Leaning one shoulder against the wall, Kit crossed her arms with a flat expression. “Well, what?”
Nox rolled their crimson-black eyes. “Well, where are these supposed final members of our honorable delegation? We’ve waited around all day.”
“Nobody said you had to wait around with me.”
“I am well aware,” they said.
Letting her head thump gently against the stonewall behind her, Kit rolled her mismatched blue and green eyes. “Allegedly, they’ve arrived. Finally.” She didn’t bother masking the derision in her voice. “Barcroff said we are to wait in our rooms, that we’d besummonedwhen needed.” Her top lip lifted in a silent snarl.
“And yet, we are not waiting in our rooms, are we?” Nox swept a black-clad arm down the hallway to either side of them.
A muscle ticked in Kit’s jaw. “Locked in our quarters or waiting in the upper halls, what difference does it make? Either way, here we are. Unsummoned. Unamused.”
The nocterrian hummed thoughtfully. “Are we actually waiting though?”
Kit huffed a laugh. “The only ones we’re waiting on are?—”
Right on cue, Young Shep skidded around the corner, lithe green fingers still fastening the buttons of his doublet. “Are we late?” he said, a bit breathless. Jocelyn trailed a few paces behind, ash-brown hair braided neatly over one shoulder.
“They’rethe ones who are late, to no one’s surprise,” Kit said with a sigh. “Hells, if I’d known the day was going to go like this, I would have taken Ellie up on her offer. Solaris knows I could use a drink.”
“Shouldn’t Dentarius be with us?” asked Jocelyn.
“He is already with Barcroff,” said Kit, unable to keep the petulance out of her voice. It wasn’t as though shewantedto spend any more time with Tobin Barcroff than she already had. But she did not like being left out of things. And though she and Dentarius had been thus far working in tandem on all things related to their visit here, there was some question of who technically outranked whom. He was King Lachlandris’ royal advisor, yes, but Kit was the king’s niece and, since Evander’s passing, technically heir-apparent to the kingdom—though she was loath to ever bring that part up. For a multitude of reasons.
To be fair, she had started deferring to Dentarius during the council meetings, but for no other reason than fearing what might happen if she opened her mouth too frequently during the pointless, incessant meetings. She was typically much better than Elyria at holding her tongue, but stars above, these humans truly did seem determined to test her.
It was only the strategy sessions she and Nox had been having more and more frequently that kept her sane—kept her focused on why theywere here. The nocterrian’s abilities to hide in the shadows made them a particularly valuable partner in planning, and at least now they would be able tofinallystart making good on some of those plans.
“So, Dentarius is greeting these supposed new members of our party, and you’rejust...all right with that?” Shep asked hesitantly, like he was somewhat afraid of Kit’s answer.
She smirked at him. “What do you think?” She pushed off the wall, straightening her cream-colored tunic. “I’ve had rather enough waiting. Let’s go find out what all this fuss has been about, shall we?”
The light glintingoff each polished sconce along the walls felt a little like mockery as Kit bounded down the stairs toward the receiving hall. Boots clicked on marble as the Arcanians followed.
“I don’t think we’re supposed to be here,” Shep murmured nervously.
“We aren’t doing anything wrong,” Kit insisted.
“Indeed. And if they didn’t want us coming to find them,” Nox added, “they should have been more timely in sending for us.”
“Maybe they are still delayed? Maybe they’re—” Shep cut himself off as the group rounded a corner and caught sight of the trio of figures at the end of the hall.
Kit’s gaze flicked from Dentarius, standing between two new fae with an unreadable expression, head tilted as he listened to whatever one of the newcomers was saying. She was tall, her pale skin wan in comparison to the blood-red color of her cloak, spiked cuffs wrapped around each wrist. Her long, blue-black hair was parted deeply on one side, covering one of her almond-shaped eyes. Under her part, the hair was shorn close to her skin, revealing an intricate tattoo that spidered over her scalp. Thorns, perhaps, or maybe lightning? Whatever it was supposed to be, the overall effect was immediately intimidating.
Next to her was an even taller man, blond hair slicked back in a half-ponytail that highlighted the sharp planes of his cheekbones, the cleft in his chin. Hands clasped behind his back, he swayed slightly, his weight shifting from foot to foot—antsy, anxious. His gray eyes darted around the hall, even as he nodded in confirmation at whatever hiscompanion was saying, only stilling when he caught sight of Kit, Nox, Shep, and Jocelyn approaching.
It wasn’t his nervousness that had Kit’s hackles raising, a warning flaring in her gut. Wasn’t the twin daggers strapped to his waist. Wasn’t even the woman’s scary tattoo or wrist-spikes that had Kit slowing her steps, had her tideweaving magic suddenly stirring in her veins.
It was the ruby-red bead hanging from a golden hoop on each of their pointed ears.
“Solaris save us,” said Jocelyn, voice low, “they work for Master Tartanis.”
Kit had all but stopped walking entirely. “So it would appear,” she said through gritted teeth. These were not just random fae, were not royal advisors, or members of the king’s council. No, her uncle had sent two members of Coralith’s most notorious criminal guild to represent the people of Nyrundelle.
Nox’s hand was cold as they touched her shoulder. “Who is Master Tartanis?” they asked, looking from the trio at the end of the hall and back to Kit, one black eyebrow cocked.
“No one good,” said Shep, squaring his shoulders as though he was preparing for a battle to break out right here in the halls of King’s Keep.
