As dinner progressed and the girls had their fill of food and wine, the conversation turned to the upcoming masquerade ball.
“I would love to have the first dance, if you would oblige,” the Glaucan girl said.
Evan glanced to Phemie as she rolled her eyes. She leaned to Evan and whispered, “My cousin, Heloisa. She’s as desperate as the night is long. She can’t be the Queen of Glauca so she wants to be the Queen of Protea.”
Evan smiled, noting the way Heloisa hung on Calix’s every word, batting her eyelashes each time he glanced her way. The red-haired girl sat to his left. She rested her hand on his arm while she spoke to him, giggling at his responses.
“I recognize her,” Evan said. “She’s Protean. But I can’t recall her name.”
“Vasileigh Vitrius,” Phemie said, her lips curling in a sneer.
“You don’t like her?” Evan asked.
“Not particularly. We had an unpleasant encounter when she last visited Glauca.” Evan raised her brows, prompting her to continue. Phemie said, “Her brother had a fondness for me and she didn’t like it. Bitch tried to cut my hair while I slept.”
Evan stifled her laughter when she saw the look on Phemie’s face. She muttered, “Sorry.”
Phemie shrugged. “I didn’t like her brother anyway. Why settle for a noble when I could have a prince?”
Evan sat in shocked silence, surprised by Phemie’s words. For some reason, she’d never thought Phemie would fall for someone like Calix. But why not? He was handsome, wealthy, powerful, and the future King of Protea. He was also insufferable.
When she looked at him, really looked at him, she felt nothing. She wasn’t impressed with his wealth or power and she had her own kingdom to worry about. His looks were pleasant, but no more than others she’d seen, no more than Rafe. Evan immediately pushed the thought away as bitterness inside her. It wasn’t right that Calix was an acceptable choice when someone she cared for was not.
Her mind wandered away from the room, away from the girls vying for Calix’s attention and the hateful glares towards whoever had it. Instead she thought of secret kisses, warm hands trailing down her flesh, forbidden things she would never experience.
When the prince finally excused himself, bidding the women good night, Evan sighed in relief that she could return to the solitude of her room. She bid Phemie and the others good night and slipped out of the room. Before she could take a single step, she heard a voice behind her, cold as steel.
“You shouldn’t be walking alone, Princess.”
She turned towards the voice, her heart racing. Rafe stood against the wall, arms folded across his chest. Evan felt her heart leap as she stared at him, drinking in the way his confidence filled the space. He might only be a guard, but damn; he could outshine the prince any day.
They stood there staring at each other far too long before Evan finally realized he was waiting for her to speak. When she managed to get her voice to cooperate, it was barely a squeak. “I can walk down a hallway by myself. I’ll be fine.”
“I’m sure you will,” he said, “but I’d like to make sure of that myself.”
“Why?” she asked, unable to stop herself.
“It’s my job, Princess,” he said.
He moved towards her as she stood rooted to the spot. When he was so near she could feel his breath on her cheek, he picked up her arm and wrapped it around his. He looked into her eyes for several seconds, and Evan felt his desire wash over her in waves of heat and yearning. The mask he always wore to disguise his feelings was gone, revealing every part of himself to her.
She pushed his feelings away, fighting her own desire to pull him close. He is betrothed, she thought. But the words were barely in her mind before they fell away again, replaced by her longing for his touch.
Evan tore her eyes away from his and looked straight ahead. Rafe guided her towards her room. They spent the next few minutes in silence, nothing but the sound of their feet scraping the floor as they walked.
When they reached her door, Evan hastily pulled her arm away from Rafe and said, “Thank you for the escort.”
Rafe glanced at her, unusually shy as he said, “There could be someone in your room. Would you like me to come inside?”
Rafe reached for the handle behind her and opened the door. He stepped towards her, his nearness pressing her back into the room. He stepped around her, and as she turned to face him, he closed the door. Without a word, his body was against hers, pushing her against the door as his soft lips pressed against her neck. Evan could feel his warm hands through her dress as he ran his fingers over her body. She felt herself responding to his touch, hungering for him as his hands fumbled to slip the straps off her shoulders.
