“I’ll stay.” Sawyer’s hand shot up.
Franlow shook his head and pointed a crooked, aged finger at me. “No. Her.”
I could feel Samara’s eyes narrow into small slits upon where I sat at the table, my lilac gown for this evening's dinner sparkling off the freshly waxed mahogany. I ignored her heinous gaze, keeping my attention floating between King Franlow and Sebastian.
“Absolutely not,” Sebastian firmly stated, clenching his hands together so hard they began to pale.
“She is clearly important to you, Sebastian. So I trust that you will be honorable while you are gone to ensure her safety,” Franlow added.
“Where she goes, I go,” Sebastian declared, receiving a slight scoff from Samara. “If she stays, then I stay. If I go, she is coming with me. That is not up for debate.”
Franlow leaned back in his seat, folding his velvet-robed arms across his chest “These are my terms. Accept them, or I will not be helping you.”
Sebastian clicked his tongue, his eyes pinning Franlow to the wall with an invisible dagger.
Don’t blow this, Seb. Just shut up and let me stay.
“May I ask why youreallywant to keep her here?” Sebastian questioned, suspicion flicking off his tongue.
“She is the reason for all of this, is she not? With her form of mind power, then she is the most powerful being on the continent. Is she not? And those markings. Those are…interesting.” Franlow nodded at the swirling stars on my flesh.
“Alright then.” Sebastian leaned back into his seat, his jawline appearing even more defined as he ground his teeth. “I’ll stay here with her. The others will take you to see the Hykah.”
“Why are you so persistent on this, Sebby? I promise to take good care of her,” Samara sneered innocently across the table.
“Why are you even at this meeting?” Sebastian scoffed back, but did not otherwise continue to acknowledge Samara. Looking back at the king, he argued his case. “Lyrise, Sharpe, Sinclair, and Pia will make the trip, and can take Azain to see the Hykah. When they return, we can negotiate the terms of you helping us.”
“Sebastian, you know I trust you, but I do not know them nearly as well as I know you.” Franlow held an open palm out to our group. “For all I know, Azain would never return if I let himgo with them alone. He is basically family to me, and I’m sure you can understand my concern for his safety.”
Sebastian syphoned in a purposeful breath, that I was sure prevented him from exploding on the one person who could help us.
Under the table, I kicked his shin with the bottom of my heel. The gesture was meant to be a silent suggestion for him to let it go, but he was closer than I’d realized, and by the way he sucked his teeth between his lips, I had a feeling there would be a bruise on his leg later.
“Surely we can discuss this further. There must be another solution?—
I cut Sebastian off. He wasseriouslygoing to blow this if he didn’t stop. “These terms are fine, Your Highness. I’ll stay here. The others can go,” I agreed.
Sebastian shot me a heated glare, his dark brows sunken into his ocean eyes.
“I’ll be fine,” I quietly assured him, squeezing his thigh with my hand under the table.
Grinding his jaw, Sebastian shuffled in his chair, contemplating. His borrowed suit tonight was a charcoal gray, the inside of the jacket lined with navy silk that brought out the darkness in his eyes. The fabric strained against his biceps as he crossed his arms over his chest and my stomach instantly fluttered.
I couldn’t wait to tear that jacket off of him later.
“Fine. But she will not stay here alone. At least one of us is staying with her, and that is not up for discussion,” Sebastian growled, then added, “these aremyterms.”
I wouldn’t argue with that. I would certainly feel more comfortable having a familiar face here, especially with the brown-eyed, snobby-faced, beauty queen glaring at me from across the table.
“Very well. He can stay.” King Franlow pointed at Sawyer out of all people.
Kade snorted out a laugh that he immediately tried to disguise by clearing his throat, though his one-sided smirk gave his amusement away. “Erm. Sorry.”
Sebastian began to argue yet again, but I laid a hand on his upper arm, squeezing his muscle. I forced a smile directed at the king. “Thank you, Your Highness.”
After discussing some logistics over dessert, it was determined that Sebastian and our friends, apart from Sawyer, would leave at sunrise. When our stomachs were full to maximum capacity, we were dismissed. Sebastian and I returned to our room, him sporting the largest scowl I’d ever seen on a person.
“I don’t like this,” he grumbled, taking a seat on the edge of our bed and aggressively unbuckling his dress boots.
