George nodded before dismissing Ean, who flew from the room in a flurry of gold.
She let her friends take turns studying the scrap of parchment he’d left behind, as if any of them were experts like Ean when it came to the Old Tongue. They each knew a few words, what remained of school-knowledge, now mostly forgotten.
Wynnie passed the page off to Burke, who gave it a once-over. It was in the middle of his turn with the paper that it vanished from his grasp in atinkleof magic. “Guess Ean needed that.” Burke frowned.
Hildy sipped her wine, turning to George. “Are you certain we can trust him with this task?”
“I trust him with my life. I love that little scamp.”
“We’re talking about the elf, not the earl, right?” Dunstan chimed in with a wink.
Isahn chortled.
“Yes, we’re talking about Ean.” She sucked her teeth and shook her head, as if she could fling the ridiculous idea away. But realization was a comforting heat, sparking at the center of George’s charred and ashen heart, replenishing her from within as it spread throughout her being.
Deiwa hathemi.
Praying to all the gods that she appeared casual, George turned her head slightly to glance at Isahn. Warm lamplight flickered on his face, brightening his sky blue eyes and casting swooping shadows beneath his angular cheekbones. His wide mouth curved into a secret smile when he caught her studying him. He’d looked at her that way a thousand times in the weeks they’d known each other. Never before had it shocked her so.
The fire burned so bright within George, it stole her breath. Her inhale was shaky as her heart sputtered to a halt, then began pounding again, reborn.
“Everyone out!” she demanded, startling her lounging friends.
Isahn retracted his arm from around her waist, confused. George missed his touch immediately, but she’d get back to him. First, she needed to clear out her apartment.
She popped to her feet. “Shoo.”
Dunstan boomed, mouth wide and head tossed back. Wynnie began to giggle.
“Got someplace important to be?” Burke asked, standing from his pouf and offering Hildy a hand.
“Yes. Alone. Now go, go. You’re allsoslow.” George balked at Dunstan, who was casually finishing his glass of wine. “We’llreconvene tomorrow forprandium. Hopefully Ean will have something by then, and we can plan.”
After much cajoling, George cleared her apartment of all unwanted guests. With a nervous sigh, she locked the door and returned to the sitting room, where Isahn remained on the sofa.
“I need to talk to you.”
His brow furrowed.
“It’s not bad.” George’s mouth dipped into a bashful smile as she crossed to him.
Hopping up, he came around the sofa to meet her, taking her small hands in his. The pad of his thumb rasped over her skin as he captured her gaze. “What?” he mouthed. No sound accompanied the question.
George could feel her cheeks heating even as a grin split her face. “My lord, I’ve realized somethingdevastating.”
“And what is that, Princess Georgie?” His dimple appeared.
“Despite the fact that my future is in peril if we don’t bring down my egotistical father, despite the fact that we met because I ordered your imprisonment, and despite the godsdamn fact that you have to leave—”
“For a time.”
“For ashorttime,” she added.
With a nod, he asked, “I thought you wanted to tell your friends tonight?”
“No. I know we need to, but I’m not ready. Tomorrow, we’ll bring it up.”
“All right. What are—”
