I sighed, and played with the end of my braid. “I am. But I don’t think he’s ever going to come for me. I got tired of waiting.”
“Ah. So you chose to become a gold digger instead. I approve,” Delmare said, raising her glass in a toast.
“It’s not like that!” I burst. My voice came out louder than I intended. Several people looked our way, and I dropped my tone a few octaves. “Ethan and I… there’s something there, but I don’t know what it is. Maybe I just I want him in my pants, I don’t know.”
“At least you finally admit it,” Delmare said.
“I think it’s more than that,” Kiara said. “You two… you look at each other in a way I’ve never seen before.”
When Kiara said that, a glow bloomed in my chest and radiated throughout my entire being. It passed through my stomach and limbs, gleamed from the top of my head to the tips of my toes. It made me feel warm, as if being encompassed in a loving embrace. It was… unexpected to say the least.
“Do you really think that’s true?” I whispered.
“Well, how do you feel about him?” Odette asked. The girls’ inquisitive eyes bore into me.
I tapped my chin for a moment. “I’ve never thought about it before. But if I guess I had to put it into words… I wake up every morning thinking of him. And he’s the last thing I think about when I go to sleep. I feel like he replaces something in me I didn’t even know was missing. When he’s there, I’m happy, and when it’s not, it feels like… like nothing matters.”
Kiara and Delmare’s gazes were wide. Odette made apshingsound and waved her hand. “That’s nothing,” she piped up. “I feel that way about Theo!”
Awkward. Kiara, Delmare and I knew what Odette was admitting, but I don’t think Odette realized it herself.
It was at that moment the classical music changed, and modern dance music began flooding out of enchanted speakers that hovered over the dance floor.
“Ooh, I love this song!” Odette piped. She skipped away, presumably to dance by herself in a very twirling, ballerina manner.
As Odette left, I turned to the other girls. “How long do you think it’s going to take before Odette realizes that Theo is her mate?”
“That girl? Never.” Delmare snorted.
“Poor Theo.” I searched the room for the alicorn himself. For as much lecturing as Theo had given Stefan on keeping sober, the alicorn shifter was swaying on his feet, continuing to down glasses of champagne.
“Why doesn’t he just tell her?” I asked. “He certainly knows they’ve bonded, even if she hasn’t figured it out.”
“Don’t get involved in another mated pair’s business, Emma,” Delmare said wisely. “It only leads to trouble. Besides, you need to focus on making a good impression tonight.”
“Putting on a performance, you mean.” Ethan had been parading me around like a show poodle since the Choosing began. Not that I didn’tlikebeing on his very brawny arm. It was nice to be showed off and made to feel like I was someone to envy.
“Yes! It’s all an act. It can’t be that different from ice skating,” Delmare said.
“It’s really not.”
A shadow fell over me from behind. I figured it was Gabby, and took in a breath so I could give her a piece of my mind.
Kiara and Delmare gasped at the same time, ducking into low curtsies. “My queen!” Kiara exclaimed. I whirled around— my mouth fell open at the sight of the woman in front of me.
It was Ethan’s mother, Queen Antonia. She was wearing a dark navy gown, her dark hair fashioned into an elaborate updo that was woven around a silver crown at least ten inches in height. I didn’t know how she kept upright with that gigantor thing on her head. It looked like if she nodded, she’d fall over.
“Emmaline. So wonderful to meet you,” Queen Antonia said, though she didn’t make it sound wonderful at all. More like water torture.
“My queen.” I forced myself to get a grip and curtseyed as well, though not as low as the others. It was probably clumsy and American, because the queen sniffed as I rose to my full height.
“So this is your court,” she said. Her gaze roamed over my ladies in waiting. I could tell she disapproved of their outfits, though I wasn’t sure what she thought about mine. “Charming.”
I gulped. The queen turned slightly and said, “I request a moment with you, Emmaline. Privately.”
Like I could refuse. I clasped my hands in front of me to stop them from shaking as Queen Antonia led me out of the ballroom and into the hall. We entered into a parlor, where the very walls looked like they were made of gold.
It hit me just how much money Ethan had. Just how powerful his family was. How powerfulhewas.
