She leans her head to one side, examining me with her shrewd eyes in a way I remember from when I’d been caught lying to her.
“I always knew you were special, Beaufort,” she says, astonishing me with her words. I’m not unused to praise – it’s been foisted on me all my life – but rarely has it come from this woman. “And it’s becoming clear you’re destined for great things. It’s written in the stars.”
Chapter Sixteen
Briony
The tension from yesterday has passed, but the waiting is getting to us all. Dray fidgets like a caged animal at breakfast the next morning, Beaufort is unusually quiet, and even Fly is snappy.
If our plan to speak with the Empress at the state banquet fails and we’re forced to wait until the end of the week to see her, I’m concerned we may all have killed each other by then. It’s not like I feel any better. Tonight is the state banquet and I feel unusually nervous, questioning Beaufort about all the foods they’ll be serving that I’ve never heard of before and all the damn forks that’ll be laid out on the table.
“This state dinner is a really formal event, then, right?” Fly says.
“Correct,” Beaufort answers.
“So, Briony is going to need a dress.”
“She can wear that one she wore to the academy ball,” Dray says, eyes raking up and down my body, “I liked that dress.”
Fly shakes his head. “You’re attempting to sneak Briony in, right?”
“Yeah, she doesn’t have an official invitation.”
“So if she doesn’t look the part, you’re going to get caught out.”
“I suppose so, yes.”
“Then Briony’s getting anewdress.”
“Fly was born for a moment like this,” I explain to the others.
“Exactly, Cupcake. I’m going shopping in Onyx Quarter. And Beaufort Lincoln is paying.” He claps his hands together and bounces on his chair, all his earlier grouchiness gone in an instant.
“Am I?” Beaufort asks.
“Yes,” the rest of us all reply together.
“Where exactly are the shops?” I ask.
“Cupcake, didn’t you see them all? We passed about five hundred on the drive through the city.” Which is a massive exaggeration but Fly is super excited.
“Yes, but that’s outside the palace, and Beaufort said we can’t leave.”
“Oh,” Fly says, his face crushed with disappointment.
“You’ll be allowed to leave,” Beaufort says, “although I expect they’ll make you take a chaperone.”
“Can’t have a kid from Iron Quarter wandering around Onyx, huh?” Fly says, shaking his mane of hair.
Beaufort doesn’t respond and I take it that as a yes.
“I’ll take you,” Thorne says.
Fly examines the silent shadow weaver. I take it they know each other a little better than I realized. Fly even claims they bonded over having to hunt down Blaze one time.
“Only if I’m allowed to pick you out a new outfit too.”
“What’s wrong with my outfits?” Thorne growls.
