“D’you think they will be serving food?” Ari asked. His belly rumbled, making them all laugh. They’d all eaten heartily throughout the celebration, but Calbernan metabolisms burned food as quickly as they did intoxicants.
“If not, the fjord is just a dive away,” Ryll said.
A dive in the fjord and a brisk, watery hunt for breakfast sounded beyond good on a visceral level, but Dilys shook his head. “We eat likeoulanifor now.”
Ryll sighed. “I hope at least they’ll have salmon. I like salmon.”
They turned the corner and Ari nearly mowed over a young maid who was rushing down the hall with an armful of linens. The maid gasped. The linens tumbled to the floor. Instead of rushing to pick them up, the maid stood there, gaping at Ari.
He smiled, his teeth white and dazzling, which only seemed to addle the girl more. “Here, let me help you with that,kali mana,” he said. The girl stood frozen in her tracks as Ari collected the fallen linens and stacked them neatly back in her arms. His smile grew warmer, his gaze holding her captive. “We’re on the hunt for something to eat.” His throaty voice and appreciative gaze made it sound like he wouldn’t mind dining on her, and in a way that would more than satisfy them both. “Can you direct us to the nearest breakfast chamber?”
The girl’s throat worked but no sound came out. She swallowed, balanced the linens in one arm, and pointed a trembling finger down one of the nearby corridors.
“Moa nana, kali mana.” My thanks, little jewel. With a last, lingering smile, Ari turned and headed in the direction the maid had indicated.
Shaking their heads, Dilys and Ryll followed.
“You really shouldn’t do that,” Ryll muttered.
“What?”
“You know what. Poor girl probably won’t get a lick of work done today.”
Ari grinned and glanced back over his shoulder. The little maid was standing exactly where he’d left her, watching him, linens tilting precariously in her lax arms. “I just gave her a little something to brighten her day.”
Dilys rolled his eyes. “Ryll is right. Save your charms for your futureliana.” Ari hadn’t usedsusirenato dazzle the maid—even though allimlani,including all males—possessed the gift in some degree. No true warrior of the Isles would even contemplate using magic to make a woman want him. Learning to court and win a woman was as much a part of their rigorous training as their battle and sailing skills. A Calbernan male could entice with his voice, his touch, his eyes, even the smallest motion of his body. Andthatwas what Ari had just done.
“You’re just jealous because themyerinaslike me better than you.” Ari arched a brow. “Including a particular sweet, summery little blue-eyed beauty.”
Dilys ignored the quick, violent clench of his gut and laughed. “If you’re talking about the Princess Summer, I wouldn’t exactly call getting ten words out of her a sign of affection.”
“That’s ten more words than she gave you.”
“She’s shy.”
“She wasn’t shy about talking to everyone else last night. In fact, it seemed to me like she was making a point of visiting every table but ours and talking to every Calbernan but you. Because she talked to me. And she talked to you too, Ryll, didn’t she?” He didn’t wait for Ryll to answer. “Why, yes. Yes, she did. And she must’ve liked what she heard because she spoke to you again at great length, didn’t she? That was you cozied up to her for half an hour on the terrace this morning, wasn’t it?”
Ryll scowled. “Leave me out of it, Arilon Calmyria.”
Dilys frowned at his cousin. “You spoke toMyerialannaSummer for half an hour this morning? About what?” Suspicion reared its head. “You haven’t set a line for her, have you?”
Ryll drew himself up, clearly affronted. “I have not,” he bit out, each word solid as a rock. “The three Seasons are off limits. We all know that.”
“But you spoke to her for half an hour.”
“I ran into her this morning coming back from a swim. She wanted to talk. What was I supposed to do?”
“Wanted to talk about what?”
“Wait,” Ari interrupted. “You went swimming this morning?” He glared at his cousin. “Went hunting, you mean! You’ve already eaten!”
Ryll shifted his weight guiltily. “I just had a couple of salmon. And nobody saw.”
“And you didn’t invite me? You selfish—”
Dilys cut off Ari’s bluster. “You sayMyerialannaSummer wanted to talk? About what?”
“Her brother, Falcon, for the most part.”
