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I found that hard to believe. Tristiana and I had been friends for years, and she had no interest in males beyond the money they offered us at the cabaret. She had no reason to be envious of any relationship I might have with anyone, least of all someone way out of my league. She was too kind to say it, of course, but she knew as well as I did that the king had no interest in me beyond my body… did he?
If that were true, what is this all about? He shouldn’t be calling me back again and again. And all the flowers he keeps sending…
“You don’t even have an answer?”
Her hands flew off the wheel, her full body turning as she cast a spell to allow the car to drive itself, her eyes intent on me.
“Nothing. There’s no deal,” I replied quickly. “He just asked me to do this because he knows my background. We talked about it, and he thought it might be up my alley.”
“How does he know your background?” she pressed, shocked by my answer. “Is that what he wanted to talk to you about on opening night when you stood us up?”
I blushed furiously, and she cast me another look. “I know he’s no stranger to the dancers, Mare. He’s handsome and charismatic. Don’t go falling for him.”
“I won’t! I wouldn’t!” I protested sharply. “I’m not stupid.”
“Hm.”
“I’m not!” I growled indignantly, hurt that she would think I was.
“I never said you were. I said, be careful,” she insisted, snapping her fingers to dispel the magic and regain control of the car. “Love has a way of making everyone stupid, no matter how smart you are.”
“Love?” I squeaked.
“Yes, love.”
“I’m not going to go falling in love with the king!” He was royalty, after all, and I knew my place.
“Okay.” She obviously sensed that there was more to it, but I wasn’t going to tell her about my one-night stand with the king, not without his permission, even if she was my best friend.
Tristiana drew in a sharp breath, and I turned my head to look out the windshield, into the pale autumn sunlight.
The gates of Steelshire Castle were upon us, the wrought iron looming higher than my neck would permit me to strain from that angle, but I had flown over these walls many times before in my owl form and knew the tops were spiked, rendering them difficult to land.
My hands were suddenly very clammy, and I wiped them on my jeans hastily, licking my lips nervously. Tristiana’s reservations were rubbing off on me.
My friend rolled down her window as we approached the guard gates, and her hands again tightened against the steering wheel with such force, I thought she might snap the whole thing off. A bored-looking Royal Guard leaned forward from his station and eyed us disdainfully. His eyes flicked back to the cell phone in his hand as if we weren’t even there.
“Tourists need to go around to the side entrance,” he intoned. “It says it right there on the sign.”
He jerked a thumb back rudely and retreated back into the box like we were gone already. Tristiana shot me a panicked look, and I piped up.
“Uh… no,” I mumbled. “Ny—the king is expecting us. We’re Maren and Tristiana. He knows we’re coming.”
His head reappeared as he heard my words. Suspicion clouded his hooded eyes as he raked his eyes over Tristiana’s old model car before setting his gaze back to us.
“Really?” he demanded, reaching for his radio. “Are you sure?”
“Yes,” I said with as much confidence as I could muster. “Maren and Tristana. We’re here from…” I stopped myself, unsure if I should be mentioning Maximo’s by name. “He’s expecting us. I’m sure.”
Tristiana bit on her lower lip and muttered out of the side of her mouth. “Are you sure he knows we’re coming today? It’s definitely today?”
“I just texted him,” I blurted out before I could think about what I was saying. “He knows.”
She whipped her head toward me as the guard spoke into his radio. “You were texting with the king?” she hissed.
I shrugged and looked at my lap, twiddling my fingers.
I had to watch what I said. Or I needed to have a conversation with Nyx about what I could say.This was already getting so complicated, and we weren’t even doing anything. Were we?