He pulled the dress down enough to allow hot kisses to trail over her shoulders. As his caresses became more intense, he picked her up and wrapped her legs around him. She draped her arms over his shoulders, her fingers running over the black stubble on his head, feeling the pulse in his neck, stroking his muscled shoulders—touching him wherever she could. As his lips climbed along her neck, he tipped his mouth to her ear and asked, “Do you want to go to the bed?”
As she opened her mouth to answer, to beg him to take her to the bed, he whispered, “I love you.”
Evan’s breath caught in her throat. Her eyes came open at once, pulling her back to reality. She pushed against him, moving his lips off her body. Dropping her legs to the ground, she tugged at her dress to cover herself.
“What are you doing?” she asked accusingly.
Rafe looked at her in surprise. “We have an opportunity where we won’t get caught. Your guards weren’t outside to see me come in, you can lead them away in the morning so I can leave, and no one will be the wiser. I thought this was what we both wanted.”
Evan shook her head. “No, not anymore.”
“It sure seemed like you wanted it,” he said softly, stepping towards her.
“Not for a night,” she said. “Not like this.”
Rafe bit his lip, frustration starting to show on his face. “This is the only chance we’ll have, Evan. Can you look me in the eyes and tell me you don’t want to be with me?”
She looked away from him, unable to say the words.
“I know you want me, Evan. Don’t ruin this.”
Her voice barely audible, she said, “You need to leave.”
Rafe put his hands on his hips and turned away from her. She could feel his irritation just below the surface and she knew he was trying to keep her from feeling it. Without looking at her he asked, “Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
She felt his mask move firmly into place, pushing her away from his emotions. There was a brief pause before he said, “Of course, Princess.”
She opened the door for him and he left without looking back. As she moved to close the door, she met eyes with Jove. He stood across the hall, a satisfied smile curling his lips. She rolled her eyes and moved to close the door, but a glint of silver caught her attention. She gasped, unable to contain her surprise. When she turned back to him, his eyes were normal.
He laughed outright at her expression, but his tone turned menacing when he said, “Don’t worry about your guard leaving, or that there are none here to protect you.”
“They’ll be back soon.”
“Will they? Strange they left in the first place, isn’t it? Especially considering you were attacked by a Siren just last night.”
Evan bit her lip. He shouldn’t know that. No one should, aside from Triton’s security team. And those involved.
Her silence seemed to fuel the glare he gave her, as he said, “No need to worry about their absence. I’m here. And I’ve got my eyes on you.”
Eight
She barely slept. How could she? There was a Siren in the castle, watching her every move. Is that really what I saw? Maybe my eyes were playing tricks. It was an argument she had with herself for hours, alternately convincing herself that Jove was and was
n’t a Siren.
When she finally slept, it was restless fits with tiresome dreams of being chased by Sirens. She rolled over at midmorning, deciding to end her wearisome attempts at sleep.
She opened her eyes to see the blonde girl from dinner seated at the vanity. Shit. If Jove was a Siren, so was she.
“I wondered when you would wake up,” the girl said. “Are all Tritons this lazy?”
“How did you get in here?”
The girl shrugged. “I do what I want.”
“And what is it you want?” Evan asked.
“I didn’t get a chance to warn you last night.”
“Warn me?”
“To stay away from the prince,” she said matter-of-factly.
Evan chuckled. “That’s fine with me. I don’t want the prince.”
“Yeah, right,” the girl said. “I’ve seen the way you act around him. All prim and proper, standoffish so you can make sure you seem different than the gaggle that hangs all over him. You hope he will be drawn to you. I’m not stupid.”
“Could’ve fooled me,” Evan muttered.
The girl jumped up, pointing an angry finger at Evan. “Just stay out of my way and I won’t have to hurt you.”
