I reached the door first and opened it, revealing Eventide—who was quivering a little—Skye and her tablet, and Lord Linus—who had gotten himself a paper straw with watermelons on it and was sipping at what was probably his third refill of his alcoholic beverage.
When Eventide saw King Solis he threw himself into a deep bow. “P-please excuse the interruption, King Solis, Queen Leila.”
“No worries, Eventide. We’re finished.” I turned around to the king. “Can you find your way out, King Solis?”
“I can show King Solis to his car,” Skye volunteered, offering a little bow to both of us.
I smiled. “Great, thanks Skye.”
King Solis winked. “In that case, good day to you, Queen Leila.”
Lord Linus slurped his drink as he reached the bottom of his cup. “See? Charismatic as money he is.”
I ignored Lord Linus and smiled at Eventide. “Did you need something, Eventide?”
The faun blushed a little and gave me a shy smile. “Only to inform you that your online grocery order has arrived.”
“Grocery order?”
I hadn’t seen Indigo until she spoke—she’d been perched on the edge of the marble base of a giant deer statue, glued to her phone.
“Yes, my food!” I pumped an arm in the air. “Thanks Eventide!”
Indigo pushed her glasses up her nose and scowled as she followed me to the kitchens. “You ordered food from a grocery store when you have a kitchen staff?”
“Yep!”
Indigo looked like she wanted to say something, but she pursed her lips and held it in.
I glanced at her, but rather than try to tease her thoughts from her, I doubled my pace.
I wanted to get my food before it sat out very long, giving anyone the chance to enchant it.
I was sure Indigo and everyone else thought I was nuts, but I figured prevention was worth it. Maybe once I had a better rapport with my people, I could eat without being afraid—I was starting to feel a little bad about this, anyway.
Actually, I felt like a monster when Skye asked me to teatime the previous day and I just had water while she and Indigo drank tea and glanced longingly at the refreshments that they had to refrain from eating if I did.
Baby steps. I just met a nice fae king—something I didn’t know was possible. We’ll count this as a win. Which is something I need, given that my first social is coming. I hope it’s not a disaster.
They wouldn’t try to humiliate me in front of the Paragon again, would they?
Either way, I was about to find out.
* * *
The nightof my first official social as Queen of the Night Court, my stomach pretty much never stopped doing somersaults in my gut.
Azure—my chauffeur—drove me to the location of the social with Indigo riding in back with me and Skye sitting up front lobbing last minute names at me.
She’d worked with me the entire time I got ready—all while Indigo had threaded black pearls through my hair and then pinned it in place, and even when the diligent brownie had stuffed me into my dress and shoes for the night.
Apparently I had to match my night themed mansion, because she’d selected black shoes, a black clutch, and a beautiful dark blue dress with a black lace overlay and black pearls beaded around the off the shoulder sleeves and neckline.
I was pretty chuffed about the clutch. Hazel Medeis had told me how she once beat off a wizard with her clutch. I’d chosen to stuff mine with the can of bear mace Dad bought me when my college gym class/self-defense instructor recommended it, and my charm bracelet that served as my artifact so I could use magic in a pinch.
I knew Chase and his newly hired guards—he’d fired a bunch of the old crew who had served Queen Nyte—were going to be stationed around the restaurant. But it was really confidence building to know you were carrying bear mace, which was capable of taking down a grown fae!
The car rolled to a stop, and I opened the door before Azure could hop out and do it for me. Indigo reacted with a grunt, but Skye never stopped talking.
