“What? No! I?—”
He was forced to cut his words short as another group of party-goers approached the table. He smiled and nodded, tapping his foot impatiently as they dallied over the selections. When they finally retreated, he turned back to the shrubbery. “I don’t want to leave her any more than you do.”
The shrubs were empty.
It’s probably for the best. The last thing we need to add to the atmosphere is an emotional dragon, and I don’t have time to sift through whatever his problem is tonight.
Jax crossed his arms and craned his neck, searching for a glimpse of silver blonde hair and the dazzling smile that was ever-present in his dreams. He blew out an impatient breath. “Swangelina, where are you?”
He caught sight of Dmitri, who was deep in conversation with two of his guests—a large, blonde-haired man with shoulders broad enough that Jax wondered if he could fit through doorways properly and a small, mousy woman with brown hair pulled back into a neat bun at the nape of her neck. The prince looked up as Jax passed and, catching his eye, waved him over.
“Jax! Let me introduce you to some friends of mine—Prince Herrick of Helyos and his secretary, Iona Gemara.”
“She’s not my secretary at the moment, though,” Herrick muttered. “Seeing as this is asocialgathering, and not a work event.”
Iona produced a pen and a miniature notebook from somewhere in her skirt and held them up. “I’m taking notes, which I believe counts as work.”
Jax let out a puff of air in amusement.
Huh. I wouldn’t have pegged either of them for royalty. The Helyan prince looks more like a mercenary. I certainly wouldn’t want to get on his bad side.
He started to bow, then straightened as his magical senses picked out a soft, shimmering sound that seemed to come from the prince. “You have magic,” he stated bluntly.
“He’s Fairy-Blessed,” Dmitri explained. He looked to Herrick for confirmation. “From birth, right?”
Herrick nodded. “Though it’s not something I usually go around announcing at social gatherings. How did you know?” He eyed Jax suspiciously.
“I heard it,” Jax answered absently, still distracted by the strange timbre of Herrick’s magic. He stuck out his hand. “Jax Papageno, Bird Catcher and Dragon Charmer and, most recently, Assistant to the Assistant Keeper of the Menagerie. Also from the Faerie realm, though I think you and I are using the same word to describe two different places.” He blinked, coming back to the moment. “What exactly does your Fairy blessing do?”
“Strength,” Herrick answered, looking slightly bewildered.
“Inhuman strength,” Dmitri corrected. He turned to Jax. “Herrick and Iona traveled through here a few months ago, and on their way, he ended up singlehandedly fighting a wild boar that had been wreaking havoc on the roads.”
Herrick shrugged. “It wasn’t that impressive. I didn’t even have to do much, especially after that silver deer appeared.Wasn’t that one of yours? I remember delivering them both to Boris.”
Dmitri’s face paled. “It–it was. Thank you.” His eyes darted to Jax for a moment. “And thank you once again for dealing gently with them. It would have been a real tragedy if something had happened to them. If you’ll excuse me for a moment.”
He grabbed Jax’s arm and pulled him a few steps away before speaking in a low hiss. “It was Sonya. And Katrin. He could have killed them both, and no one would have known a thing.”
“But he didn’t. They were returned safe and sound.”
Dmitri laughed hollowly. “Which is even more twisted, when you think about it. They both managed to escape Boris, and I delivered them right back into the hand of the man who cursed them.”
Jax grabbed his shoulders. “Breathe, Dmitri. It’s going to be alright. We’re going to fix this, remember? Speaking of, have you seen Odessa?”
“Not since the day before yesterday.”
He released Dmitri and turned in a tight circle, casting his eyes over the assembly again. The guests were beginning to move in pairs to where a dance floor had been cleared, as the musicians struck up a livelier tune.
“There.” Dmitri grabbed his arm and pointed across the courtyard to the darkened path that led to Katrin and Sonya’s enclosure. Boris, dressed in a suit as fine and expensive as Dmitri’s own, was walking into the courtyard as if he owned the place—which, Jax supposed, was partly true. He smiled and laughed as he greeted the people around him, somehow walking a line between charismatic and intimidating with more finesse than a circus performer.
It was easy to see, in that moment, how he could have fooled everyone for so long.
But the Keeper of the Menagerie was quickly forgotten once Jax caught sight of the woman at his side, the one he was presenting to everyone as if she were his most cherished possession.
He had never seen Odessa in any color other than white, but she had chosen a black gown that sparkled as she moved, reminding him of Bean’s iridescent scales. The contrast with her pale skin and platinum hair was stunning, and he soon realized his were not the only eyes drawn her way. He started toward her, leaving Dmitri behind without another word.
“Bart!” he called out cheerfully as soon as he was within earshot. “It’s wonderful to see you again.”
