Laen raised his eyebrows in disbelief and gave an incredulous snort. "Yes, you do."
"I do not!"
"Yes, you do!"
"Gods, is this the under-five’s room?” came an amused voice from the doorway. “Where is your nanny?"
The two men looked up at the sound of the familiar drawl to see Dannon watching them, his expression one of mild curiosity.
"Dammit! Doesn't anybody ever knock?" Corin exclaimed, glaring at the duke. "How did you even get in here?” he demanded, frowning as the man strolled across the room, ignoring Corin’s irritation with a shrug. “I am king, you know,” he muttered, scowling harder as Laen laughed at his indignation. “That's supposed to engender some respect,” he added in an undertone that both Laen and Dannon ignored. "What the devil do you want, anyway?"
Dannon poured himself a drink, taking a moment to refill Laen's empty glass and not offering Corin one, before making himself comfortable on the sofa opposite. Corin scowled harder. "Do please make yourself at home," he said, making a sweeping gesture at Dannon, who smiled at him beatifically.
"Your Majesty is too kind."
Corin’s jaw tightened, but he said nothing, knowing well enough when he was being baited.
"Good evening, Dannon," Laen said, his tone conversational as they both ignored Corin. At least it would give the man something else to worry about other than Claudette. "So, to what do we owe the pleasure?"
"I thought you would like to know that Bram is ..." Dannon paused, searching for the right phrase. "In high spirits this evening.” He gave Laen a grim smile as he raised an eyebrow at him. “He’s been picking fights for the past hour,” he added by way of explanation.
Corin rolled his eyes as both men turned to look at him. “Oh, now you’re talking to me,” he said, shaking his head. "Well, I'm all out of patience this evening, so you can deal with him,” he said to Laen, smirking a little. “You'll just have to kill him and get it over with."
Laen shrugged. "Sounds like a plan."
Corin laid his head back and closed his eyes, massaging his temples with his fingertips.
"That witch has been asking for you, too," Dannon added and Laen shook his head as he saw the glint of devilry in the man’s eyes. Still, it was good to know Dannon hadn’t usurped his position completely in his absence. The two men still seemed to rub each other the wrong way despite their new found amity.
One golden eye opened just a crack and glared at Dannon. "You really hate me, don't you?"
Dannon bowed his head in what ought to have been a respectful gesture, but was one he managed to fill with mockery. "But I only live to please you, sire."
Before Corin could make good on the reply that was clearly glittering in his eyes, Bram strode in.
"Another one," Corin exclaimed, throwing up his hands in disbelief. “I should have those bloody guards executed. I could have been murdered three times over by now. Knock, damn you.”
Laen sighed. “I told the guards to let these two through. I figured they’d show up at some point.”
Corin grunted and Laen noted he didn’t ask why Inés Corbeaux was asking for him. The answer was obvious enough. They all looked up as a knock sounded at the door.
"Finally," Corin said, gesturing to the door in a manner to suggest his guests could take note. "Someone with manners … Come!"
Claudette’s brother, Jean-Pierre, opened the door with Ameena in tow. He was dressed as the other men in the room, with a sleek, fitted jacket and silk waistcoat with a high collar and cravat. Laen winced in sympathy as the young man pulled at it irritably and grimaced, but in truth, no one was looking at Jean-Pierre. The men all got to their feet as Ameena entered the room. All except Bram, that was, who was already standing and, if Laen was any judge, trying hard to school his expression into one of calm indifference. He failed.
Ameena ignored him and instead walked directly to Corin, curtseying rather self-consciously before turning in a circle for him. "What do you think, then?" she asked, looking a little awkward, though the desire for his approval was clear enough.
Corin held out his hand and she put hers into it. "I think, my dear,” Corin said, in a tone that Laen well recognised as designed to make a woman’s pulse race. “That you look perfectly exquisite."
Ameena blushed, the colour highlighting her pale skin, her eyes wide and dark as Corin raised her hand for a kiss. A faint trail of magic lingered on her skin where his lips had touched her and she caught her breath, looking stunned.
