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"Pretend. Yes," Khan said, clearing his throat. "We can—I can do that."
Fen laughed and clutched at his shirt. "Take me home, my prince. I have important things to discuss with you," she said a little too loudly. Khan laughed with her and let her playfully tug him off the lounge.
People were watching, some with their mouths hanging open in surprise. Khan picked up his wine and gave them all a mock salute of farewell. Fen giggled and swayed against him as they left the atrium and headed down the halls.
"Everyone is staring like they have never seen two drunk people before," Fen whispered to him, covering her mouth so no one could read her lips.
"Then we might as well give them something to talk about." Khan moved her up against the wall in a shadowy corner. Fen's heart thumped hard in her chest as he ran his lips up the side of her neck. "How do you know the wine is poisoned?"
"I s-saw it with my magic," Fen stammered, trying to keep her wits about her. "It's rune magic. I'll tell you about it when we get out of here."
There was a polite clearing of a throat behind them. "Excuse me, my prince. Would you like me to take your wine cup before you leave?"
Khan moved back from Fen to reveal a young girl servant. She wasn't the one that had given him the cup.
"No, I'm taking it for the road. My sister won't mind me taking a single goblet from her home." Khan looked back at Fen. "Now, you. We must get you to my carriage at once."
Fen squeaked in surprise as Khan picked her up and placed her over his shoulder with one arm, the other keeping a grip on his goblet. Fen giggled uncontrollably all the way to the front doors.
"Having a good time, my prince?" Kashmet asked, stepping out from the shadows.
"I'm having the best time!" Fen interrupted. "Look at my princely pony."
Kashmet's face appeared above her. "Oh dear, someone has hit the wine hard."
"It is hard too. Just look." Fen patted Khan's butt, and he jumped.
Kashmet laughed. "Let's get you two home, shall we?"
"She'll be lucky if I wait that long," Khan replied, making Fen giggle again. Khan placed her down inside the carriage before getting in after her. Kashmet looked between them curiously, but Khan shook his head. "Later, Kash."
Kashmet nodded and closed the door. "Let's get the prince back to the palace."
Eighteen
Khan had struggled not to look at Fenrys the whole carriage ride home. When she kissed him, his heart had stopped for a moment, and his head had gone blessedly quiet. He had never felt that before, and it had been instinct to kiss her back, to try and hold that sensation to him. It had been taken from him all too soon.
"I can't believe someone would have the audacity to try and kill a prince in such a public place," Fen said.
He risked glancing at her and tried not to groan. Her hair was ruffled, and her lipstick was smeared, the sides of her dress riding high enough to make his brain short out. He could still taste the skin of her neck on his lips. She smelled of sweet roses and underneath that a scent that was all her—the honey and blood taste of her magic, and the musky heat of a woman that wove its own kind of spell.
It was maddening. He needed to focus on his would-be assassin and not on everything his brain suddenly wanted to do to his foreign witch.
"I try not to go to too many parties like this. Maybe they wanted to seize the opportunity?" Khan replied, his mouth too dry. "It's one reason the Pharaoh rarely makes an appearance outside his official chambers. An assassin almost succeeded in stabbing him three years ago."
"And now he sends you in his stead? So you can be a target?" Fen asked her voice heating with fury. The protectiveness in her tone made something soften in his chest.
"It's a part of being the prince," he said, which only made her golden eyes sharpen.
"That's not good enough. We will find out who tried to kill you tonight, and gods help them when we do."
Khan looked down at the goblet so she wouldn't see what her words were doing to him. "I have an acquaintance who is one of the Thothi. They will be able to tell me what is in the cup. When we get to the palace, I'll take a sample and get Kemes to take it to him."
"Good. My runes can only tell me so much."
Khan nodded. "Speaking of your runes. Tell me how this magic works. What did you do?"
"I put runes of protection and revealing on my skin tonight to warn me if someone meant us ill intent."
