“Your Ladyship is too kind, I’m sure,” the young king says with a bit more interest. His brown eyes light on mine and I catch the measure of scrutiny as his gaze drifts down my face. I smile, and he responds with one of his own before I notice my knees seem to have melted to mush. I’m trying to get them to work when a handsome man in black, with his cape pulled back, steps next to the king. I gasp.
It’s the man from the common house.
Firm jaw. Silver tooth. He’s wearing the same look as last night as he stares at me from beside the king. I dip my head. Maybe the crowd will swallow me into their gluttonous stomachs.
“Ah, Lord Protectorate Myles!” Adora’s voice rings out. Too loud. Too cheerful. “I was just introducing my impoverished extended family to your cousin.”
Cousin?
The young man in black nods, his eyes never leaving my face. “Charmed, I’m sure.”
I curtsy as best I know how before Adora waves Colin and me off. “But not too far, lovelies.”
I retreat into the crowd, pulling Colin with me, as dinner’s announced and the music soars. Weaving through the maze of guests, I lead Colin to the banquet room still feeling the man in black’s gaze haunting me.
“Did you recognize him?” I ask Colin when we stop in front of the enormous spread of fruit and pasties and cakes and disgusting amount of meats on Adora’s dinner tables. Bodies squeeze around us like jelly, already shoveling food onto their plates.
Colin follows suit. “Recognize who?”
“The king’s cousin. Lord Protectorate Myles.”
“Sure, I’ve seen him afore. Why?”
“He was at the common house up by the Castle last night. He saw us.”
“The common house? Doubt it.”
“He was there, Colin. I swear.”
He shoots me a dubious look. “There’s no way Lord Myles was at that place. But even if ’e was, ’e wouldn’t recognize us now. Look at us.” Colin sets his plate on top of mine for me to balance so he can slide a cup from a maid’s tray. He slips his hand around her waist and winks at her. She giggles and comments on his slightly swollen lip. I bite my cheek to keep from telling her how he got that slightly swollen lip.
“A girlfriend of yours?” I ask irritably once he’s done flirting.
“Nah. Just reminds me of one of the girls from back home. Just as nice too.”
“I bet,” I mutter, leading us toward a bench against the wall from which I can watch most of the room—especially the guest-of-honor table, which I expect the king will soon be filling. I hand Colin back his plate and immediately feel guilty for being crabby with him. It’s not his fault the king’s cousin was at the common house, or that I nearly annihilated the man’s blond friend. And if I had anyone around to connect me with home, I’d be sidling up to him too—just for the moment of warmth.
My throat tightens. “Tell me about your home.”
“Not much to tell really. Except that Tulla’s beautiful this time o’ year. Warmer and not so many storms.” He makes a meaningful face until I can’t help but smile.
“I apologize for those storms.”
“Nah, I’m just teasin’. Mainly that maid reminds me o’ my mum though. Always laughing and makin’ Breck an’ me laugh too.” He pauses. “Nowadays, Breck’s different. She doesn’t laugh so much anymore.”
He pushes a lump of cabbage around on his plate, and I wish I knew what to say. Wish I could recall my own mum’s laugh. “How did you come from Tulla to Faelen?” I finally ask.
“Our mum died. The febris plague took ’er one night. The next morning I came completely unhinged, an’ that’s when my powers erupted. Ne’er knew I ’ad ’em ’til that day. Dad was a drunk so he was always gone or in a rage. By the time I calmed down, I’d nearly leveled our village and the people were so afraid o’ me, Breck an’ I knew we ’ad to move on.
“Our people are proud of their Terrenes. Our King Mael is one. But they train ’em starting young. One in my condition—whose powers displayed so late—would be considered a threat wherever we went. So we bought a passage over to Faelen and kept my power a secret while we worked to keep food in our mouths. Training on my own until I could control my abilities enough to go back home. As luck would ’ave it, I was practicing one day, an’ Adora found me and brought me to Eogan. Breck and me been livin’ here since.”
He ducks his head and goes back to his pheasant, and for a moment I catch the pain in his eyes as they crease. “Up there,” he adds after a minute, “my mum was a lady with an inheritance. Respected even.”
My eyes warm, and suddenly they’re filled with wet pity. I blink. He smirks, but it doesn’t reach beyond his lips. “I’d ask you about yer home, but something tells me you’d just sock me again.”
Right. I bite my cheek. “I’m sorry about that.”