The guard burst into laughter. “The party lasts all night; everyone will be staying here now. The doors are closed.”
Was that a command? I glanced back at the archway we’d entered and noticed the doors were, in fact, closed.
“Now what?” I asked, frowning.
“Keep the veil up on you and Tiago, but let me out. I can still see and hear you, regardless,” Tyrrik said. “Let me talk with Dyter.”
I slipped Tyrrik out from under the veil, my attention rooted to my mate.
“What’s the plan?” Tyrrik asked, yanking back Gairome as he stepped toward a beckoning beauty.
Another servant passed by with fingerfood on her tray, and Zared stopped her. She held the tray out with a pancake stuffed with cabbage and diced tomatoes.
“What is it?” Zared asked.
“Fish packets. It has a cilantro crema. They’re my favorite,” she said, her gaze raking over our group, and then she shook her head, expression full of pity. “Here. Try one.”
Zared reached for one, and Dyter grabbed the prince’s wrist. “What if they’re poisoned?”
The woman replied, “It’s the queen’s birthday party. She’s all about good things. There’s no way she’s poisoning anyone.” She grabbed a folded pancake and bit into it. “See?”
Holding Zared back, Dyter studied the woman, his scar blanching the longer he stared at her. “How long have you been here in Azule?”
Why was he so fixated by her? I shifted my attention from him to her, examining her features beyond the black tattoos. I recoiled, filled with disapprobation as awareness settled in my mind.
She dropped her chin toward her chest and said, “Five years.” Her lower lip trembled. “I heard Cal was Irdelron’s son. And the crops are growing again.”
Dyter nodded. “Which Zone?”
“Eight. House of Dar.” Her eyes filled with tears as she spoke.
She was from Verald? Had she chosen to leave, or did someone take her? Both options were equally awful.
She held the tray out toward Dyter, her hands shaking enough that the silver platter trembled. “Here, take them all. You’ll feel better if you eat.”
Dyter glanced at the food. He had to be starving—we all were—but he pushed the tray away. “We can’t take any chances—”
“I promise,” she said, pushing the tray closer. “I swear on the house of Dar that the food and drink aren’t poisoned. I’ve been to four of Mily’s parties this year. She doesn’t poison anyone.”
“I’m not eating that,” I said to Tyrrik, shaking my head.
“No thank you,” he said to Dyter.
I could see the condemnation in the firm set of Dyter’s mouth. He was practically screaming she’s from Verald; have a heart.
I had a heart, but her tray could remain full, in my humble opinion.
The Azule kingdom was creepy, too creepy to eat their fish-pancake thingies. Nothing about this place made any sense.
Queen-Bouncy had agreed to send ships to collect the men at war, and I felt suspicious and oddly deflated. Did that seem too easy for your liking?
Dyter accepted one of the packets, smiling at the Veraldian woman with the sad eyes before taking a bite. I watched him closely, but he swallowed and remained unchanged as he continued to talk with the servant.
Maybe, Tyrrik answered. I’m trying to decide. Maybe it’s a reflection of their general ignorance to hardship. The queen didn’t give any of the tells I’ve seen in liars, and she doesn’t seem old, or wise enough to fake sincerity.
I hummed and nodded, trusting in Tyrrik’s perceptiveness. All of the general weirdness could account for the warning stir inside. Let’s keep our guard up anyway.
Glancing at Dyter again, I saw he’d moved closer to the servant. Or she to him. And her smile wasn’t sad anymore, at all. Dyter drew closer to her, and I wrinkled my nose, leaned in to Tyrrik, and whispered, “Dyter’s not acting that way because of what he ate, right?”
“Why don’t you go ask him?”
I raised my eyebrows and leveled my mate with a flat look that made him grin.
“Will you please go and check?” I asked, avoiding further glances in Dyter’s direction. That woman had been eyeing Dyter the way I looked at Tyrrik, and considering the activity around us . . . “Please?”
Tyrrik cleared his throat with a suspicious twitch of the lips. His eyes were still fixed on Dyter’s head, and I didn’t dare turn to look as my mate side-stepped me to go and talk to Dyter.
I tried to locate our group. Five women had clustered around the twins, and the entire group was now occupied in leisurely pursuits involving taking their aketons off. Dilowa was busy not-speaking to the man who’d distracted her before, and he was frisking her . . . maybe for hidden weapons. I felt like the floor rolled under my feet. How had our entire party lost their minds? And Zarad . . . I threw my head back with frustration, and my gaze snagged—
My jaw dropped, and I squeezed my eyes shut. No way. No way. That was too much.
Dyter wants to be where he is.
My discomfort with the current situation simmered close to anger. Are you kidding me? Did you ask him properly?
I breathed in his face and asked him. So, yes.
I huffed with frustration, but I couldn’t argue with that.
Dyter glanced over at Tyrrik and offered a half-smile. “Don’t do anything stupid.”
“That’s it?” I asked.
Almost as if he could hear me, Dyter continued, “I guess we’re here for the night, so enjoy a little time off. Meet under the arch if things go awry or tomorrow at first light.”
I dropped the veil and hollered after Dyter, “Is that . . . wise?”
Only Tyrrik remained. I hadn’t even noticed Tiago disappear. I groaned. Was I the only one freaked out by this spawn show?
Ugh, what are we going to do to kill time? Seems like everyone else is playing cards. I stepped closer to Tyrrik as a scantily clad Azuli male brushed my side. I don’t want to leave them here in case something is afoot. Am I seriously the only one who thinks this is weird? Do you really believe we can’t leave until morning?
There are guards at the doors. The queen agreed to help, and there’s a lot of stimuli. Tyrrik dragged his finger down the back of my aketon and then tugged me closer. His heat radiated into the space between us, and like a moth to the flame, I inched back a little further. Want to find a corner?
I lifted my brows even though he couldn’t see. The crowd of people continued to writhe in their frenzied orgy, and I worried my eyes were going to pop out of my head. A lot of stimuli was an understatement. I took another step back until my body was flush with Tyrrik’s. Wiggling my butt I asked, A corner to do what?
He stilled behind me. To watch the room.
I pursed my lips, a little disappointed in his response. Oh yeah, that’s what I was thinking too. Or maybe play cards. Or dance the maypole. Everyone else is doing it so we should, too, right?
Tyrrik spun me to face him with his hands on my shoulders, and I tilted my head to peek up at him through my lashes. I grinned at his heated gaze. I rose up on my tiptoes, bringing my mouth closer to his, and asked, “Are you okay?”
No.
I brushed my lips down his jaw. Has anyone ever mentioned you become monosyllabic when you’re turned on?
He kneaded my back and nestled closer to me. It’s because all the blood leaves my head.
I snorted and then suppressed a laugh. I needed to stop playing cards, or I wouldn’t want to stop, and neither would Tyrrik. I wrenched myself back and rotated away from Tyrrik’s face, hearing him groan behind me. Risking my mental health, I stole a glance to Dyter and the Veraldian servant. And froze. My mouth dried, and panic thundered in my chest.
“Where’s Dyter?” I asked, spinning back to Tyrrik.
24
Tyrrik blinked as though trying to see through a fog, and then shook his head, the focus returning to his eyes in a moment. He glanced over the crowd, a much easier task for someone of his height, and frowned.
“Well?” I demanded, still scouring the throng of Azulis myself. “They said no one leaves until morning.”