Aw, that was sweet.
“You’re very kind,” I murmured.
“And you are a delight,” he replied, smiling. He turned to Apollo. “I will leave you to your charming company.”
Apollo inclined his head.
Norfolk dipped his chin to me and moved away.
After he did, Apollo moved me from the wall and started us walking slowly through the crowded space.
I took a sip of my champagne and muttered, “What now?”
“Now, we socialize.”
Ugh.
“That’s it?” I inquired.
“Well, to quench your need for excitement, I could challenge someone to a duel, but outside of the Drakkars, there’s no one here whose blood I’d relish drawing.”
I stopped and looked up at him and he stopped with me.
“You duel in this world?” I asked quietly.
“Indeed,” he replied. “But only when honor is at stake.”
“I don’t suppose women engage in duels,” I remarked.
He raised a brow, his lips twitching. “Wanting another go at Franka?”
“She’s not very nice,” I said by way of answer.
“If given the opportunity, I’d prefer observing you besting her with her own weapons,” he murmured.
“Then I hope she’s stupid enough to make another approach.”
He shook his head, grinned and started us moseying again.
“Did you get anything out of Eirik and Valeria?” I queried.
“Dove, they’ll hardly admit to conspiring during a trivial conversation at a gale,” he replied.
“Of course not,” I returned. “But they don’t have to admit it straight out for you to get something from them.”
He stopped this time, exchanging my half-drunk champagne glass with a fresh one and getting one of his own.
“My role this evening is to be here and keep an eye on Franka, Kristian, Eirik and Valeria as Remi and Hans find maids, charm the information out of them that would lead to the rooms of those particular Drakkars and search them.”
Interesting.
“Just those Drakkars?” I asked.
“Alas, our informant was quite cagey about who was doing the conspiring. But only those Drakkars would be foolish or spiteful enough to court the wrath of a man who commands elves and dragons.”
I nodded, putting my glass to my lips and searching the crowd until I found Kristian.
“Kristian?” I murmured into my champagne before taking a sip.