“I know.” She sighed. “I just can’t imagine going to apartytomorrow.”
“I’ll be there. I won’t let anything bad happen. Although Damien will also be there, so who knows how the night will go.”
“If the two of you didn’t insist ontaking turnsbeing the responsible one,” she teased, “the rest of us wouldn’t have to worry about it!”
“What would be the fun in that?” Leo laughed.
The two of them fell into a comfortable silence while they listened to the roar of the ocean.
“About tomorrow…” Leo said after a while. “I have a part to play at the ball. The king will expect me to be charming, make conversation, and dance with the ladies of the four courts.”
Evelyn understood all of that, but something about it still stung. “That makes sense. My role probably isn’t all that different. Hannah has to meet everyone and spend time with the prince, but I don’t have a betrothal to tend to.”
“If it were up to me, I wouldn’t leave your side tomorrow. I wouldn’t dance with a single other person.” Leo absentmindedly ran his fingers through the sand. “Evelyn, I need to tell you…”
She looked at him expectantly. “Tell me what?”
He fell back in the sand and closed his eyes. “Never mind. I’m so fucking tired right now.”
An anxious curiosity flared in Evelyn’s chest.
What was he going to say? Was it something good or bad?
“Will you save me a dance?” Leo asked sleepily.
Evelyn smiled, even though he couldn’t see it. “You know I will.”
He reached out to take her hand. She laced their fingers together, loving the comforting warmth.
This feels right, being with Leo. Whatever he isn’t telling me yet can wait.
Leo was asleep within minutes.Evelyn was wide awake, but she didn’t dare move. It was like having a sleeping cat in her lap. So she listened to the waves and Leo’s deep breathing beside her.
Leo woke about an hour later, startled suddenly out of a dream. He grinned wildly when he realized Evelyn was next to him, their hands still joined.
“You fell asleep so quickly, I didn’t want to wake you,” she told him.
“I appreciate that,” Leo said, sitting up and brushing sand out of his hair.
“I hate to say it, but we should probably return to the palace.”
“I’m sure your father already sent out a search party.”
“I can see a corner of the palace from here!” Evelyn pointed to their right. “If someone is looking for us, they aren’t trying very hard.”
“Wouldn’t it be funny if you managed to sneak back into your room while they were out trying to find you?”
“Shall we try it?”
Leo jumped to his feet, then reached out to help Evelyn up. “I’ll put an illusion on both of us so we can’t be seen.”
Evelyn agreed. Leo waved a hand over her head and then over himself. She couldn’t tell anything was different, but he held on to her arm since he couldn’t see her. Leo reminded her to stay quiet because his illusion was only visual and wouldn’t cover their voices.
There were more guards on duty around the palace than usual. Evelyn didn’t have enough magic to make an arson-based distraction. Instead, Leo created a new illusion so they could open the door and slip through undetected.
Leo walked Evelyn upstairs and they stopped outside her bedroom door, no longer invisible.
“What was the illusion you made?” Evelyn asked. “The guards looked so confused.”
