“That’s quite enough, Rían.”
So that’s a no on the icing paint. “It’s Ambassador DeWarn, remember? Or Edward, if you’re feelingimproper.”
All it took was another flick of my wrist for the world to rush in, filling my head with meaningless chatter and terrible music. I noticed Lady Eithne sipping wine next to her husband. I’d wasted enough of the evening flirting with Aveen. Time to focus on the real reason I was here.
“Seeing as you and I no longer have any business together, I’m off to have fun with these humans.” I sent my now-empty flask away. “If you’re looking for a bit of devilment, you know where to find me.”
I collected another glass of champagne and stalked toward my prey.
8
Brag,brag, brag. That’s all these arrogant bastards seemed to know how to do.I have more horses. I have more tenant farmers. My coffers are overflowing with silver. Mine are filled with gold.On and on, round and round, a relentless back and forth of one-upmanship. The tedium had nearly put me to sleep with my eyes open.The wine in my hand wasn’t helping either.
Their titles were nothing more than names written on paper that would eventually be forgotten or burned when the next tyrant decided to invade and take everything they’d never earned.
I wasn’t even sure they realized I was still standing here, bored to tears and trying not to make it obvious that I couldn’t stop staring at Aveen. I should have been chatting to Eithne, but her husband had been glued to her side all feckin’ night.
I forced my attention back to the most insufferable peacocking man of the lot: Robert. He was obviously a younger son, trying to make up for that shortcoming by besting everyone else.
My father this. . .
My father that. . .
I could boast about my father as well. But what had Robert done to prove he wasn’t a useless piece of—
Shit. Why were they all looking at me? “I’m sorry,” I muttered, sipping from the glass of wine I’d shifted from Tadhg’s private stash. “I wasn’t paying the least bit of attention to any of you.”
Two of the younger men hid their laughter behind polite coughs. The eldest’s face went red, and a vein in his forehead pulsed. “I asked where you hail from, Ambassador.”
“Most recently, Vellana City,” I said, because it was expected. For fun, I added, “But I was born near the Black Forest.”
“How near?” Robert asked.
“You could see it from my house.”
“Have you ever seen the Queen?” the thin man with a receding hairline next to him asked once he lifted his jaw from the floor.
“I have.”
“Is it true she feeds on souls?” asked one with a thick beard.
“Life force,” I corrected.
“Is there a difference?” Robert sniffed, trying to look down his nose at me even though we were the same height.
“Well,Robert,” I drawled, lifting my glass in mock salute, “if the Queen fed on your life force, you’d die. But if she consumed your soul, you couldn’t go to hell after.”
With Robert choking on his indignation, I turned my attention back to Aveen, who happened to be speaking with her sister about some man named James Wallace whom Aveen found attractive.
“Perhaps you can marry him,” the sister said with a grating giggle.
Poor James Wallace just made it to the top of my list of who to kill at this dreadful ball.
Aveen’s nose wrinkled. “Pass.”
The sister kept on about marriage, not seeming to notice the tension coiling in Aveen’s shoulders or the way her face paled despite the layer of paint she wore.
“Or,you already have someone in mind,” the sister drawled.