Page 52 of Where Broken Wings Fly

I nearly choked on air at his strange comment. It was enough to make me turn and face him.

“W-what?”

That wrath was still alive in his eyes, equally as starved as the fire behind him that haloed his body in a gingery glow.

“Your eyes find others’ with ease yet not mine.”

My mouth remained open as I simply stared at the Prince.

“I have spent much of this night eluding you, too,” he admitted. “I fear that I do not understand this sudden—” He cut himself off, shaking his head.

My gut twisted.

“It is strange, really,” he sighed, his face as neutral as ever as he refused to blink, “I finally wandered out here only to realize I have nothing to say to you.”

“Most people would say something normal like you look nice tonight, Olivia.”

There was a flash of humour in his darkened eyes, before the creases of his brows shadowed his face entirely. “Is that what you want me to say? That you look nice?”

“Well… Well no.”

“That’s what I thought.” He crossed his arms over his chest, looking more and more like a stubborn bull as the days passed. “People like you and I have no need for flaccid compliments.”

Bitter, choppy laughter took control of my throat. “Goodness, Raegan. How deep into the barrel have you dove tonight?”

He looked around at the sight before us, at the twirling and the sliding and twisting of bodies, at the laughter that filled the sky, at the smiles wide and true. “Not enough, it seems.”

Pursing my lips, I tried my best to look as sly as he did most hours. “Oh, poor Prince has to attend a glorious ball? The horror.”

Whatever shape he made with his mouth was terrifying and electrifying at the same time, a strange combination of a smirk and a frown.

“Or is it the females? I hear that they try to rip one another apart just to get one look from you.”

His eyes skimmed me, starting at my feet and slithering slowly and intentionally to my face, where he seemed to pause, his lips falling into a straight line. “Yes, they’re quite annoying.”

At that, we both laughed.

“You best be getting back,” Raegan nodded his chin in the direction I had stumbled from. “Killian looks panicked, as if he’s lost his lamb in a skulk of foxes.”

Whether or not he was aware that I heard the change of his voice, I wasn’t sure. But as his features pinched and that fox-like stare returned to his face, I felt it more than heard it.

“Have a good night, Raegan.” Just for shits and giggles, I bowed to him. When I rose again, he looked far too humoured by the attempt before turning and striding away from me.

19

____________________

I danced until I couldn’t feel the bottom of my feet, until I was sure my legs were jelly, and until I was convinced the fire behind me had scorched the outer layer of my skin. Somewhere along the way Niamh, Rory, and Aisling found me, turning my one-on-one with Killian into a grand circle of whirling, leaping, and laughter that carried us into the late hours of the evening.

As a group we stumbled back into the castle. Niamh was nowhere near as drunk as she was acting, intentionally losing her balance and stumbling into Rory. Whenever he used his large arms to hoist her back upright, Niamh’s face was flush and her eyelashes beat against her cheeks as she thanked him over and over.

Aisling and Rory excused themselves from our group just as we arrived in the throne room. Killian took the lead, guiding Niamh and I through bodies until we were standing in front of ginormous tables of oak, each stacked to the brim with an assortment of richly spiced foods.

“It’s like that thing you humans have…” Niamh trailed off as her eyes widened, and I was sure I saw some saliva drooling at her lower lip. “I think you call them buffets?”

My stomach growled loud enough for the two of them to hear, which earned me scrutiny in the form of short chortles as they showed me to the plates. My nose was filled with thyme and garlic and pepper, an assortment of spices that assaulted my nasal cavity and forced my hands to move faster as I loaded the stone-plate in my grip.

Niamh groaned. “There better be a healthy dosing of cinnamon to these dishes.”