“You have an excellent chance at securing the vote tomorrow,” Coman was saying, sounding quite pleased with himself. “If only half of those still undecided throw their support behind you, the odds are better than even.”
“You say that, but quite a few of the delegates I talked to tonight seemed to be favoring Lord Iannis,” Lord Cedris remarked. The dark undertone to his smooth, cultured voice suggested he was not happy about this.
“Yes, but you have the upper hand,” Coman insisted. “I’ve spoken to the mages we discussed, and all but one promised their support in exchange for raising the gold production cap of their respective states. Some actually sounded offended that Lord Iannis had not approached them with similar promises. You have many key players on your side.”
“Just as well.” There was a pause. “How is the Minister faring? All of this will come to nothing if he recovers or if someone discovers the truth about his illness. Has anyone tried to visit him?”
“Not since we moved him to that house on Blixton Road,” Coman reassured him. “The number of guards we had outside the last location were drawing too much attention, so I’ve lightened the detail. Nobody is likely to go looking there since it’s on the south side of town, and besides, it may not matter soon. From what the guards tell me, he is not improving.”
“So much the better.” Lord Cedris sounded satisfied. “We ought to get back to the ballroom before we are missed.”
I held my breath as I listened to them exit the smoking room, and waited until their footfalls had long faded before I cautiously let myself out of the closet and went to report what I’d learned to Iannis.
26
Excitement thrummed through my nerves as I re-entered the ballroom – I was sure we could manage to locate the Minister with the information I’d overheard in the broom closet! Plus, it sounded like Lord Cedris was trying to rig the vote, and it was definitely suspicious that he seemed to be the only delegate who knew where the Minister was. If we got our hand on the Minister and brought him back to health, we could bring Lord Cedris’s campaign crashing down.
I navigated the sea of colorful and bejeweled guests, searching for Iannis, but between the crush of bodies, the loud chatter, and the amalgamation of scents, it was like searching for a single flower in a sea of blossoms. Not seeing him amongst the groups of gossiping mages, I made my way to the dance floor to check if he was out there twirling some female on his arm.
Long fingers curled around my upper arm, and a familiar, lightly-accented voice murmured in my ear, “Would you care to dance?”
“Iannis.” The name escaped me like a sigh, and I turned to face him. A slight smile played on his lips, and his iridescent eyes shimmered in the muted yellow light from the chandelier.
He offered me his hand, and as I placed my palm in his, an electric current ran between us, sending heat rippling through me like a gust from a sirocco. I allowed him to lead me out onto the ballroom floor, and though I felt the stares from the other dancing couples as their swirling robes and skirts brushed up against us, my eyes were locked on his.
Gently, Iannis took my right hand in his, then slid his other hand behind my left shoulder blade. I wrapped my fingers around his upper arm, mimicking the other couples, and just like that we were waltzing with the rest of the dancers.
“The rumor that we are lovers has spread through the delegation like wildfire, and is being used to discredit my so-called campaign,” Iannis murmured, amusement dancing in his eyes. “We might as well give them something to gossip about.”
“If I didn’t know better, I’d say some of my rebellious streak is beginning to rub off on you.” I grinned, enjoying this side of Iannis that few people ever saw.
“Perhaps.” The tips of his fingers caressed my exposed upper back, sending a lick of heat through my spine. “I do wonder if perhaps I should consider the role of Minister. If we are left with Lord Cedris as our next leader, the Federation will not be in safe hands.”
“Maybe.” I leaned in a little closer so that my words wouldn’t be overheard. My breasts brushed against his chest, and the words momentarily caught in my throat. “But before you start worrying about that, we should visit the current Minister ourselves and see if you can’t do something about his illness.”
Iannis’s dark brows shot up. “Have you discovered his location?” he asked, his lips hovering a few inches from mine.
“I have,” I confirmed, my voice a little breathless. “I snuck into a broom closet and overheard Lord Cedris and Coman talking about it.” I recounted to him exactly what I’d overheard.
Iannis’s expression never changed while I spoke, but by the time I was done his eyes were sparkling dangerously. “It sounds like Lord Cedris knows exactly why the Minister has fallen ill, and is keeping him sequestered to prevent anyone from helping him. He should be surrounded by physicians and healers, not just guards.”