Wicked As You Wish (A Hundred Names for Magic #1) - Rin Chupeco Page 0,99
walking corpse, who shall wield a terrible mercy.” The woman shrugged. “It is probably a metaphor for something simpler, something not so grim.”
“I would be terrified if it wasn’t,” Ken muttered.
“We’ll have to be a lot more careful than I expected,” Zoe added quietly, once the woman had left. She looked over at the boys. “Let me know when you find anything out of the ordinary. And I’d appreciate it if you could make an effort to look around first before taking part in the dancing.” That last part was directed deliberately at Kensington, who put his hands up in a mock display of innocence.
“Me?”
“Yes, you,” Zoe said. “I know you. I’d prefer not to be chased out of town by angry fathers and girls seeking vengeance.”
Despite Zoe’s warnings, though, Ken and West shot out of their seats after supper, grinning with the air of boys about to get themselves into trouble despite having promised otherwise. Cole had already disappeared, though Tala didn’t remember seeing him leave.
“We’ll be off, then,” Ken said, sidling toward the door. “To find information.”
“And clues,” West added unnecessarily.
“We’ll be back in an hour.”
“Or two.”
“Or till the dance ends.”
“Or they run out of girls.”
“See you later!”
The boys took off. Loki followed closely after them, a resigned grin on their face.
“I tried.” Zoe sighed, shaking her head. She glanced over at Alex. “What about you, Your Highness?”
“I’m going to head up to my room and take advantage of the bed,” Alex said abruptly, pushing back his chair. He turned to the firebird, who was chirping along to some music no one else seemed to hear. “Don’t wake me unless it’s important.”
The instant he was out the door, Zoe rounded on Tala, looking worried. “Did I do something?”
“What?”
“His Highness. Alexei. Did I do something to antagonize him in any way? He’s been polite, but I also know he’s being passive-aggressive toward me, and he’s not saying why.”
“Being in Avalon has been stressing him out, and you’re the one putting a cap on some of his more impulsive behaviors. Maybe it’s a combination of those?”
“Have I been doing a horrible job?” Zoe looked stricken.
“No!” Tala exclaimed. “No, you’re doing great! You’ve brought us this far without getting any of us killed or worse, and I’m speaking as the most inexperienced person here.”
“Thank you,” Zoe said, though still looking a little distraught. “It’s just, I just wish I could talk it out with him, but at this point I sense that’s the last thing he wants to do.”
“He doesn’t want to talk to me either, and I’m supposed to be his best friend,” Tala agreed, glaring at the hallway he’d gone out. That was partly her fault too, but she didn’t want to overcomplicate things by explaining that to Zoe. “I’m putting it down to anxiety on his part. Hopefully he’ll be better once we get to Maidenkeep.”
“Maidenkeep,” Zoe sighed. “That’s another problem. He lost his parents there. I’m not sure it’s going to put him in a happier frame of mind. I’m just trying to make sure we’re all alive and breathing until we can find some way to alert the Cheshire and the others to our location.”
“How are you holding up, though?” The burden weighing on the girl’s shoulders must be colossal, Tala realized. It wasn’t her fault that Alex was choosing to be ungrateful about it.
Zoe let out a small, forced laugh. “I’m all right. You should go out and enjoy the celebrations too. Have some fun while we’re here, like Ken and West plan on doing. It’s been a trying few days, and we could all use a break.”
“Not you?”
She paused, smiling briefly. “I don’t need it. Anyway, it doesn’t feel right without Tristan here.” The evasiveness in her voice had returned, and privately Tala wondered what it was that she wasn’t saying. “I do love to dance, so maybe I’ll take a spin later. What about you? Have a boyfriend too?”
“I…” She hadn’t thought about Ryker for so long, and now it came crashing back down on her, his treachery. “I thought I did. Or I was going to have one, until I learned the Snow Queen was his guardian.”
“Oh. The boy with the ICE agents?”
“Yeah. I know how to pick ’em, huh?”
“It sounded like you two had history.”
“Not much of one,” Tala said bitterly. “The bonfire was supposed to be our first date. Or maybe it wasn’t. I think he only did it because he knew I was a Makiling and that I was