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I bit on my lower lip, enjoying the heat that burned at my cheeks as I sipped on the cool drink to lower my temperature.
We glided through the overflowing palace, stopping to chat with those we knew while Jace introduced me to others I didn’t.
Tonight, I wasn’t just the queen, Jace’s wife and mate. Tonight, I was my own entity, in my own right. My first art show was a smashing triumph, but I couldn’t have done it without him.
I desperately wanted a moment to take Jace aside and thank him for urging me into this show, but there wasn’t a free second. Between the photo ops for the press coverage and the elite guests who demanded time with the artist, I barely had a moment to think, let alone talk, to my husband.
I was whisked from room to room, eating, drinking, and chatting, until I found myself in my art studio, staring at my first show on display.
My heart leaped into my windpipe as Jace pressed closer to me, the two of us exhaling in unison, our pride matched, but before I could utter a word of gratitude, a strong hand was on my other arm, and I found myself looking into my brother’s green eyes.
“There you are!” I exclaimed, realizing for the first time that I hadn’t laid eyes on him all night. “Where have you been?”
“Schmoozing,” he laughed. “As per my contract.”
He winked, and I grinned.
“Almost all of your latest paintings have sold,” he informed me excitedly. “There are only two left!” He gestured behind him,and I turned to look at the ones remaining without a red sticker attached to their identification signs.
“What? Already?” I gasped. “It’s only been a couple of hours!”
“Our friends have good taste,” Jace quipped, winking.
I eyed him warily. “You didn’t buy them all, did you?”
“I wouldn’t do that… at the beginning of the show, anyway,” he replied slyly, and I believed him.
Pride swelled inside me. Faeries were buying my art, my work. My pieces were going to be hanging up in their homes, and maybe their places of business.
“I knew you could do it,” Jace murmured in my ear. “You were ready a long time ago.”
“And it helps that your brother is a very good middleman,” Saint teased.
“Of course,” I agreed, smiling warmly at him. “I owe you both so much.”
“You are a shrewd agent,” Jace conceded. “I should make you a minister, Saint.”
“Not a chance,” I interjected, scowling playfully at Jace. “He’s all mine.”
“There’s no reason he can’t do both. We could use him on the Council of Ministers. With his background in construction, Saint would have a solid understanding of Goldhaven’s infrastructure.”
The offer piqued my brother’s attention, but he shook his head. “This isn’t the time to discuss my business,” he reminded Jace, wagging a finger. “Tonight is all about Elix.”
Another flush tinged my cheeks as Jace nodded in agreement, raising his glass in a toast to me.
“To Elix indeed,” he conceded. “The glue that holds this kingdom together.”
“Now you’re just buttering me up,” I laughed as Saint also raised his goblet.
“Not at all,” Jace insisted. “You’ve turned the public face of the kingdom on its head over the past year, Elix. All the programs you’ve started for the impoverished in the inner city.”
I cast my brother a quick look, and he lowered his head, but Jace caught it.
“I know I’m a little in the dark about those things,” he added quietly. “But I like to think I’m learning.”
“You are, my love,” I agreed quickly. “We all are. We’re all works in progress—just like my art.”
“Works in progress?” someone boomed from behind us. “Hardly! Who did you train with? These strokes are magnificent. The use of tones and…”
