“Have you ever heard of those gods?” Ree pushed a strand of hair behind her ear.
I shook my head. “They’re not well known from what I remember. What about you? Do you recall anything about them?”
“Nothing at all. I’m afraid I’m a bit useless in that aspect.”
I squeezed her hand. “You’re hardly useless. You may have found exactly what we’ve been searching for.”
She smiled and pinched my side. “Excellent, I do live to please, and I’m always happy to serve my royal highness.”
I snorted a laugh. She’d been making cheeky comments all week about my royal lineage, and I was so glad that she continued to act as she always had.
Kole dipped his head back to his book. “Well, if you have any interest in learning how to create a potion that withers one’s organs and liquefies one’s skin, say no more. I have the recipe right here.”
Ree laughed, which garnered a few grumbles in our direction from the fae sitting a table over, and she lowered her voice. “You know, I was just thinking the other day that I was in need of an organ-liquefying potion.”
I giggled, getting another grumble from the nearby fae, so I began to whisper too. “Does it, by chance, come in a variety of flavors?”
Face entirely deadpan, Kole replied, “Why yes, I believe it can be made to taste like licorice or fish. Take your pick.”
Ree’s laughter abruptly stopped, and she gaped. “Seriously? Does it really say that? Or are you joking? I still can’t tell with you.”
She reached for the book, and one of Kole’s rare smiles emerged. “No, it doesn’t say that, and yes, I was joking.”
Ree gave him a flat look, and I slapped a hand to my mouth to stop another laugh. Kole, of course, merely gazed at my best friend with an expression completely devoid of emotion.
Ree tossed the book back to him and turned to me. “How do you put up with him? I can never tell if he’s serious or not. It drives me crazy.”
I laughed anew, and Kole’s aura strummed toward me, a brush of it caressing my Shield. He felt warm, inviting, and a shiver ran over me, but I replied in a steady tone, “Exactly, that’s one of his most endearing traits.”
A light chuckle lifted Kole’s shoulders, and Ree sighed dramatically. “You two, I swear.” She returned her attention toher book, and I winked at Kole. Under the table, his foot shifted to rub against mine, the movement subtle and unable to be seen by anyone.
It was an innocent enough gesture that nothing around his wrist flared, but my heart began to race.
He watched me, his eyes hooded, then he slowly withdrew his touch. My core clenched since I knew exactly where his thoughts had turned, and since we’d been holed up in the libraries from sunup to sundown, we hadn’t had time for manyactivities, yet Kole had started doing those fleeting gestures regularly. Little caresses. Subtle touches. Just enough contact to let me know what he was thinking about without enacting the Council’s magic.
Clearing my throat, I straightened and tried to push down the surge ofwantthat coursed through me. A slight smile lifted the warrior’s lips, and I had no doubt his scent sensory affinity had picked up on my arousal, which was making it even harder to concentrate, but I forced myself to stare at my book.
But just as I began to read the full chapter that Ree had discovered, an idea hit me. I cocked my head. “I wonder if we should ask Lordling Ryderdim about this? Nathaniel had mentioned that his particular area of expertise is in celestial magic, which by definition includes the gods and goddesses who live among the stars.”
The aura around Kole shifted. “You want to see Lordling Ryderdim?”
I bit back a smile at his irritated tone. He’d all but admitted to being jealous of the young lordling after my introductory ball. “Yes, but only to pick his brain. Maybe he’ll know more about the God of Night and Goddess of Light. With any luck, he’ll be able to tell us something useful.”
Ree slapped her book closed. “Great idea! I wouldn’t mind getting out for some fresh air. Does he live far?”
Kole gave her a baleful look, and I tried to hide my amusement, but a smile still streaked across my face. “No, he’s not far. He’s in one of the ten Houses just north of here.”
“One of the ten Houses.” Ree shook her head, her eyes twinkling. “Of course, he is.” She jumped to her feet, and the fae near us breathed a sigh of relief, likely since they’d overheard us say that we were leaving.
Bowing, Ree said teasingly, “After you, Your Royal Highness.”
Since I usedevery opportunity available to practice my mistphasing, I mistphased all three of us to Lordling Ryderdim’s house using the address as my landing point.
Mistphasing with others was still new to me, but luckily, we rematerialized just outside of the sprawling Ryderdim Estate, and Ree let out a whoop of delight.
“Stars, Prim, that’s amazing that you’ve learned that.” She swayed slightly, and her red hair flew in the air around her, but despite the nausea she was likely feeling, she still grinned.
I snorted a laugh and squeezed her hand, then gazed at where I’d taken us.
