I stiffened, though when Cornelius slid a hand onto my lower back and began guiding me deeper into the ballroom, I forced my body to relax.
“Magic?” I questioned. “In what ways?”
He scanned the crowd, his blue eyes warm. There were hundreds of fae in this ballroom, yet there was so much open space. The roof was lined with white archways, and the walls on either side were made mostly of massive windows with fractured, colored glass, allowing for the light of the setting sun to glisten inside. When it finally dipped below the horizon, I could only imagine the view of the stars and moon would be incredible.
He came to a stop and leaned in. He came so close, that I felt his breath against my cheek as he whispered, “That’s a surprise. One I hope you’ll thoroughly enjoy.”
I laughed quietly, forcing the sound to remain light. “You should know that I’m not a big fan of surprises.”
A server passed, carrying a tray of glasses filled with sparkling liquid.
Cornelius took two and turned back to me. “This one, you’ll like.” He held one drink out to me, and I easily accepted. “Enjoy yourself tonight, Rummy. King duties call, but I hope to see you again soon.”
The subtle flirting tone of his voice told me he meant it.
I fluttered my eyelashes the same way I always did, playing my part, and smiled. “I guess you’ll have to come find me later, then.”
His eyes darkened, his pupils dilating. But without another moment’s hesitation, he turned and disappeared into the crowd.
Goddess fucking above. It was about to be a long night.
“That was painful to watch.”
I nearly spit out my drink as I turned at the unexpected voice.
Xavier stepped closer, his shoulders rolled back, his chin high, and surveyed the crowd around us.
“Hells,” I mumbled, wiping the liquid from my chin. “Would you stop sneaking up on me like that? It’s creepy!”
He didn’t even look at me. He was too busy cataloging the fae filling the ballroom, as if he was memorizing each face and assessing any threat. “I hope you know what you’re doing,” he said.
“How long have you been standing there? Are you following me now?”
“Considering you and the charming king were practically eye fucking each other in the middle of the ballroom, I’m not surprised you didn’t notice me.”
My heart lurched. “We weren’t?—”
“You don’t have to explain to me.” He held up a hand. “He’s an attractive man, you’re an attractive woman, I get it.”
“Please,” I huffed, bringing my drink to my lips. “It’s just business. Nothing more.”At least, nothing more that I could explain without sounding crazy.“I really wish I didn’t have to keep explaining that to you two.”
He laughed under his breath, dipping his chin to his chest, the sound anything but humorous.
“What?” I pushed.
“Nothing.” He shook his head, his eyes closing. “It’s just… I’m really not sure how much more of this Jessiah can take. You flirting to get close to Cornelius. He’s one naughty look away from putting you on the back of his horse and marching you back to Scarlata.”
My chest tightened. “That’s ridiculous. I’m doing this for us.”
“Doing what for us, exactly?”
The subtle music from the quartet in the corner grew louder as more partygoers arrived.
“Where is Jessiah, anyway?” I asked, ignoring Xavier’s question.
He shrugged. “If I had to guess, I’d say getting as far away from you and Cornelius as possible.”
Unease swirled in my stomach. “You’re kidding, right? We were just talking. Jessiah really needs to grow a pair if watching me speak to another male sets him off so badly.”
