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“These are so good,” Ophelia said, holding up a meatball before popping it in her mouth.
“You’ve outdone yourself, Calix,” King Allerick agreed, speaking to me though his attention was wholly on his wife.
“Where are you going next?” I asked, pouring Levana a goblet of wine.
The king grimaced. “Lindow.”
Ah. That was a conversation killer. Lindow was where one of the king’s brothers lived. And as of the Festival of Shadows, where one of the ex-Hunters lived too.
“I’m sure it’ll be fine,” Ophelia offered weakly before turning a stern look on Levana. “Don’t look so worried, I’m perfectly fine. Damen is very personally invested in this particular stop on the tour, he’ll be there the entire time. But I can’t wait until you join us again, I’ve missed you so much.”
The Shades around us broke into smaller groups, quiet chatter and laughter echoing around the high-ceilinged, crumbling temple.
“You haven’t, er, heard anything?” Ophelia asked Levana gently, keeping her voice quiet. “From your family?”
Levana smiled, her shadows still pressing against mine. “My things were delivered to the palace, all in perfect condition, including some of my favorite books from when I was a child. I suspect my siser had some hand in that. Hopefully, we’ll be able to rebuild a relationship someday.”
“And your mom?” Ophelia pressed. She’d turned spectacularly red when she’d learned that the female she’d been talking to at the festival was Levana’s runaway mother.
“Sent a letter. I haven’t opened it yet,” Levana added. “My focus has been on the wedding, I didn’t want anything to detract from that. And I’m not sure I’m ready to read it yet, anyway.”
“You’ll know when you are,” I assured her.
Ophelia was looking ready to deliver a particularly sappy response, but Torin saved us all the awkwardness by loudly knocking over a candelabra.
“I think that’s a sign. Ready to get out of here?”
Levana’s smile was fucking radiant. If I could make her smile like that every day of her life, then I’d die happy that I’d done some good with my time in this realm.
“With you? I’m ready for anything.”
