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Bree frowned. Prince Taveon hadn’t mentioned it to her at all. And neither hadRafe.
“I assume that is why your friend, Rafferty, has not come for your daily training,” Dagen continued. “They are all very busy preparing for tonight. I believe the Prince intends on making the formal announcement to the Court about the fate of his father and his intentions to take the throne after the Battle for theCrown.”
“Right.” Bree gave a nod, her heart sinking. “And he doesn’t want methere.”
“That would appear to be the case.” Dagen crossed the room to stand just before her. “However, I very much want you there. I shall send a gown for you to wear, and you can accompany me. You will be my companion for the evening, which means he will not be able to turn you away. You can be my eyes and ears. See what you can discover. There will be many royals at the castle this night, and drink can often get lips moving. I shall see you atdusk.”
* * *
Lord Dagen hadn’t been jokingaround when he’d told Bree he would send her a gown. In fact, it only took a short while for another knock to sound on her door. A small, quaint female stood just on the other side, bowing her head as she handed Bree a dress made from a cascade of stars. It was almost blinding in itsbrilliance.
She took the dress over to the bed and slowly unwrapped it, gasping when she found a small dagger hidden inside the folds, as well as a small leather strap she assumed was meant for one of her thighs. Her heart pounded in her chest as she stared down at the glittering steel. Surely he didn’t intend for her to use this blade thisnight.
Still, she strapped it to her thigh, taking comfort in the knowledge that she wasn’t going to this ball unarmed. There would be a lot of Dark Fae in attendance. Most of them would have no idea who she was or that she was a Light Fae, much less that she had ever been human. But if they somehow discovered her identity, she knew it wouldn’t go down well. It was part of the reason that Prince Taveon hadn’t announced what she truly was to most of his Court. He’d only told the council and those closest to him, and even then, Bree knew he was worried the wrong fae would findout.
The apparent danger didn’t stop her from wanting to go to the ball though. Bree wasn’t one to back down from a challenge so easily. This room was still a cage, though one that was much nicer than her previous cell. She wanted out, if only for one night. And she’d be Dagen’s spy if that was what it took tobreathe.
* * *
Lord Dagen widenedhis eyes when Bree opened the doorway. He was right on time. The moon had begun to disappear behind the trees in the distant forest, casting a strange orange-grey glow across the horizon. He let out a low whistle, and a roguish smile crossed hisface.
“You are certainly looking quite breathtaking, my dearspy.”
At his words, Bree sucked in a sharp breath and steeled herself for the guards’ reaction. But then none came. When she turned to them with a bumbling explanation on her tongue, she discovered that they were no longer standing beside her door. They weregone.
“Where are the guards?” sheasked.
“I thought it was best not to have any complications,” he said, his eyes still flickering across her dress. Or her body. She wasn’t entirely sure she was right, but it almost seemed like he was checking her out. “Prince Taveon would never risk making a scene in front of the entire Court, but he might secretly allow his guards to stop you from coming with me. So, I made sure they were busyelsewhere.”
He flashed her a brilliant smile, one that made her breath catch in her throat. He’d just called her breathtaking, and she would be lying if she didn’t admit that he wasn’t looking so bad himself. He wore midnight finery, the edges detail with embroidered silver stags. Around his waist, he wore a belt that held a sword, one that seemed more ornamental than anything else. On the end of the silver hilt, a large stag had been carved with gold that matched hishair.
Dagen caught her staring, and her entire face and neckflushed.
“We need to come up with a cover story for you,” he said, without taking an eye off her face. “When I make your introductions, I cannot very well call you Bree Paine of the human realm, but everyone will know you are not aLady.”
Bree raised her eyebrows. “Are you saying I can’t pull off the Lady thing? I look far too much like a peasant for yourliking?”
His lips quirked. “Nothing of the sort, but there are no unknown Lords or Ladies in these lands. It would be unheard of for there to be a member of royalty that has never met anyone else. No, I will introduce you as my new aide instead. You have been studying to become a scholar, one who has focused on learning more about thehumans.”
“Hmm.” She lifted her eyebrows. “Not a bad idea. But won’t they all know I’m Prince Taveon’s slave after what happened at thefeast?”
Dagen gave a quick shake of his head. “Most of the fae here tonight have only just arrived at the castle. A few will recognize you but only that. If anyone starts talking to you about Dark Fae issues that you have no knowledge of, just politely excuse yourself from the conversation. Whatever you do, do not get caught out being ignorant of something that most fae would know. You will stand out, regardless, but we want to make sure you do not stand out in the wrong sort ofway.”
He flicked his eyes across the dress again, though this time, she was certain his gaze lingered just a moment too long on the curve of her hips. She swallowed hard, and her blood pounded hard in her chest. There was something about Lord Dagen, something that caused a thrill to sweep down her spine. She shouldn’t trust him. She shouldn’t trust any of them. But she still couldn’t stop herself from being drawn to him in a way that made her pulserace.
It must be some sort of Dark Fae magic. Which meant it wasdangerous.
She needed to watchherself.
“Come.” He held out an elbow. “We should get moving before the guardsreturn.”
Swallowing hard, she slid her hand into the crook of his arm, her fingertips brushing against the edge of his jacket. Through the material, she could feel the curve of his biceps. They were large and firm, a signal that the power he radiated was far more than justmagic.
He gave her a crooked smile, almost as though he could read every word that ran through her mind. But no matter what kind of dark powers he had, she knew he couldn’t do that. Otherwise, he’d have no need for her tospy.
She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of seeing her thoughts written all over her face. So, she kept her expression blank, and she kept her gaze locked on the door before her instead of risking a glance his way. But everything within her yearned to see exactly what was hidden in the depths of those goldeneyes.
