I turn to find two dark blueish eyes gazing down at me, causing my stomach to do a twirl. Damn him and those intense eyes that pierce straight into my soul. And that woodsy, smoky scent of his. He’s wearing a short-sleeved black shirt tonight, with black pants and boots. His muscular arms are on full display.
Damn him.
I love a guy in all black. I don’t know what it is.
“You came…”
He nods, his mouth forming a tight-lipped smile.
I subtly look behind him.
“She’s not here,” he says cooly, fixing his heavy-lidded eyes on me.
“I didn’t—"
“Since we trust each other now,” he says, stepping closer. His scent overwhelms my senses. “And you’re so curious… Yara and Iusedto fuck. Long before we came here. It was never anything more.”
My heart has stopped beating as the smooth words drip from his mouth. I don’t know what curse he’s put on me, but I can’t seem to think straight when he looks at me like that. Jealousy churns inside me, and yet I’m also drowning in this… other feeling he stirs in of me. One I don’t want to name.
“O…kay. So why didn’t she come?”
“I couldn’t bring her here tonight. She kind of hates you.”
I could have guessed that, based on the way she glares at me. “Is she the one who was told to go home, but didn’t?” I ask, feeling emboldened. My stomach is beginning to feel lighter, and so is my head.
That damn pink wine.
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Why what?” he asks.
“Why did you tell her to go?”
“Because she wasn’t needed here…” he says.
“Oh.”
He releases a breath through his nose and smirks.
“Wine?” I offer him when he doesn’t say anything more on the matter.
“I’m good,” he replies, crossing his arms and glancing at the people standing around.
Meela has one rather large main room, plus her bedroom, closet, and a bathroom. Not a lot of space, but enough for twenty to thirty people to stand around comfortably. A musician stands in the corner, softly playing a smooth string instrument. Most of the people here are elves we grew up with. Daughters or sons of castle staff or members of my father’s court, a handmaiden or two… most of them have intermingled over the years, though I usually kept to myself. There’d been a night or two when I’d had a few drinks and kissed a random elf, but never anything more.
She really threw this all together nicely with such short notice. Speaking of…
“Do you see Meela anywhere?” I ask.
Daegan shakes his head. “Raef disappeared too…”
“He drank nox wine. I told him not to.”
Daegan cups a hand to his forehead. “Great.”
“I need to witness this,” I say through a laugh. “I’m going to look for him.”
