The suggestion in his tone made Lory want to crawl out of her skin.
“So where did you two meet?” Niely’s eyes sparked with curiosity as he led her toward the empty spot by the buffet tables.
Lory forbade herself to glance back at Khayrivven, but her eyes wouldn’t listen, and when she found him still standing there, a storm brewing in his gaze, she decided Gilded training hadn’t properly prepared her for this mission.
It was time to take matters into her own hands.
Forcing her sweetest smile onto her lips, Lory shuttered her eyes, blinking up at Lord Niely. “That’s not as interesting a story as how thetwo of youmet, I’m sure.” She leaned a little into the nobleman beside her, pretending to appreciate the pastries and confections sitting in artful arrangements on gilded plates. “Would you mind handing me one of thosechocolates?” An innocent expression didn’t come naturally to her, but Lory managed as she did her best not to let on that she knew exactly what she was doing. “They look like they’ll melt in your mouth.”
Niely hesitated for a brief moment; then delight entered his expression as she showed interest inhimandhisstory, no longer paying attention to Khayrivven, whose gaze she could still sense like a brand.
“Of course, Miss Vednis.” Niely picked up a small golden plate, holding it under her nose to let her smell the crushed flower petals sprinkled on top of the small, round confection.
She played along, closing her eyes as she pretended to savor the scent of wildness and sweet, her fire magic searing her veins from the inside, reminding her of the dangers lurking in this palace. Yes, she was an invited guest, part of a mission the Triad had sanctioned to find out who caused unrest, but she was also Flame-born, and letting her powers seep through would mean she might lose her head. In the literal sense this time.
As Niely lowered the plate, she seized the opportunity to take it and clasp it between her fingers just to keep her hands busy, forcing calm into her veins as they noticed the dark couverture started sweating at the bottom, where it sat on the warming, gilded porcelain.
Shit-shit-shit.If she waited, the little thing would slowly dissolve on the plate, but if she picked it up and ate it, it would melt right there, in her fingers, and Niely would suspect something was up.
A searching gaze around the room informed her Khayrivven was no longer within view—and even if he was, what would he do? He could barely interfere when he’d basically given an order for Lory to withdraw information from Lord Niely.
“You know what?” She reached past the nobleman, setting the plate as far toward the center of the table as possible so no one would notice its suspicious temperature, and turned toward the dance floor, where couples in tulle, chiffon, and raw silk were moving in elegant circles. “You can tell me all about how the two of you know each other while you show me around.” When Niely stared at her like she’d grown a second head, she tilted her head and forced a smile. “I’ve never been to this palace, and I bet a worldly man like you has collected plenty of stories about a gem like this.”
A self-satisfied grin entered the lord’s expression. “You’ve asked the right man, Miss Vednis.” He placed his hand on the small of her back, guiding her out of the line by the buffet and past the spinning couples while Lory merely prayed he wouldn’t take her hand and wrap it around his arm again.
“This”—he pointed at the row of columns carved with images of creatures Lory was only too familiar with—“is called the hall of history. It shows the achievements of King Ulder’s bloodline. This one displays what they call theextinction of the leonthor, not that such a creature ever existed.” A chuckle of mocking humor burst from Niely’s mouth as he guided her to the next limestone column. Lory eyed the winged and horned creatures, their lion heads raised with pride on one side and lowered with defeat on the other. A band of carved featherscurled around the foot of the column, and Lory’s stomach tightened with a nauseating suspicion as she realized none of the leonthors had wings in this carving.
“According to legend, those monsters were easier to kill when they couldn’t take to the sky.” Niely winked at her. Apparently, this was funny to him, or he truly didn’t believe in leonthors.
She’d seen the scars on the one leonthor’s back in the cave, had wondered why it didn’t have wings, but this couldn’t possibly be true. Ulder’s ancestors hadn’t?—
“According to legend, generations and generations ago, King Ulder’s ancestors stripped those monsters of their wings.” He gestured at the largest leonthor, one with thick horns instead of branching antlers like the one in the cave. “Their fire-spitting allies didn’t last long in the war after that.”
Lory already regretted having asked for a tour, but no matter how her heart raced with anger, she couldn’t let on the harrowing force of destruction building inside of her. The pleasant smile she pinned was barely enough to convince herself she would get through this, let alone anyone else. If Niely turned to face her, he’d notice something was wrong.
Just as she was thinking that would steal her chances of learning anything of use, something hit her in the shoulder, and she stumbled into the column. Niely’s hand slipped off her back as she caught herself against the cool stone. Instead, Khayrivven’s tall form hovered over her, a smirk on his face that she was sure was meant for a gaping Lord Niely rather than her.
“Apologies, Miss Vednis,” he rushed out the words, placing his hand under her elbow to steady her as she straightened away from the column. “I told my partner I was a lousy dancer, but she wouldn’t listen.”
At that, Lory noticed the young woman in an exquisite wine-red dress which revealed the majority of her arms and covered less of her breasts than Lory found appropriate so close under Khayrivven’s nose.
“Are you quite all right, Miss Vednis? I caught you pretty hard.” Khayrivven ignored Niely’s grumble as he took the woman’s hand, bowing to Lory and letting go of her elbow after her confirming nod. “I’ll be back to my dance.”
Khayrivven and his pretty, black-haired partner were already spinning away as Lory found her voice again.
“Annoying bastard,” Niely uttered under his breath, but Lory caught it anyway. Whatever history they shared, Niely hated Khayrivven, even when he called himold friend.
Which gave Lory an idea.
She’d seen Khayrivven move across parcours and walk the edge of roofs without a foot ever faltering. His movements were flawless and his steps deliberate. Crashing into her had been on purpose—to give her something to work with or to save her from being exposed, she couldn’t tell. Either way, she’d take any win she could get, and this was a fabulous one.
Allowing her anger to surface, she turned to the lord, placing one hand beneath her throat as if she was still in shock. “Don’t get me wrong, Lord Niely, I am grateful Captain Falcrest brought me here. The palace is a dream, butlet’s be honest…” She cocked a brow at the man, allowing a grimace onto her face. “He might enjoy my company today, but tomorrow, he’ll have already replaced me with someone of higher status and better upbringing.”
The frown vanished from Niely’s face so fast, Lory could barely name the new emotion spreading there in its place: triumph.
“Then I’ll be happy to keep you company instead, Miss Vednis.” He held out a hand, placing it under Lory’s arm, right where Khayrivven’s had touched her not a minute ago, and his black eyes sparked with pity.
Good. Pity was better than the intent interest he’d shown before. Pity was something she could work with. If she pushed herself, she might even manage a tear or two. Internally grinning, Lory squinted her eyes, crumpling her chin just a little bit to give the impression she was about to become a fountain of sorrow-induced saltwater.
