Might have been risky to send another raven to the guard house, but I would have doneanythingto quell the unease. I needed the confirmation that Brandt was merely visiting with his old bunkmates from the military academy and no one suspected him of being part of a treasonous army.
Treason. I might have been dressed in shades of blue, but I was still committing treason. Just like Brandt. Just like Evereon.
And then we would all die and Riyan would be stuck in the place West of the Moon and East of the Sun forever.
Fuck, I needed to forget the word “treason” before I vomited on the staircase.
We had just made it down the steps when Annalisa’s irate voice echoed through the hall. “No, I will not take it off!”
Brietta and I turned our heads. Annalisa glared up at Derrick with her arms folded and her Thornebow crest gleaming over her bosom. Derrick’s golden coronet gleamed in the fadingsunlight from the nearby windows. His back was facing us, but I could still see a white box with a pink ribbon in his hand.
“All I am saying is you might like this more.” Derrick held out the box. “Come on, it is five o’ clock. Just take it—”
Annalisa stepped back and her glare sharpened. “What? You think you can just replace him by throwing your money around?”
Brietta and I shared a quick glance.
“That is not what I—”
“I am aThornebow—you will never change that.” She lowered her voice. “And if you cannot accept my new blood, if you cannot acceptmeafter all these years, then do not bother speaking to me again.”
Derrick hissed out a breath and turned on his heel. “Fine.”
He stormed past us without so much as a glance in our direction and flung Annalisa’s gift out of an open window.
My eyes followed him down the hall. Damn it, Annalisa! Whatever happened to making tonight the best birthday of Derrick’s life?
My white flame twisted around my heart—I had to fix it.
Brietta’s lips parted to speak, but I cut her off. “I will take care of this.”
I picked up my skirts and ran to catch up with Derrick. I could cajole Annalisa into apologizing and calm Derrick down. Maybe a servant could go fetch the box before half-past five. We had too much at risk to not have the evening go smoothly.
“Derrick!” I panted as I caught up to him. “She is just fond of the Thornebow pendant because she misses Grigory. I am sure she—”
He whipped around. “It looks like a fucking brand!”
My heart stopped. He looked so…unlike him with his brow hard and his eyes harsh.
He cleared his throat and his face softened. “I am so sorry, Serafina. Forgive me, I just—”
“Lord Hyton,” a servant said as he meekly peeked around the ballroom door. “Beg your pardon, but it is time for your entrance with Lady Hyton.”
Derrick let out a measured, but still frustrated breath as he adjusted the golden rose pin on his black doublet. “I will see you inside.”
I could not let him go that easily. I had to be alluring, damn it!
I put on a smile and forced my clenched fists to release my skirt. “Would it be too bold to ask for a dance later?”
He smiled back, returning to the Derrick I knew. “Of course not.”
He kissed my hair and then his soft whisper skated across my forehead. “Every second you are here mends my heart a little more. Thank you.”
My heartbeat slowed down even as he pulled away. “Happy birthday, Derrick.”
He gave me one last smile before following the servant.
Just like I had planned, even with Annalisa’s hiccup. All I needed to do for the rest of the night was hang on Derrick’s arm, bat my eyelashes, and make him look good enough to ease Duke Hyton’s nerves about his heir’s image.
