“It certainly is. Fit for a queen.” She winks, but then her eye spasms and she murmurs, “Shit. I placed you between Lev and Antoni.”
“And that’s a problem, why?”
She slants me a look. “You really think Kostya will be pleased I seated you between two single men?”
“Right.” As we thread ourselves through guests still hunting down their seats, I ask, “Who did you sit next to him?”
“Zendaya on one side, and Naeva on the other.”
“Naeva?” Weird heat builds inside my chest, around my heart.
Izolda smirks. “No need to be jealous. He hasn’t once looked at her like he’s looked at you. As for Lev, I thought you two were friends, since you spent so much time at the carnival together yesterday,” she murmurs just as we reach his side. Izolda snatches my name card. “Levyusha, I promise to find you a lovely replacement.”
As she starts tugging me away, Lev touches my wrist. “I didn’t have time to congratulate you on such a momentous union.”
“Thank you. Konstantin and I appreciate your support.”
Feeling like I owe Lev an apology for standing him up, I slide my arm out of Izolda’s grasp. “I’ll catch up. Just tell me where to go.”
Her lips twist, but a glance over my shoulder has them leveling. “You’ll figure it out.”
Her answer and behavior are so odd that I frown but then refocus on Lev. “I’m sorry about last night. I didn’t mean to ghost you.”
“At least, now I understand why you did.” He runs a hand through the brown curls that just barely graze his shoulders. He’s one of the few Glacin High Fae who wears his hair short, and I admire him for it. “I thought that, maybe, I was being too pushy.”
“You weren’t. You were the perfect gentleman.” Konstantin’s revelation about Lev selling arms to the Crown’s known enemiesmakes me add, “Any woman would be lucky to become the object of your affection.”
If I establish a rapport with him, I could learn why he’s arming humans and who’s paying to do so. Unless he’s distributing weapons for free?
“Since I’m here to stay, perhaps I can make it up to you. We could have tea.”
His eyebrows writhe. “Konstantin would allow this?”
“I don’t know how things are done in Glace, but where I come from, women can choose their friends.”
“I’d prefer if you discussed it with him first. I wouldn’t want to end up in his bad graces.”
Oh, you already are.I’m hoping Lev has a good reason for doing what he’s doing—like ignorance. Ignorance isn’t a great trait, but it beats greed and insurgence.
An arm slips around my waist. My shoulders pinch when I glimpse the elegant, pale fingers crushing the blush chiffon.
Lev’s gaze settles on the male looming over me. “Congratulations, Vizosh.”
“Shall we find our seats?” Konstantin asks without acknowledging Lev’s blessing.
I surmise his question was rhetorical, since he’s piloting me away before I can give my assent.
He leans over and murmurs, “What part of,there will be no one else, wasn’t clear?”
“I wasn’t making a pass at him.”
“Funny. That wasn’t the impression I got.”
I slide my teeth together. “I suggested tea, not sex. If tea means sex in Glace, then you better tell me before I invite anyone else to sip a hot beverage.”
“How many more men are you planning on havingteawith?”
I frown up at him, because why the underworld is he making this out to be something it isn’t?
