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“You already know her,” the King continued, “as she danced with Prince Lennox at the blood moon gala.” Mouths gaped but others nodded as if that made perfect sense. “It was our intention to use the gala to make a formal introduction of her, before the Unseelie”—he hissed the word—“paid us the dishonor of harming her here in our home.”
“Did the Unseelie know of her status, Your Highness?” a woman seated near the King asked.
Carrington seemed to consider this before speaking again. “Prince Sai was aware. He’s been hunting for her, in fact, trying to unearth her for some time. So we removed her from her safe location and brought her to the palace.” The lie came as smooth as the silk of the sheets on my bed, and I clenched my fingers into the edge of my chair. I didn’t know if Prince Sai had beenhuntingLira, but the King hadn’t escorted her to the palace with bells and music either. I knew that for damn sure. She hadn’t even meant to end up here and she never knew who her father was. None of us in the group did; it had been the subject of more than a few speculative gossip sessions.
He tilted his glass, letting the last swallow of wine in it whirl around the sides. “This has put us in a difficult position as you can imagine.” The weight of his implication settled over the room like a soiled wool blanket, sour and heavy. He looked at the man to his right and gave a sigh like the conversation was unbearable. “If necessary, however, we may need to respond with our military strength. The Unseelie currently hold prisoner an heiress to our magic.”
The man beside me tapped his thumb against the tablecloth, his lips pinching. “Where is Prince Lennox presently, Your Highness?”
Carrington’s eyes tightened before he shucked the look off. It was nearly magical, his ability to lie so smoothly, to cover his genuine expression in an instant. His magic was glamour, so maybe he used his powers. The King smiled. “He’s working on another angle to this issue, at present. However, we must prepare for every potential outcome.”
“May God keep Prince Lennox in his hand.”
The group at the table raised glasses and repeated similar sentiments. The King offered a smile that looked fake then his eyes darted to me. I cleared my throat and raised my glass. “Blessings to Prince Lennox.”
The dinner quickly ended, but I realized something. If Lennox had gone after Lira that meant both of the King’s children, both heirs to his magic, were potentially in the hands of our enemies. If the Unseelie killed both of them, the magic would have no one to flow to and the Seelie could face losing their powers or inciting a civil war as others attempted to claim the powers for themselves.
The King was in a very precarious situation, indeed.
The man seemed to read my thoughts as his gaze shifted back to me again. He stared at me until it became uncomfortable, and I bowed my head, curls falling over my shoulder. The party rose from their seats. I stood as well and dropped my napkin onto the table.
I pushed my chair in then startled as a man stood waiting, his hands crossed behind his back. He bowed. “I was hoping I’d have the opportunity to make your acquaintance.” His salt and pepper beard stretched out as he smiled and pressed his hand to his velvet jacket. “I’m Sir Eldrick of the Seelie.”
Eldrick. King Carrington’s right-hand man. I gave my head a toss so that my hair shifted behind my shoulder, leaving my necklace and other features on full display. He didn’t hesitate to take advantage of the view before lifting his eyes to meet mine again. They were green flecked with spots of hazel as they sparkled with interest, and I grinned at him. Not all men liked curvy women, but he apparently did.
“Margo,” I answered. “Not of the Seelie, however.”
He laughed. “It’s not every day that a siren graces us with her beauty at this table. Perhaps you may find me dull, but could I interest you in lunch sometime?”
A smile curled over my face. “Possibly.”
“Only possibly?” Most of the guests, including the King, walked out of the room. Palaria studied me like she was trying to decide if she should wait for me or not. Seeing whose company I was in, she shrugged and exited.
I gave him an impish smile. “Why not?”
“Tomorrow then?” He leaned in closer to me and smelled of spice. He was an older man, not Carrington’s peer, but closer to Palaria’s age than mine. I hadn’t recognized before the sharp edge of his jawline, or the broad slant of his shoulders. I’d certainly not noticed his devilish personality, or I would have approached him far sooner. He seemed so upright before the King. I didn’t know why my mind was observing him like a mark. It wasn’t like I would sleep with the man for information.
Well, most likely I wouldn’t.
Margo,I could hear Lira say with teasing exasperation.
I bit the edge of my lip. “Tomorrow. I look forward to it.”
CHAPTERFOURTEEN
LIRA
Our group movedthrough a path in the jungle, feet squelching over boggy sections. Heat hung thick in the air like a damp quilt slowly suffocating me. Orman whistled a song off key, and Neia griped at him over it. Elisa hummed along quietly, lifting her face to the sun that slipped behind dark clouds and glittered in rays past the boughs of the forest ahead. Sai walked alongside me, but we’d remained quiet. Luz occasionally started conversations that died like wet wood sputtering out, leaving the smoke of disappointment to trail between us.
I’d expected too much from Sai. We were married, but it was a technicality. I never should have assumed he’d check in with me after the prophecy. Of course his focus would be on getting this map. He wasn’t actually interested in me. I’d misunderstood our relationship from the beginning. We’d had a single, pleasurable night, and that was fine. I still drew towards Sai with his sharp eyes and broad shoulders like he compelled me.
I hated it.
It didn’t matter, though. We’d get this map and figure out what it meant, deal with the tension between the Seelie and Prasanna fae, and we’d end our relationship and go our separate ways. That was fine.
Sai and I were stuck working together. Heat built in my chest again and desire to release my song, to ice this damn jungle, bubbled in my throat. Everything about the situation was making me miserable. I’d spent so much of my life in the dark about my magic and my role in the world. Everyone in my life had manipulated and tricked me, and now I walked through this stupid, hot jungle with my thoughts pecking at me, playing every misery and failure of my life on a loop.
Sai wanted this map for his family.
