Whoever was responsible for killing my wives wasn’t going to get away with it again.
If the guards weren’t going to catch whoever tried, I would do it myself.
“Your brothers don’t seem to like you very much,” she said. Her voice had softened, and she stepped close enough that her chest nearly touched my own as another song stopped and started again. Her hand moved from my shoulder to the base of my neck, taunting me.
Was she doing that on purpose?
I rolled my eyes. “You’re very observant.”
“You practically ignored them at the table, it was hardly an observation. Not to mention the fact that I never heard the end of Lucien’s story.”
“I am the heir to the throne. I’m my mother’s only son. I’ve been put in situations they could never understand. I’ve been asked to take on things they could never take on. They’ve done nothing but take what royalty has to offer them. I quit being their brother years ago.”
She studied me closely, as if she was looking for a lie in my words.
“Adeline seems nice. Is that all fake, too?” she asked.
I smiled. It felt like the first time all day. “No, it’s not fake. You can trust Adeline. She just might hate this just as much as I do.”
“Hate what?”
“The parties. The royalty. The facade. It’s all just a game to these people. They never step foot into the real world. They live here in this bubble and don’t care about what happens to the others.”
“And you’re so different?”
I clicked my tongue. “You’re very inquisitive, princess.”
“It seems I have a lot to learn, prince, and if history tells us anything, I may not have much time to learn it all.”
“You’re also stubborn.”
“I’ve been told.”
When the song was over, Jade stepped away. “You should get back to your party. I’m going to find something to eat,” she said.
Shit. I had totally forgotten about the food I was supposed to find for her. “Do you want me to find something for you?”
“No,” she answered sharply. “I can handle myself, thank you.”
I nodded and watched her walk away, back into the sea of vipers.
CHAPTER 7
Jade
I knew he was watching me. I knew he wasn’t going to take his eyes off me for the entire night.
But I had to find a way to meet Adonis at midnight.
I was skeptical at first, but he was right. I didn’t have any options. Malachi wasn’t exactly forthcoming with information about who I should be on the lookout for. And Malachi seemed to respect Adonis enough.
Not like I trusted Malachi’s judgment, but still. It was better than nothing.
I kept my head down as I weaved through the crowd. Most of the fae ignored me completely, only a few were brave enough to raise their heads and meet my eyes. Malachi’s reputation had seen to that, I was sure.
Whatever reputation he had with the fae was beyond me. But whatever it was, it hadn’t been all rumors. Or else his brothers wouldn’t have banded against him like that.
Perhaps the rumors I had heard about my dear husband held some truth.
I continued walking the perimeter of the ballroom, but I found myself drawn into the pure magnificence of the building. I had never seen anything like it. Back home, the houses were built with nothing more than wooden scraps. Even the wealthier families had struggled with building anything out of the ordinary.
But this…this was more than I had ever imagined. Even in the grand room, the space felt inviting. The walls were not just bare stone, but they were covered with vines and greenery that moved with the structure. Each doorway was large enough to fit four people at any given time, and the ceilings were arched with an opaque glass that allowed me to see through the ceiling and into the now dark sky.
Someone bumped my shoulder, nearly knocking me off my feet, but I caught myself against the wall. I turned, half expecting to be confronted by another fae, but the culprit just mumbled an apology and kept moving.
“Having a good time?” a woman’s voice approached from my left. I snapped my head in her direction, only to find myself staring directly at the gorgeous blonde fae who had been speaking to Malachi earlier.
Great.
I forced a smile and rolled my shoulders back. “As good as possible, I suppose.”
The girl smiled and stepped closer. “The fae love their parties. I suppose of all the rumors that live in the human lands, that one is likely the most truthful. I’m Kara by the way.”