“You know what?” Evan asked as she got to her feet. “I’ve just about had it with this whole trip. I was forced to come to this stupid celebration, forced to spend time with people I have no desire to be friends with, and forced to compete for the attention of a man I detest. I can’t control what the prince does, but I can assure you, I am doing my damnedest to make sure he knows I’m not interested.”
“You expect me to believe you want nothing to do with a handsome, powerful prince?” the girl scoffed.
“Yes, I do expect you to believe that. The only thing I want is to leave here with a healthy, non-betrothed relationship with him that can benefit my people in the future.”
The girl laughed. “How are you planning that? Offering a trade agreement?”
“Actually, yes, that’s what I’m hoping for. I doubt we can agree on much else. But so far, our conversation has been limited to the ball.”
The girl smirked. “I was pretty bored with that at dinner. I like dresses as much as the next girl, but how many ways can you describe one gown?”
All at once, the tension seemed to lessen. Evan smiled and said, “See? We already agree on something.”
“And how many dresses will I have to wear this week? It’s only the second day and I’ve already had to change five times.”
Evan laughed. “I don’t mind the dresses that much, but I hate the makeup.”
“Right?” the girl said, her eyes widening as she smiled.
“But you want this life? You’re fighting for Calix’s affection.”
The girl shook her head slowly, a crease forming between her eyebrows. “Not exactly.”
“I told you why I’m here,” Evan said. “Why are you?”
The girl looked into her eyes, her expression turning hard. “We’re more alike than I would’ve guessed, you and I. Duty before desire, aye Princess?”
Evan nodded. “Seems to be the way of things.”
After a moment of silence, Evan asked, “Who are you, anyway? Why haven’t we met before?”
As soon as Evan asked, the girl tensed. She stood and backed away from the vanity, her eyes avoiding Evan as she approached the door.
Just before she let herself out, she said, “My name is Juno Lostone. I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure I end up betrothed to the Prince, even if that means eliminating the competition. Don’t get in my way and we won’t have a problem.”
“I don’t want Calix, Juno. But there are things I do want from this trip. So what if I do get in your way?”
Juno glanced over her shoulder and said, “You have been warned.”
Evan spent the majority of the afternoon hiding in her room. She had Eggs bring her lunch; at least she knew she could trust one of her own men. She sent a messenger for Adra, but she didn’t come. As dinner neared, Evan began to worry.
She sent Lin to check on her, and soon he returned with word that Adra would be stopping by Evan’s room an hour before the ball. He also brought Evan a black and crimson mask, with specific instructions from Adra about the gown she was to wear.
Evan bathed and combed her hair, then pulled on the dress Adra had chosen. It dazzled with tiny rubies sparkling when they caught the light. It had a tall collar and cutout back, revealing Evan’s gills and making her feel exposed.
When Adra finally arrived, it was clear that something was wrong. Without saying anything, Evan could read her emotions and see that she wasn’t herself. As long as Evan could remember, Adra had always given off the same vibe, no matter what happened around her. Cool, collected, aloof. Today she didn’t bother with her mask. She was sad.
“Cousin, what’s wrong?” Evan asked.
Adra shook her head. “Nothing.”
“You can’t hide it from me,” Evan said. “I know you too well.”
“I promise,” Adra lied.
Evan squeezed her hand and said, “If you change your mind and want to talk to me, I’m here.”
“You look amazing,” Adra said, changing the subject.
“So do you. Teal is a good color for you.”
Adra went to work on Evan’s hair and makeup, styling her until it was time to attend the ball. The Triton guards surrounded them and escorted them down the hall. Evan hadn’t been to this part of the palace yet, and the richly carved marble walls depicting Poseidon’s many conquests amazed her. When they reached the massive ballroom doors, the Protean guards pulled them open and a herald announced their entrance to the crowd already in attendance.
