“Oh, your Shade Lord didn’t tell you?” A curious look passed over her dark eyes. “He talked Eros into taking him around last evening after you left. They’ve been out all morning and they’re still going. According to the owner of the café, they’ve visited every museum and bar in the city.”
Relief swept through Haven. He hadn’t been in the arms of another woman. But that relief was replaced almost immediately by frustration, at herself, mostly. Stolas could spend his nights wherever he wanted.
Worrying about what he did—or who he did it with—was an unwelcome distraction.
“Did you think your Shade Lord was elsewhere?” Neri asked, and her teasing tone reminded Haven so much of Bell—
Goddess Above, that’s who she reminded Haven of, and probably why Haven—and basically everyone—loved Neri.
It was the same way they loved Bell. That grin. That mischievous sparkle and rare kindness.
“The king said you and Bell were distantly related,” Haven mused, watching Neri closely. “How distantly, exactly?”
A flicker of something—shock? Alarm?—passed over her face, and Neri turned toward the distillery. “We should return. Dinner will be served early tonight before your test, and you hardly touched your lunch.”
Why would Neri be guarding her ties to Bell? As Haven followed Neri to collect the others, she couldn’t help but think that secret, whatever it was, could also explain why Neri had invited them in the first place.
22
The dinner this time was held on a huge balcony overlooking the city. Long countless banquet tables had been set up to hold what seemed like the entire court of Veserack. Below, the streets thronged with people waving and cheering as they vied for a spot in the crowd.
“The people love the king and queen,” Bell remarked as they took their seats at the royal table nearest the railing.
Haven searched his face for jealousy or bitterness, but found only awe and the bloodshot eyes of too much rum earlier. Still, it was hard not to compare the adoration the citizens of Veserack had for their king to the people of Penryth, who had never cheered like that for the Botelers, not even during Bell’s runeday.
“He risked his life stealing food from your father to feed them during the Curse,” Haven reminded gently.
Bell’s habit of seeing the good in everyone meant he never truly recognized his father for the cunning tyrant he was. Forcing him to admit that now seemed cruel.
“I imagine Renk is furious that a pirate claimed the territories before he could put one of his own lords on the throne.” Bell grinned. “A pirate king nicknamed after a cat.”
“It’s not as if your kings have set the bar very high,” Xandrian muttered as he toyed with the amber wine in his glass, his fingers making little birds out of the liquid. Haven had almost forgotten that was one of his powers.
Xandrian was the only one seemingly unaffected by the rum. Surai and Delphine, on the other hand, were nursing their glasses of water, their food so far untouched. Both girls took turns running to the bathroom.
As the banquet dragged on, Haven could hardly look at her own plate. The test loomed larger every second the sun inched closer to the horizon, and neither the king nor Stolas had arrived yet.
Picking at the claw of a prawn in her fragrant white soup, she tried to be understanding. He’d just regained his freedom after years of imprisonment. And between training her, trying to feed and protect Shadoria, and Archeron breaching their defenses nightly, he had to feel stressed.
Goddess knows she did.
But tonight was important. Even if the king came back indebted to Stolas in every way possible, none of that would matter if she didn’t pass whatever blasted test he had in store.
As if conjured by her worry, a trumpet announced the king and Stolas’s arrival.
Still clad in the same clothes from the night before, they prowled toward the table with the easy confidence of males who could arrive as late as they pleased. Eros’s booming laugh drifted on the cool breeze, and Stolas clapped him on the shoulder, both males ignoring the attendant who tried to take their jackets.
Neri couldn’t hide the tightness in her lips as she watched them saunter their way, one elegant dark brow lifted at the scene.
“Someone’s in trouble,” Bell whispered to Haven, and Haven didn’t dare remark that was the same furious look Bell got when he was angry.
Stolas wore a devilish grin as he slid into the chair across from her. His tunic was unbuttoned