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But losing all his money to save Mother’s health, and his business taking a turn for the worst…
“What are you wishing for?” a velvety voice behind me asked.
I turned to face a man I had never seen before. His almond eyes and lips were dark and sharp, like he could cut me with both a look and a kiss. His clothes were a grade lower than those of the other guests, a rough leather coat in place of the usual crisp silk. He had earrings in both his ears that were lightly brushed by wild chestnut hair, and a scar running up the skin of his neck that had been darkened by the sun.
“At least, that’s what I assume you’re doing,” he continued as I assessed him. “That’s the only reason a woman would stare at the stars so intensely.”
He came and stood next to me on the balcony, the strong scent of the sea drifting in with him. At this proximity, I realized that he was only a smidge taller than I, and that his blatantly low-quality coat was hiding a slim physique. His features were strong but quite boyish in the corners of his eyes and lips.
No, he was not a man that my father would approve of at all, let alone invite into our home. So why was he here?
“Have we met?” I asked.
He gave a heart-melting grin, sure to charm any barmaid. “Not yet, milady. But I know all about you.”
“Oh?” I raised an eyebrow, encouraging him to continue.
“You’re a descendant of Neva, aren’t you?”
I frowned. I had expected him to say something about Father’s fame or fortune, or perhaps our family’s business. I hadn’t expected him to bring up my great-great-grandmother’s name. A name I barely remembered, quite honestly.
“How do you know that name?” I asked.
“She’s quite famous where I’m from. She was one of the Guardians of the Eros, wasn’t she?”
I burst into laughter. He turned to me with surprise.
“The Eros?” I asked, hiding my amusement behind my hand. “You mean that silly fairy tale about a mythical stonethat controls the creatures of the ocean? The old sailor’s fable? However did you hear about that?”
He stared at me, not amused. “Where I’m from, the waters talk.”
“Maybe you should stop drinking it then.”
“And every legend has a bit of truth to it,” he said matter-of-factly. “Didn’t your family ever talk about the Eros?”
I dabbed the tears from my eyes as I laughed. “Oh, of course they talked about it. It was an amusing story for family gatherings and such. Even I myself believed the fairy tales when I was a child; however, I’m too grown up for that sort of thing now. If that tale were true, my family’s reputation would be higher than the king’s.”
“You give the king too much credit,” the stranger returned. “The Eros is more important than anything he’s ever done.”
I rolled my eyes. “If you came to irritate me about an old silly legend, it’s not appreciated.”
“Then you’re going to hate the duration of our relationship.”
“Relationship?” I teased. “Have you decided that there will be such a thing?”
“Aye,” he said with another careless smile.
A charmer. How ridiculous.
“Do you use this line with most girls,” I asked, “or am I just lucky this evening?”
“You seem rather lucky to me.” He turned to face the party inside, leaning against the balcony rail. “Seems like you live fat and pretty in this castle in the sky, yes?”
I glanced over my shoulder. “Yes, well…luck changes.”
He pursed his lips and nodded. “Aye. It does.”
The edge on his voice made the hair on my arms freeze. I tried not to show my sudden suspicions.
