“I’m going to take a look around,” I half-shouted to Saoirse over the din of laughter, chatter, andmusic.
She gave me a nod and a thumbs up, and then drifted toward a group of fae wearing nothing more than silknighties.
I decided to head in the opposite direction. A long wooden table pushed up against the wall had caught my eye. Food was piled on top of it. Pastries and pies, cakes and blocks of cheese. Wine bottles sat waiting for me to pour. My stomachgrumbled.
Not now. I needed to get this note to Clark, and then I could return to the party to binge on carbs. I glanced around, my eyes landing on a door in the far corner. Bingo. That wasit.
I hurried through the crowd, casting one last glance over my shoulder to make sure I wasn’t beingwatched.
No one was looking at me at all. I might be the guest of honour, but I clearly wasn’t welcome here. Not yet anyway. With a deep breath, I pushed open the door and steppedoutside.
Much to my disappointment, there wasn’t much out here. Instead of escaping into the courtyard, I’d stepped onto a balcony overlooking the plunging cliffs. The city below glowed with light, but a thick mist obscured thesparkle.
I let out a low whistle, one I’d practiced manytimes.
A moment later, a pair of dark wings rushed by my head. The raven settled on the wrought-iron railing, its beady little eyes staring deep into my soul. Clark had a connection with these birds. They would do her every bidding. And it had been waiting for mycall.
I slipped the tiny scroll into the raven’s outstretched claw. It simply read,I’min.
Due to the blood contract, I couldn’t say any more than that fornow.
The raven blinked, and then soared into thesky.
As I dropped back my head to watch it disappear into the mist, the door behind me swung open wide. “What are you doing outhere?”
My heart skipped a beat. It wasLugh.
Steadying my breathing, I turned to face him. “I was trying to find thetoilet.”
He pursed his lips and stepped closer. “Do you often find yourself lost on your way to theloo?”
As if time itself had slowed, I barely breathed. Surely he didn’t recognise me from that night at the Pack headquarters. Right? He had seen me only for a fleeting moment, and I’d looked completely different then. Dark hair. Pink eyes. Not a golden strand insight.
If he knew I’d been there, he never would have let me inside of hisCourt.
He’d know I wasn’t who I said Iwas.
He’d know I was lying, either then ornow.
Probablyboth.
“Fortunately, no,” I finally said. “Your castle is very large. It’s easy to getlost.”
He wrapped his strong hand around mine and indicated to the door. “The dancing has begun, and you’re missingit.”
“That’s okay,” I said. “I’m not really much of a—oh!”
Lugh kicked open the door and yanked me back inside the Great Hall with a kind of intensity that snapped all the words out of my mouth. He had a vice-like grip on my hand, and he propelled me straight past the tables full of food anddrink.
“What the hell are you doing?” I snapped, trying—and failing—to yank my wristaway.
“It is customary for new members of this Court to dance during their welcomeparty.”
With that, he yanked me onto the dance floor and wound his arm up my back. Hot lava poured through my veins as I tipped back my head to glare up at him. Celtic music swirled through the air, and the fae surrounding us took a step back. Lugh spun me across the floor, his feet moving in time with an ancient faedance.
“You look delicious,” hegrowled.
A thrill went through me. I couldn’t help it, even as angry as I was. My new plan was starting to work. Seduce the king. Learn his secrets. And then somehow get the information back to hisrival.