Laen leaned into him with a frown. "I thought you had that under control now," he whispered.
Corin turned his head to Laen, pitching his voice low enough that only Laen could hear him. "I do," he said with a wink as both men looked over at Bram.
Laen smothered a grin as Corin returned his attention to Ameena, who was speaking to him again. "Really, Corin … I mean, Your Majesty,” she said, looking down at the gown she was wearing in disbelief. “I can't thank you enough. With everything else you must have to do, I'm sure wasting time on my outfit was the last thing you needed."
Corin laughed and shook his head. "As I told you at the time, it was exactly what I needed. The chance to make a decision which didn’t appear to be life or death was something of a relief. Besides,” he added, laying it on thick as they could both see Bram was looking increasingly irate. “Helping a damsel in distress is never something I would consider a waste of my time. Especially as the results are so very charming."
"I have to admit, the alternative of pale pink chiffon really was very distressing," Ameena said, grinning at him.
“Pink?” Laen remarked in horror, remembering Océane’s reaction to such things when she had first arrived in the Fae Lands. “What fool gave her pink?”
Corin cleared his throat and they glanced back at Bram, who was staring at the contents of his glass with the expression of a man who wanted to murder something.
"Quite so," Corin murmured, catching Laen’s eye with amusement. He regarded Ameena now with the eye of a connoisseur and smiled, apparently well pleased with his choice. Laen couldn’t blame him. The deep blue silk accentuated the storm grey eyes and the exotic flash of blue in her short black hair and, as it was strapless, showed off her long slender neck and surprisingly elegant figure.
Dannon stepped forward, never a man to miss an opportunity to speak with a beautiful woman, especially if he could rile Bram and Corin at the same time. "Your Majesty, I really must congratulate you, I had no idea you had such a flare for fashion."
Corin narrowed his eyes at Dannon. It had long been the case that the young men of the kingdom would try and emulate one or other of them and was yet another means by which they had been, and still were, rivals. "Well, I know it's not something you have ever shown an interest in, Dannon," Corin replied with a bland smile.
Dannon laughed, pleased by the banter before taking Ameena and Jean-Pierre away to find them a drink.
By unspoken agreement, Laen followed Corin as he moved towards Bram, who was still glowering into the fireplace.
"For the love of the gods, go and speak with her, you fool,” Corin said, cutting to the point with his usual no-nonsense manner.
Bram looked up at them, the humorous brown eyes for once full of anger. "Leave it be, Corin,” he said, sounding tired and rather depressed. “You've called this one wrong. Just live with it." Laen cursed himself at the man’s idiocy as Corin tutted with impatience and shook his head.
"Then answer me this,” Corin said, his golden eyes intent as he moved closer to Bram, making sure he had his undivided attention. “If you cannot bear the sight of me kissing her hand when you know full well I have no interest in her, how are you going to feel when the men gather round her tonight? Because I promise you they will have far more on their minds than an innocent kiss."
"Good luck to them, is all I would say," Bram retorted, knocking back his drink with a grimace, the bitterness clear in his voice. "She'll eat them for breakfast,” he added, before reac
hing for the decanter again.
"Gods, you are a damn fool!" Corin said in disgust, sending an appealing look to Laen, which he ignored. He knew better than to interfere in such matters, not that he’d have had any advice if he’d wanted to give it. That was Corin’s department. "She'll be a lamb to the slaughter out there tonight,” Corin continued, sounding really quite angry with Bram, though Laen didn’t know why. He imagined the girl had confided in him, people often did, so it wasn’t surprising. Corin sighed and lowered his voice, putting his hand on Bram’s arm. “I don't know what has passed between you, but reading between the lines of what she did say, you’ve hurt her deeply. She’s vulnerable,” he added, looking frustrated. “And if you don't believe that, you're blind as well as stupid. You brought her here, Bram, to a strange and dangerous world, when you must have known she did it to be with you.” Corin shook his head, his voice growing harder as Bram’s face remained impassive. “I hope you can live with the consequences, is all I can say. I nearly had to, and believe me when I tell you, hindsight is a terrible thing."
