Page 105 of A Legacy of the Light

“There’s a reason I don’t go in there,” he laughs again.

“I didn’t go in intentionally,” I groan.

“Welcome to Elfayne.” He raises another glass in salute to me. I groan again and take a mouthful of wine.

“Do you want to get out of here?” he asks, putting his glass down and taking mine from me too.

“Isn’t this your ball? Are you allowed to just leave?”

“Perks of being the prince: I can do what I want,” he shrugs.

“Yes. But let’s find Reyne first.”

Tavish nods and looks around the room. I look, too, trying to spot her red hair. It’s then I notice Tavish and I are the only ones dressed in black.

“Did Reyne know what you were going to wear tonight?” I ask.

“Yes. Why?”

“She picked this fabric for my dress,” I confirm on a sigh.

“Sneaky witch,” he chuckles. “Come on, she’s not in here, let’s check the throne room.”

Tavish takes my hand and leads me through the propped-open golden doors. Sure enough, Reyne is dancing with Eòghann again, both of them laughing. I smile when I see them and hope they can rekindle whatever it is they had.

She spots me and I wave her over.

“I wondered where you’d gone. What happened?” she asks.

Tavish snickers next to me and I nudge him. “I just got lost. Tavish said we can get out of here. Do you guys want to come?”

Reyne looks to Eòghann, who’s hesitant for a second then shrugs before nodding. “Where are we going?” Reyne asks Tavish.

“You’ll see. It’s a surprise.” He gestures for us to follow and we walk behind him as he heads out of the throne room.

Reyne links her arm through mine. “Where did you go?” she asks quietly, Eòghann trailing behind us.

“Let’s just say it wasn’t the ladies’ room.”

Reyne laughs hard. “You went to the chambers, didn’t you?”

“She did!” Tavish calls from ahead of us as we approach the doors into the courtyard. “Saw some stuff didn’t you, Elsie?” he teases over his shoulder.

There are fewer Seelie here so I have no issue in flipping him off, making him laugh even harder.

“I did warn you,” Reyne snorts.

“I didn’t go on purpose.”

I don’t confess that I was so flustered after my dance with Tavish that I had walked in without paying attention to where I was going.

Reyne and I hit the gravel and our ankles pop at the same time. We both start laughing and try to walk across the path. Thankfully we are holding onto each other so neither of us fall, but getting across it is difficult.

Eòghann doesn’t hesitate to sweep Reyne into his arms and she squeals before laughing and looping her arms around his neck. Tavish turns to me and lifts a brow.

I hold my hand up to him. “I can walk just fine.”

I take two steps and my ankle pops again and Tavish catches me by my elbow before I fall. Tonight has not been my finest hour.