“What in the realms are you doing, Parker?” Jessa’s voice startled her and Elysia twisted precariously to look up at her.
“Getting the booze, obviously.”
“Aren’t you supposed to be in a library skulking after priestesses, or dazzling gross old men at the House into telling you their secrets? You may need a few more lessons on that.” She stared pointedly at Elysia’s indecent position.
Elysia scowled and, with a move that Gage would have applauded, sent her legs over the bar, landing lightly on her feet.
“I am the most charming, thank you.” She yanked the gin bottle out of its home and poured herself a smidge.
She took in Jessa’s scrunched face and set her glass down heavily, leaning against the bar. “It’s been seven fucking days, Jess. Seven days and I’ve got nothing. But since you asked…” She hoisted herself back over the bar and onto a seat.
“Already wishing I hadn’t.”
Elysia ignored her. “I learned there are several high-level romantic affairs commencing at the Raven Ball. The usual, you know? Rooms reserved with false names. People trying to hide their little once a year sexcapades. But then there are the people who use their true names—they’re going for the spite approach. A really clearfuck youto their partner. Normally, I’d have one of Gage’s men squeeze the former for coin, or better yet, a more useful piece of information in exchange for my silence, but not this year.”
She took a gulp of the throat-burning gin. Coughing, she kept talking. “Oh, there’s a financier on my father’s team who isabsolutelylining his own pockets, and by the gods, he is an idiot about it. Haven’t decided what I’m going to do about that. Part of me is like, good for you, because who doesn’t hate my father? But this guy seems like a real shit, so I kind of want to fuck with him, but now doesn’t seem like the best time, does it?”
Jessa raised a brow, looking a little winded, but nonetheless she poured out a tiny bit more, gesturing for Elysia to continue. It seemed like her stamina to tolerate the Parkers was growing. The thought made Elysia’s lips twitch in a smile. She held up her drink in thanks before continuing.
“But most importantly, I learned there are absolutely zero death priestesses left in Kava, and you know what’s funny? I was there the day the last of them died! Trounced my little boots through their blood. Guess they joined the death temples of other kingdoms after the Fall rather than be pushed into a life they hadn’t chosen. They should’ve known better than to roll back through Relaclave with that nonsense. They were gutted like pigs.”
“Soot and storms, Elysia,” Jessa muttered. “That’s a little bleak even for me.”
Elysia shrugged. “There’s a death every other day in this city. Let’s not act like the sun is shining on any part of this land.I heard the weirdest rumor, though. I heard it several times, actually. Reliable sources too.” Her voice trailed off, a note of confusion coming through.
Jessa made an exasperated sound. “And?”
“They kept saying that the prince was spotted parading through the castle with a dead man slapping at his back. One of the king's advisors, flopping like a limp fish. Said people were terrified because the air was doing strange things around him.”
Jessa’s dark eyes dragged over Elysia like she was dense. “You already know what I think.”
Elysia made a face.
“Oh come on, Parker. It’s obvious. The man is just as cursed as you. He might be an ambitious, heartless son of a bitch, but I think it’s clear that he couldn’t give two shits about you having magic.”
She stared at her glass. “He went after all your friends, Jessa. Maybe he didn’t intend for so many to die, but there’s no way he came after me without knowing very well that he’d have to turn some of them in.”
Jessa folded her arms. “Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?”
Elysia’s head shot up, her eyes narrowing, but Jessa kept talking. “He is the reason my friends were murdered—he’s whyIalmost died, whyyoualmost died. I have no love for the man, and I would be perfectly fine if I found out tomorrow that he was dead, but let’s just face the facts. It would make a lot of sense if the prince was as cursed as the rest of us.”
Elysia chewed on this, hating how it felt weighted and true. Her nose wrinkled. “I will be so fucking pissed if he’s cursed.”
Jessa’s brows drew closer in question.
“Everything could have been different! If he had just told me before that night. It wasn’t until that night on the beach when everything changed. We could have had each other—I wouldn’t have had to escape his rooms like some common court whorefor months because I was terrified he’d find out! And you know what? Fuck him if he is cursed because he let me live in that terror.”
Jessa started shaking her head subtly, eyes going wide as they looked past Elysia.
“What?” Elysia slammed her glass down, fully worked up now. “Do we need to repeatagainthat the asshole left me for dead? And how he had your friends killed?”
“Elysia,” Jessa hissed.
“Don’tElysia, me! I am so godsdamn sick of all of this. Topp Blatz can fuckallthe way off. If he wanted to be useful, then he’d stop trying to kill us and start trying to get rid of his heinous father and his laws. Like oh, you’re sooo manly with thosedoubleaxes you carry.” She suddenly pressed up, leaning over the bar. “Well, why don’t you fucking do something with them, then, Blatz? Like godsdammit. Be useful already.”
Jessa’s lips were stuck together now, a heavy breath coming out of her nose. Her words came out through clenched teeth. “For the love of all of Relaclave, please shut up.”
Elysia frowned, a slight twinge of unease tempering her for half a breath. She sat back down, still frowning, but unable to squash the urge to finish her speech. Another prickle ran up her spine, one she knew better than to ignore, but unfortunately, she was a Parker, and her mouth kept moving in spite of her body’s warnings.
