“I’m only one of the king’s advisors. Nice to meet you all. I’m glad that you’ve made it here in one piece with the roads being less safe.” He meets my eyes. “You must be Dino Lopez’s man. I was away while you were here last time.”
“Yes. I’m Finn.”
“And I am Otto James, here in the name of Assembly Member Lock, whom I’m sure you know.”
“I’m sorry, who?”
Caden coughs to hide his laughter. I want to ask when I will be meeting with the king, but after Lyla’s warning, I’d best speak with her in private first.
“River, you and Josh can go get settled to my place,” Lyla says. “I’ll take the rest to where they’ll be staying.”
“Will we see the king today?” Otto asks.
“Perhaps he’ll have time later this evening,” Remy says. “And of course you are all invited to the ball the king is throwing tomorrow. It was very last minute, but your arrival gave him an excuse to celebrate.”
“Good,” River says. “Tell the king that he can come say hello to me at Lyla’s.”
Remy frowns. “Hmm, I’ll be sure to tell him that.”
We separate from River and Josh, then follow Lyla and Remy deeper into the heart of the city.
“Climb on my back,” Lyla tells Timothy. “We don’t want anyone tripping over you.”
Trey nudges me as we walk. “Caden is exhausted. You know why he doesn’t sleep?”
“He has some trouble sleeping, but I’m sure it will get better in a proper bed.”
“Defenders don’t sleep better in proper beds, but at least we can unwind here for a bit.”
We pass houses made of stone, most built right next to each other to provide a level of protection from the strong winds. The closer we get to the palace, the bigger the houses become. Some residents planted flowers and crops in small gardens, even though the soil here isn’t ideal.
Trey reaches for his weapon when we come across a group of mutants sitting next to a fountain. I grab his hand and say, “They live here. Relax.”
Those in front of us have varying levels of mutation, going from horns and extra limbs to eyes on the sides of their heads.
“Here we are,” Remy says once we reach a two-story structure painted in white. Armed guards stand by the entrance, wearing the brown uniforms of High Hope’s military force. “If the king can find time to see you today, you will be notified. In the meantime, we reserved the top floor for your party, and there are refreshments waiting in each room.”
“Thank you,” I say. “Please tell the king we appreciate the hospitality.”
“From me as well,” Otto adds.
“Yes, of course.” Remy exchanges a look with Lyla before walking away.
Timothy climbs down from Lyla’s back. “Will you be returning to your home now?”
“I’ll have a word with Finn before that. Let’s go inside.”
A nice lady at the front desk shows us the rooms upstairs. They’re spacious and clean, each with a private bathroom and a tray packed with food next to a bottle of wine. Younger me wouldn’t have been allowed to even clean such a room. I expect to stay with Caden, but he puts his things in another room.
“Are things okay between you two?” Lyla asks as she sits in an armchair by the window.
“Yes. He’s just tired. What’s going on?” I sit on the bed, and Timothy climbs to sit beside me.
Lyla glances out the window, as if checking we’re not being watched. “Something is off with the king.”
“Is he sick?”
“No, but he’s been speaking with people I’m not familiar with and keeping his advisors in the dark. On the surface, he’s committed to the Hives and the rest of the Free Cities, but he’s postponing meetings with their representatives and canceling joint military drills. There are always excuses, but I stopped buying them.”
