made a grumbling sound.
I flashed another smile in Cornelius’s direction.
Jessiah tried twice to bring up the rebellion again, but Cornelius dodged the conversation both times. He was a hard man to crack. I’d give him that much.
But why bring us all the way here if he wasn’t going to be upfront about why he needed us?
I supposed since we just arrived, we could wait for those answers.
And it was important that we find them the right way. Jessiah was used to barging in and demanding the truth, but we were playing a precarious game here.
This would take time. And probably much, much more wine.
By the time dinner was done, I’d lost count of how many glasses I’d had. I did know, however, that Cornelius touched my arm at least four times, and my laughter was much louder than usual.
So that counted for something.
“Thank you so much for this evening,” I said as Cornelius walked us out of the dining room. “You have no idea how badly I needed a dignified dinner like this one.” I looped my arm through his. “And the company wasn’t so terrible, either.”
Cornelius softened under my touch. He was tall, though not nearly as tall as Jessiah or Xavier, and he was strong, but his skinwas pristine, his posture perfect. Clearly, he had not been put through many trials in his life.
That wasn’t surprising. Men like him rarely ever experienced much hardship.
“It was my pleasure.” At the bottom of the stairs, he turned and faced me.
Xavier and Jessiah stood a few feet away, watching, but I kept my eyes locked on Cornelius. Slowly, he angled in and brushed his lips against my cheek. His lips lingered there for a moment, then drifted to my ear. “Until I see you again, Rummy,” he whispered. “Sleep well.”
With a nod to the guys, he turned and strode toward the opposite wing.
