When I stepped out, Naliadne’s smile turned brilliant. “Yes,” she said, satisfied. “If my father refuses you, it will not be because you were dressed like a beggar.”
“That’s almost a compliment.”
“How’s this for a compliment: You look more radiant now than you did for a single second on the Autumn prince’s arm.”
My teasing vanished at the mention of Callan. I swallowed hard, unsure how to ask it. “About that. Did he… when you met him, he shook your hand.”
Her brows knitted. “Did he? I don’t remember.”
“Afterward, did you feel different? Did you warm to him? See him as an ally?”
Her expression hardened. “The Autumn prince does not spark a single ember of warmth for me. Nor do I consider him an ally of the naiad.”
I exhaled, relieved to hear it. “As it is for me too,” I assured her.
“We’ll leave you to prepare. Good luck tonight. And if you feel the current turn cold—leave.”
She left with her men moving around her like a current, the door shutting behind them quiet as a ripple in the sea.
Keres arrived as I finished pinning my hair with the combs. She wore a gown so dark blue it rippled with hints of black and purple. The color of the Deep. Mysterious. Ancient.Deadly. It suited her perfectly. She’d let her hair down so that it hung thick over her shoulders in soft waves.
The softness changed her, and I had to do a double-take to even recognize her. Her scars were unchanged, but they were no longer the defining feature. Her scowl, however, remained.
“You look stunning,” I told her.
“I feel like a prized calf on parade.”
I snorted. “That’s probably accurate for what awaits us tonight.”
“Here.” She held out a thin blade that looked a lot like a shard of coral filed down.
“Where did you get this?” I hissed.
She smirked. “Let’s just say the bed frame is a little lighter.”
“Keres,” I admonished.
“It’s coral,” she said. “It’ll grow back. They’ll never know.”
“Unless you use it to stab someone tonight,” I muttered.
Keres merely smiled like a cat.
I hurried back to the trunk that held the hairpins and jewelry, digging through until I found something to serve as a holster. We went to work fastening the straps, tying them off, and finally strapping our blades to our thighs.
“Can I ask you something?”
Keres looked up as she lowered her skirt. “Sure.”
“What happened when you came here the first time?”
“What did Rydian say?”
“Only that they killed a Midnight fae.”
Her expression hardened, but she nodded. “Back then, I was a runner. Delivered messages, did the grunt work no one else wanted. I was barely out of training. I think they only sent me because I didn’t seem threatening at the time and they wanted to make a friendly impression.”
I wanted to argue that I suspected there had never been atime Keres wasn’t threatening. But I kept my mouth shut and let her talk.
