“You shouldn’t have taught that today,” Kael said with a sharp glance in Finn’s direction. “When Alwyn finds out, she’s going to be pretty angry. Queen Marin is not a topic we’re supposed to beteaching.”
“She’s an important topic,” Finn countered. “What happened during her reign matters greatly to who and what we’ve becomenow.”
“I still don’t understand what’s going on with this ball.” I stood, interrupting their back-and-forth. They all sure liked to bicker a lot, though I could tell it was done in a lighthearted way. A brotherly sort of banter without the hard feelings of a true feud. “Why does it mean we can’t try to find Breenow?”
“The Royals Ball is this weekend, Norah,” Rourke said. “Which you’d know about if you weren’t dashing off to the stables everyday.”
He cut Liam a look, who merely smirked in response. He must have told them then.Great.
“Each Court sends representatives to attend the Academy’s event. The Lords and Ladies won’t come, of course, but some lesser Royals will attend.” Kael shook his head and grimaced. “That means there will be extra guards roaming the grounds. If any of them spotted a Redcap, they’d kill it in a heartbeat. We can’t risk going for Bree while they’rehere.”
I puffed out a frustrated sigh and sunk back into the chair. I hated waiting. Bree needed my help, and the clock was ticking. And this stupid ball was only going to delay what shouldn’t be delayed anylonger.
“Don’t look so glum, Norah,” Finn said, cocking his head to the side. “I thought you’d be excited about the ball. It’s your first chance to dance in Otherworld, and it’ll be nothing like you’ve ever dancedbefore.”
Chapter Twenty-One
The Royals beganto arrive the very next day. The Autumn fae were the first to join the celebration, striding down the hallways in their golden robes with hair the color of the setting sun. Liam found me in my apartment, flipping through the book about the Starlight plant. I was yearning to find some hope within the old, weathered pages. I needed to know this would all turn outokay.
He didn’t bother to knock on the door, and his body filled the doorway in a way that made it seem as if the entire apartment had been consumed by his fiery presence. And Istillhad yet to be alone with him since our kiss. To say being near him made me nervous now? Well, that was just putting itlightly.
“Norah, the Autumn Court has arrived,” he said in a gruff voice that did little to mask his irritation at their presence in thesehalls.
I kept my eyes focused on the book. I figured if I didn’t look at him, I wouldn’t feel that overwhelming desire to climb up him again. After his little chat with the Head Instructor, he probably didn’t want me to anyway, and I had approximately zero desire to make an idiot out ofmyself.
“I saw them arrive earlier. It was kind of impossible to miss them, youknow.”
A pause. “Why do you always get an attitude when you talk tome?”
“Maybe because you act like I’m anidiot.”
“I do no such thing.” Another pause, only after this one, he strode over to my bed and sat without any invitation from me. “You need to be careful aroundthem.”
At that, I glanced up. My curiosity got the better of me. His orange eyes were swirling with an intensity that always took my breath away, and it was difficult to concentrate on what he’d said before, not when he was looking at me like that. Like...he wanted to eat meup.
“I thought they were just minor Royals here to have fun at our ball. Why do I need to becareful?”
He frowned and glanced at my cracked bedroom door. Sophia wasn’t home right now, but she’d return at any moment. Was he really that worried about even my roommate overhearing ourconversation?
He dropped his voice to a whisper, which sounded strange coming from him. Liam never whispered. “Remember what we learned when we visitedEsari?”
Inodded.
“Well, this ball is to celebrate the anniversary of Marin’s assassination. I wouldn’t be surprised if they thought it was poetic to plan another assassination on this dateagain.”
Dread pooled in my stomach at his words. Surely they wouldn’t. Not here. Notnow.
“But this is an Academy. We’re students. Who in the world would they want to assassinatehere?”
Something flickered in his eyes, and he glanced at the cracked door again. “Have you told anyone else about how you were able to healKael?”
Alarmed, I shook my head. “No, I didn’t really know how to explain it without giving away the fact we went to the Winter Court to find some Starlight forBree.”
“Good.” He nodded. “What about your roommate? Did you tellher?”
“I...” I shook my head. It was awful. There had been so many times when I’d wanted to tell her. Keeping the secrets from my closest friend at the Academy felt like the biggest betrayal of them all, but every time I opened my mouth, the words got stuck in my throat. Sometimes, it felt like I was living a double life. “I’m not really used to having friends. I was scared if she knew what I’ve been up to, she wouldn’t be too fond of meanymore.”
“Well, that’s ridiculous,” he said in a low growl. “Anyone who isn’t fond of you is an idiot, especially if they knew how pure your heartis.”
