Page 209 of Sky’s Edge

“It wasn’t easy,” Bainon said in a tone that exquisitely shared it was not at all easy.

Aleece heard the tone, her head ticked, her scrutiny of her mate got intense, but she didn’t say anything.

And I bit my tongue so I wouldn’t point out that Cormac hadn’t seemed to have any trouble staying away from Gayle, until this new threat reared its head.

“If you can fix it with my bosses, Aleksei,” Gayle said, “I’ll be okay with it. Though, do you think it’s going to last long?”

“Progress is being made.” It was Tanyn who answered. “Not as fast as we’d like, but it’s happening. That said, if this is agreed, I would prepare to be here at Berg, or wherever we all might need to be, for the foreseeable future.”

“Do we have a choice?” Aleece asked.

“You always have a choice,” Tanyn told her. “And we’ll do everything to make sure you’re covered whatever choice you make. That said, as it always goes, there are good choices and poor ones. I urge you not to make a poor one.”

My male was just so diplomatic and logical and mega.

Aleece studied Tanyn a moment before she queried, “Do I have to decide right now?”

“No,” Aleksei said. “But so we can make arrangements if you leave, or your aide won’t quit because she has to make so many adjustments to your schedule at the last minute, it’d be good you didn’t delay.”

I could tell Aleece saw the wisdom of that, but I saluted her decision not to share audibly she did.

“But you can head back to the Fall,” Cormac said to Sirk.

I saw Sirk getting riled up, but I was stunned when Gayle waded right in to handle it.

“He’s my friend, but he’s the chef at the most celebrated restaurant in all the realms. He can’t be here forever.”

Her restaurant claim was debatable (said me), but Stained Glass was certainly in the top five.

“For me,” Gayle went on, still speaking to Cormac, “can you please just leave it alone?”

Not quite over being stunned by Gayle, I was shocked when Cormac did nothing but jerk up his chin, then go back to his soup.

I sent wide eyes to Tanyn.

His lips quirked.

“No one has addressed the engagement party, which is next weekend,” Aleece pointed out.

Ah hells.

I hadn’t thought of that.

“We’re already on it,” Aleksei said. “Heightened security.”

“We had that at the Midnight Masque,” Aleece replied, not being snarky, just sharing truth.

“It’s a smaller, more intimate gathering,” Aleksei reminded her (if two hundred and fifty guests could be considered small, then again, the Masque’s guest list was three times that). “But even so, when I say security will be heightened, I meant significantly.”

Probably knowing Aleksei would have Laura nowhere near something he didn’t think was safe, Aleece let it go.

“I know we’ve just met, but I’m being very honest when I say, it would mean a lot to us if you two would attend our party,” Laura said to Mangold and Zyra.

Mangold looked ready to politely decline.

He didn’t when Zyra exclaimed, “Oh my goodness. What an honor.” She looked at me. “But I don’t have anything to wear.”

Manny aimed his eyes to the ceiling, but he said nothing.