Sorry, but I wanted to take the heat off Justus.
“I was waiting for Enzo to tell you, actually.” She smiles, but it’s as tight as the pearl choker she wears. “I’m glad he finally did. I don’t like keeping secrets from you, emMoti.” She reaches over and tries to capture my hand, but I drop it onto my lap and nestle it in the black folds of the outfit I selected for what’s to come tonight.
I’m tempted to remind her that Enzo’s nineteen and that she’s several centuries old, but then remember that Fallon and Lorcan have the same age difference, as do Cathal and?—
And not me.
Not me.
“Be kind to him,” I say.
“Day,” Enzo mutters.
I smile at my red-faced shifter. “Sorry, Enzo, but I’m protective like that. Better learn to live with it. Anyway”—I push away from the table and stand—“I’ve not slept all day. I wish you all a pleasant evening.”
Keep her entertained tonight. Until I tell you we’re done, do not leave her side.
He slides his teeth from side to side.She wants to introduce me to theothers. I don’t want to meet her others. In all honesty, I don’t even want to?—
One more night. Please.
He murders the stone tabletop with his gaze.Fine. I’ll use my body to distract her. If she brings anyone else in the room, though, I’m leaving.
Tell her you aren’t interested in orgies, Enzo. You’ve every right to have your wishes respected.
Do I?
My heart misses a beat that he’d think differently.Yes. You do. It’s your body. Not hers.
She’s the queen, Day.
Perhaps, but you’re not one of her subjects. Never forget that.
He finally looks up and meets my stare. I try to smile but guilt keeps the corners of my lips from tucking up. I’m about to apologize when I recall how he yelled at me the day I did, telling me that it was unfair to apologize for something I wasn’t actually sorry for. So I bite my tongue and stride back toward my bedchamber, Abrax on my heels.
“I’m worried about you, Daya,” he says, as he pulls open my bedchamber door. “You seem troubled.”
“I’ve just got lots on my mind.”
“Is it Cathal? I saw you two arguing when he dropped off Justus.”
I give him a sad smile. “It’s Cathal. Enzo. Agrippina. Taytah. It’s that serpent poison and the Lucin war. It’s Kanti. Behati. Meriam. The list of my troubles is rather endless, but nothing a little sleep won’t fix.”
“I wish I could help.”
“You help just by being there and not adding to my troubles. Goodnight, Abrax.”
“Goodnight, Daya.”
As we smile at each other, I cannot help but wonder if he’ll still smile at me come morning, or if this is to be our last momentof companionable friendship, since freeing Meriam won’t earn me any points with the Shabbins.
My rooms are quiet, yet I feel a presence. Two presences.
The flames shiver along their stalks as shadows glide around me and press me into my bathing chamber. Since I know who they belong to, I don’t flinch when they close my door. The same way I don’t balk when Fallon adorns the walls with sigils.
“Done,” she says. “No one can hear us.”
I stare at Lorcan as he reknits into a male and leans against my sink top. “I hear your grandmother and Behati deceived us.”
