Fox angles his head. ‘Did you hear me, Eye? Or are you too busy catching flies?’
Several of the Etheri laugh. Spinner blinks, then gets to her feet, teetering slightly in her heels as she stalks away.
Fox settles himself comfortably in her chair. One hand rests behind his head, and the other, to my horror, pats his knee. ‘Care to join me, Storm Weaver?’
Whispers dart among the crowd.
I stand there, resenting the heat flaring up in my face, resentinghim, with every thunderous beat of my heart.
The boy sitting in front of me bears little resemblance to the boy I was with last night in the stables. Perhaps he never existed at all.
‘What’s going on?’
I almost sag with relief as Hal appears at my side. His voice is carefully neutral, yet his raven eyes, trained unblinkingly on his brother, flash with barely concealed rage.
‘Your Imperial Highness.’ Fox’s own voice is thick with feigned deference. ‘How changed you are since last I was home. I confess I once found you to be somewhat lacking in taste, but now it seems you’ve set your sights on quite the prize.’
Hal takes a step towards Fox, his hands clenched into fists.
Fox’s smile widens. ‘I’m flattered, brother, yet my offer did not extend to you.’
Hal’s skin is flushed. They stare at each other, the Prince of the Dawn and the Earth Cleaver, for a long, breathless moment.
My stomach lurches violently, my gaze flitting between them.
Then, without breaking eye contact, Hal slips an arm round my waist. I hesitate, just for a second, before letting him pull me close.
I feel Fox’s gaze burn into the back of my skull as we walk away.
Hal waits until the room is once again filled with chatter before releasing his grip. ‘I’m sorry,’ he says quietly, hismouth twisted in anguish. ‘I can’t stand that he’s here. I can’t stand that he’s anHeir. Each time he returns I’m reminded of how much I wish he wouldn’t. He doesn’t belong here. He never has.’
I glance over his shoulder to where Marina is now perched smugly on the arm of Fox’s chair. She giggles loudly at something he murmurs in her ear, fists bunching in his shirt as he leans into her.
‘He has no honour,’ Hal continues. ‘No respect. No sense of decency, or loyalty.’
I can’t seem to tear my gaze away from where Fox and Marina sit, obscenely intertwined, his hand snaking slowly up her throat.
‘I want you to stay away from him, Blaze. He only means to scare you.’
A voice fills my head, amused, taunting.
Scared, Storm Weaver?
‘I’m not scared,’ I say, a little too forcefully.
Hal looks at me curiously, but doesn’t press me further. Brushing his fingers lightly against mine, he mutters something about a Council meeting, and leaves.
‘Blaze?’ Flint appears at my side, along with Elaith, Spinner and Kai. ‘What’s happened? Are you all right?’
Fox appears to have lost interest in his choice of diversion. I watch as he pushes Marina roughly off him and turns away, picking up the abandoned deck of cards, shuffling them, and dealing them out to a group of his gleeful companions.
‘Nothing. I’m fine.’
Flint grimaces. ‘Well, the Earth Cleaver’s certainly put a damper on the evening.’
‘Arrogant bastard,’ mutters Spinner.
‘Not to make matters any worse,’ says Kai, ‘but it seems we have company.’
