Page 46 of The Nymph King

Esa pushed away from the archway and fell into step beside her. “You looked comfortable.”

Imani nearly missed a step. “With what?”

“Standing beside Ellisar.”

“I was arguing with him.”

“I noticed.”

“Then what exactly was comfortable about it?”

Esa lifted one shoulder. “Half the soldiers coming back from the sea had already decided the High Sentinel looked very natural beside their new queen. You did nothing to discourage the impression.”

Imani turned so quickly that the hem of her dress caught around one ankle. “He is not my mate.”

“I didn’t say he was.”

“You were about to.”

“I was about to say you looked comfortable.”

Imani scoffed, but Esa’s mouth twitched, making Imani want to scoff again.

“He tried to decide who was allowed to speak to me,” Imani said.

“I noticed that too.”

“He is controlling.”

“Sometimes.”

“Overprotective.”

“He’s a male Norn elf… aren’t they all?”

Imani gave her a pointed look. “You are being remarkably unhelpful.”

Esa pressed on, undeterred by Imani’s glare. “You walked beside him the entire way back.”

“That proves nothing.”

“It proves you didn’t stab him.”

“I considered it.”

“I’m sure.”

They reached Imani’s rooms at the end of the corridor, where tall windows overlooked Vathis and the lights below had begun to multiply across the city. Imani stopped with one hand on the latch.

Esa ran her fingers down the wood grain of the door and gave Imani a secretive smirk.

“What?” Imani demanded.

“You’re thinking about him.”

“I’m thinking about how irritating he is.”

“Still thinking about him.”