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Beside the king’s throne, the queen’s had already been ornately decorated with ribbons and similar to the sashes on the smaller chairs.

Erik refused to allow ribbons on his throne.

As though sensing my stare, my cousin glared at me. He held out one hand, gestured to the madness, and silently commanded me to stop it.

I only chuckled.

When her mind was made up, there was no point in standing in this woman’s way. Certainly not when food, dancing, and drink were involved.

My body ached from my shoulders to my lower spine by the time I fell into my bed. Mira nuzzled her cheek to my chest, fingertips tracing the ink over my heart.

“Thank you,” she whispered. “For standing at my side in there. I know I can be…overbearing when it comes to this sort of thing, but I just…I just want folk to know—”

“That they are valued.” I tipped her chin and drew her lips closer to mine. “I know. You aren’t overbearing, Vicious. You’re more than enough. I do not want you any other way.”

Mira kissed me sweetly, thoroughly. Her lashes fluttered when she pulled back. “Do you, Hearttalker?”

I traced the bridge of her nose. “Aye.”

“Same. Very much the same.”

When her breathing had slowed and become heavier with sleep, I rolled onto one shoulder, tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, and whispered, “I love you.”

Mira’s arms tightened around my waist, and I felt her smile on my chest.

Mira was mesmerizing. She spun in the arms of Swordeater, head tossed back, laughing when her ebony gown got stuck on one of his numerous buckles.

I kept to the back of the room. The prickle of too many bodies close to mine added a bit of a stir to my insides. Part of me wondered if the sensation would ever fade. Perhaps it wouldn’t. Then again, the unease was hardly as palpable as it had been before.

Because of her. Mira’s face was spotted in a beautiful flush, the points of her ears were pierced with endless pieces of gold, and she wore the widest grin.

She was a light in the storm. All night, I’d unknowingly been searching for her, holding tightly to the sight of her, so enamored with her delight in the celebration I’d had little time to take note of my own disquiet.

When the tune ended, I had grand plans to take my turn with my princess. I’d given her a dance on the isle, but now she was long overdue a dance in front of others.

I shoved off the wall only to have a hand grip my wrist. Instinct to pull away, to lash out was there like a jolt of ice in the veins. A young sea witch peered up at me.

I recognized her as one of the witches who’d come to aid in securing the wards around the Royal City. Her eyes were like an ashen storm on the horizon. She still wore a ribbon in her pale blue hair.

“Pardon, Heartwalker,” she said. “I was sent to fetch you.”

“For what?”

“Lord Bonerotter has discovered something and insisted you’d want to know straightaway.”

My blood froze. For the last week, Gavyn had scoured the seas, searching for any sign of strange mortals. If he’d spotted something, we needed to know.

“Let me get the king.”

“Heartwalker,” she said again. “He asked for you first.”

Strange. Gavyn always reported to Erik. Unless it was something that would send the king spinning. Then he might ask how to deliver news in a way that would not leave half the kingdom poisoned.

If it was so dire to summon me, the only reason would mean a threat to the Ever Queen. And if Livia was at risk, who was to say Mira was not also at risk?

With a curt nod, I followed the sea witch toward the doors. Before I abandoned the hall, I spared one final glance at Mira. She laughed and spun with her hands clasped in Skadi’s and Avaline’s. They’d dance until they retched if they kept at it.

Whatever was happening, there was not a damn thing that would stop me from protecting her joy tonight.