King Basim and Queen Gastine were seated on a dais on the far end of the room. Evan and Adra bowed, rising when they heard the spattering of polite applause. King Basim’s eyes had moved on, searching the crowd for someone else, but Queen Gastine’s eyes were trained on Evan.
Evan smiled, meeting the Queen’s eyes. She was a small woman, dainty, with delicate features surrounded by a halo of fine red hair. Next to King Basim she looked fragile; his broad shoulders and large frame seemed to spill over the throne on which he sat. But while she was physically much smaller, Evan felt her presence, more than anyone in the room. She was the kind of person who could stop fire in its tracks, end a monsoon with a whisper. Her very bones were forged from power.
Adra’s voice was quiet as she interrupted Evan’s thoughts. “I heard some gossip earlier from one of the lower nobles. It seems the court desires a Protean to marry their Prince and they’re unhappy with our presence. I don’t think we’ll find many friends here.”
Behind them a man said, “I’ve always found that a few good friends are far better than many false ones.”
Evan turned, surprised to see Lord Judas Corinth standing behind them. His handsome features were marred by a black eye and a cut on his cheek, though years of training told her not to mention the damage. Aside from that, he was impeccably dressed in a crimson suit, his black shirt matching his half-mask. Although she didn’t comment, Evan immediately noticed that their outfits matched.
“Which type of friend are you, Lord Corinth?” she asked.
He chuckled. “This is a masquerade ball. Am I so easy to recognize?”
“Your eyes,” she said.
He fingers grazed the bruise under his eye, but he dropped them quickly and smiled, motioning towards her gown. “And your beauty is undeniable, no matter what you hide behind.”
“You didn’t answer her question,” Adra cut in, her arms crossed. “Are you a friend to the future queen? Or another greedy noble looking for a piece of power?”
“Adra!” Evan scolded.
“A fair question, Lady Zeidae, especially in such volatile times.”
“Volatile, Lord Corinth?” Evan asked.
He nodded. “With Sirens running about kidnapping princesses, there needs to be someone you can trust.”
&n
bsp; “And that’s you?” Adra asked. She didn’t look convinced.
“I do hope to be a good friend, yes,” he said with a smile. “But if we are to be so, Princess, you’ll need to start calling me by my first name.”
“If that’s the case, Judas, you’ll need to start using mine as well.”
Adra said. “One night as a dinner guest at the castle does not make you a friend of the throne. And I’m certain that using your given name isn’t appropriate, cousin,”
“And I’m certain that I don’t care,” Evan said with a smile.
“Of course you don’t,” Adra hissed. “None of this means anything to you. You throw away all propriety and allow yourself to be seen conversing with this land-dweller.”
Evan inhaled sharply. “Adra! Where are your manners? You need to apologize.”
Adra sneered. “I will not.”
Evan stiffened. “Then you are excused.”
“Very well, Your Royal Highness,” Adra said, using Evan’s title as if it were a curse. She stormed away, weaving through the hundreds of masked guests. Evan watched her until she was lost in the crowd, then turned back to Judas.
“Lord Corinth, I am deeply sorry for my cousin’s behavior. I’ve never seen her act in such a way.”
“She doesn’t like me very much,” Judas said with a shrug.
“It isn’t you. She’s very particular about stations and propriety. She doesn’t like anyone unless they meet her criteria,” Evan said.
Judas pointed across the room and said, “Looks like she likes him.”
“Who?” Evan asked, straining to see.
She watched as Adra moved towards the door on the other side of the room, accompanied by a tall man in an extravagant peacock mask that matched his emerald tux. The smile on Adra’s face was clear even from Evan’s vantage point, and seemed to wash away the anger she’d had only moments before. Evan moved to cross the room, but Judas grabbed her by the elbow.
“Where are you going?” he asked, his eyes full of playful accusations.
Evan averted her gaze from his. “Nowhere.”
With a laugh, Judas said, “You’re going to spy on her, aren’t you?”
Black Sea Bright Song Page 7