“Stars above, you’re a sight,” she said, eyes bright, cheeks flushed.
“It’s good to see you too,” he replied, his returning smile full of warmth. It wasn’t a lie. Hewasglad to see her. She was one of his dearest friends. He just wished there weren’t so many things layered on top of and underneath that.
“Never thought you were the kind to care about being fashionably late,” Tenny continued, the golden locket sitting against her clavicledrawing Cedric’s eye as it bounced with each excited breath. “But I suppose I’m just grateful you showed at all. I wasn’t even positive you’d be back in time for this thing.” She released him from her hold to gesture broadly at the ballroom around them, then flashed him a smile. “Much to my father’s chagrin, I’ll add. Why didn’t you let us know for certain you’d be here?”
Because I didn’t want to be here.His eyes flicked over Tenny’s shoulder, to where Elyria was still watching him with an unreadable expression.I didn’t think I did, at least.
Tristan began moving toward the two of them, and Cedric forced a smile. “Because I didn’t know. For certain, that is. We got, uh, delayed, quite a few times. Just barely made it.”
She didn’t seem to notice the hollowness in his voice—or, if she did, she ignored it. “Yes, well, that I can see. You look...well, you look exhausted, if I’m being honest. You both do,” she said as Tristan sidled up beside Cedric. Then, at Tristan’s expression of mock hurt, she added, “Fear not, you’re still handsome as ever. But I think you could do with a few good meals and a proper night’s sleep...or seven.”
Tristan laughed. “I certainly wouldn’t turn either down. I think our Lord Victor here hasjust a bitmore to get through before that can happen, however.”
As if on cue, trumpets blared a royal tune. Tenny gave an exaggerated sigh and looped an arm through each of theirs, turning them both toward the ballroom entrance like it was the most natural thing in the world...though, for Cedric, turning his back to Elyria felt anything but.
“I thought my father might turn to stone earlier today when he realized you hadn’t returned yet. Addison nearly fainted from the stress.”
“Oh, we arewellaware,” Tristan said, craning his neck to watch the procession as King Callum entered the ballroom, swathed in robes of deep purple, his golden crown perched perfectly on his brow.
Cedric mumbled some low words of apology as his own neck twisted—not in order to better see the king, but to scan the crowd behind him, searching for a glimpse of gold fabric or periwinkle hair.
She wasn’t there anymore. And Cedric didn’t know how to name the feeling scraping against his veins at the realization—something almost like loss.
But that was ridiculous. Everything about this was ridiculous.
Tenny noticed. Of course she did.
She squeezed his forearm lightly—a reassuring pressure. “You still haven’t quite returned, have you?” she said, voice gentle, tone full of kindness. “I’m not sure you ever did.”
It felt like there was so much held in those little words, a secret kind of acknowledgment. Did Tenny already know what her father had asked of Cedric? Did she know the conflict it stirred in his gut? Was she telling him she understood?
“I—” Cedric didn’t know how to respond.
“Still,” Tenny added, a sympathetic smile on her face. “I’m glad you’re here. I missed you.”
Her honesty poked at something in him—not guilt, exactly, but a sort of forlornness. A memory of a time when that admission would have made his heart soar rather than ache.
Before the Crucible.
Before Elyria.
He didn’t answer right away. Didn’t know how. He just watched King Callum ascend the dais at the end of the ballroom, settling onto the throne with practiced grace. Until finally, Cedric’s heartbeat had steadied long enough to at least admit one small truth.
“I’ve missed you too, Ten.”
It would have to be enough.
9
LET THE GAMES BEGIN
ELYRIA
His hair was wet.
His chest—broader than she remembered—rose and fell like he was taking in deep breaths, light gleaming off the intricate silver stitching woven into the royal blue doublet he donned, his mana token resting on top.
She wished he was wearing black.
