protecting Alex. That’s all he wanted.”
“I don’t want to speak about things that don’t have anything to do with me,” Zoe said carefully, “or I try not to, anyway. But from the way he reacted, his interest seemed genuine. He wouldn’t have been so upset if it was all just an act. Do you…wanna talk about it? I’m a good listener.”
Tala smiled briefly. “Not really. Do you like talking to other people about your relationship?”
“I usually don’t, but I can talk about it to you now, if you’d like.” At Tala’s curious nod, Zoe continued. “I think I might have initially come off…hesitant to you, like I was second-guessing my relationship with Tristan Locksley, and not just because Ken likes to tease me about it. I suppose I am. Some odd circumstances brought him and me together, but I won’t go into detail about those, because they’re private and he doesn’t want that. They’re a very public family, by virtue of their wealth and influence. They may be Avalonians, but they also hold considerable sway in Europe, which is why they don’t need to hide the way others had to.
“Ken and the others like to tease me about being Tristan’s fiancée—but they’re right, at least by Locksley standards. They’ve got old money and follow some old customs, so arranged marriages for their children aren’t uncommon, especially for Avalonian nobility. A typical courtship lasts about a week—if there’s even one to begin with. I’ve heard stories of abducted princesses—there aren’t any dragons anymore, so it’s usually pirates or roadside robbers or a rival kingdom—or girls placed under some curse, where the only prerequisite for husbands-to-be is to be the first man to rescue her. My relationship with Tristan wasn’t exactly arranged…or approved.”
“But why would they be against you?”
“My father’s a professor in New York. Not exactly royalty, even if my mother has better claims. That, and they don’t think I have the right conduct befitting a Locksley girlfriend, much less a wife.”
“What makes them say that?”
“I started my own fight club.”
Tala choked on a glass of water. Zoe patted her on the back till she was done. “It’s nothing like the movie, if that’s what you’re about to ask.” She laughed. “It’s just a few girls training together because nobody else wanted to teach us. It’s kind of an open secret, but the older people from Avalon don’t like it. Quite a few influential ladies support the club, so we’ve been allowed to continue. Tristan’s parents are against it, though. They’re wrongheadedly conservative.” She winced. “Tristan’s not very keen on it either, to tell you the truth. The fact is, we’re probably going to argue when I get back, because he wasn’t happy about my being on this mission with Loki and the boys.”
She sat up straighter and smiled, a little self-consciously, at Tala. “Sorry. I got a little carried away.”
“No, that’s understandable. I’m sorry to hear that, though.”
“That’s what relationships are about, dealing with the bad days as well as the good ones.” Zoe reached into a pocket and pulled out her cell phone. “Good thing my batteries are enchanted to last two weeks, even if it’s useless for everything else right now. We haven’t been together long,” she confessed, showing Tala a picture. “I guess that’s what’s been making me a little neurotic.”
Tala stared at the dark hair, the green eyes, the bright smile. She’d seen the guy before, but it wasn’t Zoe his arms had been wrapped around. Oh no. Oh no. “Oh,” she managed weakly. “You guys look…you guys look great.”
“Thanks. I just hate it when he—” She broke off, glancing up when Cole reappeared. Ignoring them, he moved toward the exit. “And where do you think you’re going?”
He paused, his tone sardonic. “To hunt for information. Like you wanted.”
“Ken and the others, yes,” Zoe said. “I have different orders for you. Since the prince is resting—and since you’re in such a helpful mood tonight—you’ll be coming with us to visit the priestess.”
“Aren’t we supposed to wait until she called for us?” Tala asked.
“I’m not the world’s most patient person. If she foretold our coming, maybe she’ll predict this too.” Zoe grinned at her. “A priestess in the same village the Dame specifically told us to spend the night at smacks just a little too much of coincidence, don’t you think? Let the others enjoy the dance a little while longer. I don’t want to wait. And last I checked, the time-lapse spell is still going strong.