“Ilario,” Eyden replied. “You okay?”
Ilario squinted at him. “Areyouokay? Is yourhumanfriend okay?”
And there it was. Even trusting Ilario had his limits. Eyden couldn’t stand being lied to, yet he had been lying for so long. Well, not lying,withholding.But he knew now, it was all the same.
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you before,” Eyden admitted. Ilario had always been a loyal friend, and Eyden was aware he wasn’t holding up his end of their friendship.
“Why didn’t you? Trust has to go both ways. I’m starting to see why you called me naïve.” Ilario’s emerald eyes radiated a mix of hope and hurt. Eyden couldn’t take it. Why did he always end up disappointing the people he cared about?
Eyden took a deep breath as he tilted his head to the spotless night sky. “I’ll tell you as much as I can. Some things aren’t my secret to share.”
* * *
As he sneaked across the confetti-covered dance floor, Eyden watched Rhay drinking himself into oblivion by one of the colorful, sparkling tables. A pretty brunette was sitting in his lap. Thank Caelo, it wasn’t Lora. Not that she didn’t have the right to do whatever she wanted, but he couldn’t bear to see it happen.
“So you’re still coming here for special Lora,” Ilario stated, trailing him, seeming happy enough for now with what Eyden had been willing to share on their way to the palace. He had left out the fact that Lora was half-fae, but trusted Ilario with what they were planning.
“To work with her, yes,” Eyden replied under his breath.
All business,he reminded himself.
Ilario grinned at him in the dimly lit ballroom. “Are you still going with thatstrictly businessbullshit? You don’t even believe that yourself.”
“I have to,” Eyden said. He turned his head, and his gaze locked on Lora as if guided by fate. She was wearing a midnight blue dress that reached her knees. Not as short as her last dress, but still irresistible. She stared back at him, biting her lip as if she had the same memory replaying in her head.
“All right, enoughbusinessyeye-flirting,” Ilario whispered, having stepped closer to Eyden. “Go talk to her. I’ll take Nix.”
Ilario patted him on the shoulder, then pivoted to where Rhay was lounging on the white velvet chair. Eyden took note of Ilario’s smile slipping when he noticed Rhay’s companion, but he moved towards him anyway.
With business on his mind, Eyden sought out Lora again. She was moving to one of the alcoves. He followed after her with a slight delay so as to not attract suspicion. Pushing the pearl-white curtain aside, he stepped into the private nook, cutting Lora and him off from the party.
“Eyden,” Lora said. Her voice was quiet and unsure. What was up with everyone’s greetings today? He wasn’t a man of many words and he was starting to see why it annoyed everyone.
“Special one.” He immediately wanted to kick himself.Business.She wasn’t hisspecialanything. “Or should I call you princess from now on?”
Lora snorted. “Please don’t. I already have too many fae calling me that. It sounds like a bad joke each time.”
“Too special for you?” His mouth ticked up on instinct. He couldn’t help the smile.
“I don’t care whattheythink of me…”
Why was she making it so fucking difficult? If she didn’t want him, why was he sensing the opposite? He knew she at least wanted him in a physical sense, but she had made it very clear that she didn’t want to explore anything else. She didn’t trust him—and why would she? He had lied. He hadn’t made his intentions clear.
Clearing his throat, he said, “Okay then,Lora,do you have anything to report, or should I start?”
“Rhay definitely knows something. I just don’t know what yet. And Karwyn mentioned his ‘shadow.’ When I brought it up to one of the servants, she said he was Karwyn’s spy.”
“A spy,” Eyden contemplated. “Have you seen him?”
“I don’t think so.”
Eyden had never heard of Karwyn’s shadow before, but anyone on the king’s team was bad news. At least it was useful for them to know. “Be careful,” he warned.
Lora smirked, crossing her arms. “I’ll out-spy him.”
“You think you can?” he said, mocking disbelief.
“Don’t underestimate me.”
