“Better than okay,” she murmurs as she reaches up to cup my jaw. “Thank you for knowing what I needed when I didn’t.”
Revelin walks in just as she says that and he looks so shocked that he drops all the bottles of water. “Well, I’ll be damned. She didn’t even threaten to punch you, Ruby.”
I laugh, winking at our girl as the Prince picks up the bottles and passes them out. “Give her time; it’s coming.”
“Stop teasing her,” Tiernan says, as he lifts his head to glare at us. “You all know what needs to happen now. Hydration first and then the rest of her aftercare.”
They’ve learned well and I almost want to praise them again—almost.
The first rays of dawn are barely kissing the skyline when our magical bus putters into the clandestine underbelly of Amber Hollow. The city, a sprawling canvas of golds and ambers that seem to mock the very concept of modesty, welcomes us with open arms—so long as those arms are lined with velvet and jewels.
I suddenly feel like some crazily dressed chick is going to say, ‘May the odds be ever in your favor’ when we get out.
“Move your sweet ass,” Khol grunts, not one for morning pleasantries, as he hoists our luggage onto the cobblestone.
We shuffle out, half-dazed from the journey, straight into the clutches of opulence. The hotel looms like a titan of indulgence, its doors parting to swallow us whole. Before I can scoff at the gilded columns flanking the entrance, we’re whisked away to the penthouse floor by a flurry of staff members whose clips gleam with runes more complex than any security system back home.
“Subtle,” I mutter under my breath, but my sarcasm is lost in the grandeur of the suite we step into. It’s as if someone vomited wealth and excess over every inch—a prince’s playground.
“Would you look at that chandelier?” I snark, nodding toward the monstrosity of crystals dangling from the ceiling like an overgrown stalactite. “Bet that could feed a small village for a year.”
Khol’s response is a nonchalant shrug as he drops our bags with a thud loud enough to scare off any lurking pretense of humility. Tiernan follows suit but sends me a quick, sheepish glance,as if apologizing for the obscene luxury. Dezi just arches an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed by the pomp.
“Isn’t it just... criminal?” I continue, but my rant is cut short when Revelin’s hands find mine, his fingers warm and grounding.
“Lass, your egalitarian spirit is truly refreshing,” he says with that earnest twinkle in his eye, the one that always threatens to derail my indignation. He pulls me forward, tipping the staff with a generosity that makes my inner rebel want to start a riot—except it’s done with such care that I can’t help but soften. “It leaves me wondering when you’ll lop off my noggin every time I fall asleep.”
I roll my eyes at him as he pulls me into the room further. “Only you would continue sleeping with someone you think might Marie Antoinette you one day.”
“Shhh, enough about my kinks. You have so much capitalist excess to bitch about as we tour this place,” he urges, laughter dancing in his voice. I stomp on his foot, pleased when he yelps, and the other guys snicker.
Khol gives the prince a rueful look. “Never interrupt her dissection of the wealthy one percent, man. It’s dangerous.”
Ignoring them, I poke my head into the kitchen, all gleaming surfaces and gadgets that probably do everything but taste the food for you. “How many peasants do you reckon it took to hand-carve this nonsense?” I mutter under my breath.
“Is that a question like how many lawyers does it take to screw in a light bulb?” Tiernan whispers, though his eyes glint with shared amusement. He opens cabinets, making a show of rearranging some crystal glasses.
Dezi saunters toward the balcony doors, sliding them open with a flourish. The morning light spills over an infinity pool that seems to drop right off into the sky, the hot tub bubbling quietly beside it like a promise of hedonism. I step out, feeling the rush of vertigo as I peer over the edge.
“Fucking rich people,” I mutter as I take in the view that sprawls before us. “This is going to kill me.”
“Bet that’s deep enough to hide a body or two,” Khol quips from behind me, and I snort, wondering just how many secrets these waters have swallowed.
Just like that, the sneaky snake has made me comfortable again.
“As long as none of those bodies are ours,” Dezi says dryly, his gaze sweeping the horizon.
When we go back inside, we find Revelin is already fluffing pillows in one of the three side bedrooms. Each has bedding so plush it could swallow me whole. “We should mess up some sheets... for authenticity,” he suggests with a wink in my direction. My cheeks betray me, flushing with heat, while I try to swat at his arm.
“Keep it up and you won’t have to muss the extras to hide anything,” I retort, but we both know it’s half-hearted.
Revelin winks, then draws runes in the air, intricate symbols that leave trails of shimmering energy, locking the place down. “No uninvited guests,” he says firmly. “Not on my watch.”
“Good. I’d hate to return to find our toothbrushes tampered with,” Dezi deadpans, but there’s a hint of genuine concern in his usually unreadable face.
The prince sighs and tilts his head. “We have to bring the research and shit up here while we’re staying here. The bus is warded, but if we aren’t there to see it as often, I worry about intruders with magic enough to hide it well, especially in a capital city.”
That makes everyone pause and I nod at him. “Good call, princey-poo. Maybe rich, spoiled brats are good for something.”
