“It is not to me you should apologize. It is to your future cousin-in-law.”
Sook’s square jaw worked, as though he were chewing on a piece of dehydratedpanem. “My deepest apologies,golwinim.”
Remo flipped his knife over and over. Was he thinking of tossing it at Sook because my cousin had used the Gottwa term forlucionaga? Even though it was the appropriate terminology, most Unseelies—even half-Seelie ones like Sook—employed it solely to get underneath a Seelie’s skin.
When Remo didn’t send the knife hurtling across the table, I came up with a new hypothesis: Gregor’s heir was uncomfortable. Even though he’d never struck me as someone ill-at-ease in social situations, tonight, his family was heavily outnumbered by mine. Not to mention his mother had left.
Clinking arose from the end of the table opposite Nima and Iba. Gregor stood and tapped his fork against his wine goblet. “I want to propose a toast to the newly betrothed. Amara, it is my honor to welcome you into my family, and it will be an even greater honor to share the Farrow name with you soon.”
I almost choked on my spit. Even if I were to marry Remo—which so wasn’t happening—I wouldnevertake his family name.
Gregor raised his glass higher. “To two families becoming one.”
I was tempted to keep my fists on the table to display how I felt about Gregor’s toast, but one look at Iba had my fingers clenching around my goblet and lifting it high.
“Skies lend me strength,” Remo mumbled so low it sounded as though he were clearing his throat. He traded his knife for his golden goblet and raised it.
“Ditto,” I said sweetly, knocking my glass so hard against his, wine sloshed over the rim and soaked the sleeve of his tunic.
His fire steamed away the damp spot but failed to lift his thickening displeasure. After the toast, I turned my back on Remo and spoke exclusively with my grandfather, who explained the origin of toasting—a way to check if drinks were poisoned—before sharing tons of other fun human facts, which had my cousins leaning closer.
Even though I was focused on Pappy, I couldn’t help but overhear pieces of Remo’s conversation with Shiloh, who sat on his other side. They mostly spoke about her bath products company, and how doing business with humans was so much easier than with faeries, which led them to talking about Earth, and did she miss living there?
My bracelet vibrated with an incoming message:So?
Joshua was relentless.
ME:I’m in the middle of dinner.
JOSH:Don’t forget,prinsisa. But in case you do . . .
My stomach spasmed as though someone had just punched me.
JOSH:I’ll remind you.;)
I quickly shut down our chat. How unfortunate that faerie bargains could be claimed from such a distance. I looked around the table. Now was as good a time as any to check Josh’s suspicions. Since Iba, Nima, Gregor, and Silas were here, most of thelucionagain the kingdom were, too. Which meant the coast was somewhat clear.
6
The Little Brother
Faelights bobbed like luminous raindrops around me as I made my way down the glass stairs and past the slender wooden pillars that supported the sides of the pavilion. I’d thankfully gotten rid of my guards, insisting I needed no escort to use the bathroom, which rose from the soft earth like a mushroom stalk, bearing most of the weight of the fan-shaped cap. I skirted the structure’s moss-coated walls, hoping nolucionagalurked amidst the tall, jagged flowers ringing the fence of artfully crisscrossed stilts at the far end.
Right as I peeked between the crisscrossed slats, a thin voice called out my name. I turned to find Remo’s ten-year-old brother trotting toward me, one hand held behind his back. Although he shared certain facial traits with Remo, like my fiancé’s straight nose and thick, low eyebrows, his coloring was entirely Silas’s.
“What is it, Karsyn?”
“My brother doesn’t like you. He’ll never like you.”
One of my eyebrows jolted up. “And?” I stared impatiently toward thecalimborsthat stood like giant sentinels against the violet sky. I had minutes left before someone upstairs questioned my toilet break.
“And I can’t let him ruin his life.”
I gave the kid my full attention now. “Ruinhislife? Because you thinkIwant to marry your brother?” I flapped my hand to shoo him off. “Go back to the party, Karsyn, and mind your own business.”
“I love my brother,” he said, advancing toward me.
“Lucky Remo.”
