Damien finally looked at her. “Of course not, Princess. I just wish the past eight days had made you want to smile instead of set fires.”
“Have I only been here for eight days?”
“Yep. Seven nights and hundreds of deaths later, here we are.”
“You sure know how to cheer a girl up.”
“My usual methods don’t work on you, remember?” he said flirtatiously.
Evelyn cocked her head. “Do they work on Lord Nicolas?”
“You’re wrongly assuming thatI’mthe one who charmedhim.”
“Are you ever going to tell me that story?”
“Nope.”
Lord Nicolas glanced over at them curiously, like he could sense he was being talked about. But he was stuck in a conversation with the other lords.
Damien threw an arm around Evelyn. “Let’s go annoy your sister.”
They sat on a bench on the opposite side of the large patio from Leo and Hannah. Leo watched Damien stretch his arm over the back of the bench behind Evelyn’s shoulders.
Hannah tossed her hair and stared up at Leo while telling a story. Suddenly, she swatted at something in the air. A few seconds later, she did it again.
Damien is using his magic.
Hannah rushed inside the palace to get away from the invisible bee circling her head.
Leo approached their bench. “That wasn’t very nice.”
“It was hilarious,” Damien argued, casually resting an ankle over his knee.
“You interrupted us.”
“Was Hannah’s story about Carrowmore’s unseasonably late snowstorm that compelling?” Evelyn asked.
Leo’s expression told her that she had correctly guessed the new topic of conversation.
“I like hearing about your kingdom,” Leo said. “You don’t talk about it much.”
“So ask me.” Evelyn’s voice didn’t stay as relaxed as she wanted.
“I don’t think I’ve ever talked to Hannah,” Damien commented. “It’s enough trouble dealing withyou.”
He tugged on a lock of Evelyn’s hair and she smacked his hand.
Lord Nicolas came through the open doors. “If you’re done causing trouble out here, dinner is about to be served.”
Damien winked at him. “You wouldn’t like any of us if we didn’t cause trouble.”
Nicolas grinned. “Barbeau has more wine for us.”
“Fucking start with that next time!” Damien jumped up and grabbed Leo by the collar, dragging him unceremoniously into the palace.
Nicolas rolled his eyes, then held out a hand to Evelyn. “Princess?”
She took his hand and they went inside.