Laen looked closer at Bram and noted the muscle leaping in his jaw. He wasn’t quite so sanguine as he might want them to believe then. As if to illustrate the point, he slammed his glass down. "What did she tell you?" Bram demanded, his voice low but sounding as though he was torn between anger and concern.
"Nothing much,” Corin replied, clearly not about to betray a confidence. “Nothing that isn't clear to anyone with half an eye, and I think you know that I see more than most,” Corin added with the lift of one eyebrow. Bram scowled and made a show of arranging his cuffs, it was a nervous gesture that Laen knew well. Corin, too, knew their friend was in turmoil, judging on the way his expression softened. "Tully,” he said, using his childhood nickname to illustrate his sincerity. “She has a good heart, a kind nature, and she thinks the world of you. If you are too stupid to see past the defensive façade she has put up to protect herself from a life that had not been kind to her, then I shall believe I have taught you nothing over the years."
Bram turned on Corin, his dark eyes glittering with frustration. "But she's impossible!" he said, crossing his arms. "And besides, it's pointless now." He stole a glance at Ameena, who was laughing at something Jean-Pierre had said.
"Whatever do you mean?" Corin replied, clearly at the end of his patience now.
"She hates me," he replied, turning his back on her.
Corin looked heavenwards, and Laen would have put money on the fact that he was counting to ten before he spoke. "No," he said, the words slow and drawn out. "She doesn't." Bram looked unconvinced, and Corin looked like he wished everyone in the room to Tartarus. However, he said nothing, simply helping himself to another drink before he turned back to Bram. He sounded rather irritated now. "If she had no interest in you, she wouldn't have spent every few moments looking in your direction to see if you have noticed her."
Bram’s brow creased and he cast another glance in her direction. "Has she?"
Corin pinched the bridge of his nose. "Yes,” he replied with exaggerated patience. “She has, and if you opened your eyes instead of standing here sulking, you might have noticed. Now go and speak with her, or I shall send you home to Alfheim so I don't have to look at your face a moment longer. You're giving me a migraine." He made a shooing motion and Bram snatched the drink from Corin's hand, downed it, and returned the empty glass to him before crossing the room. Corin regarded the empty glass with distaste and sighed as Laen laughed.
Corin shook his head. "I just don't understand it,” he said with obvious frustration. “How can he have spent so many years in our company and still be so utterly clueless about women?"
Laen smiled. "Because he sees them as a romantic notion rather than flesh and blood. He's afraid to let someone get too close, to see who he truly is, and so he looks for the superficial rather than the real. You know as well as I do that reality is rarely as pretty as a lie."
"My, my,” Corin said, staring at Laen in surprise. “That was most insightful.”
Laen shrugged. "He's not the first man to be blinded by his own ideals." He gave Corin a rueful smile. "He's lucky to have you to put him straight." Laen hesitated for a moment before remembering his vow to Océane to be more open. "So was I,” he added, the words a little awkward as he coughed and stared at his shoes. Looking up, he discovered Corin smiling at him, looking absurdly pleased by the compliment. Before he could form a reply, however, they heard Ameena's voice cut through the room.
"Because he took the trouble to ask what I wanted,” she said, her voice brittle. “He considered that I might have an opinion and sought it out. He didn't just send me some of his old girlfriend's cast-offs!"
"Neither did I!" Bram retorted, looking affronted at the idea.
"Oh, give over,” Ameena said with a snort, folding her arms and looking increasingly annoyed. “Did you seriously think I was going to wear any of the frilly pink stuff you sent over? I mean, it would have been a nice thought if it weren't for the fact you just want me to look how you think I should. You didn't even ask what colours I liked. You didn’t consider my feelings about it for a moment."
Dannon and Jean-Pierre moved away from them to stand with Corin and Laen.
"Laen, I should just have let you kill him," Corin muttered, shaking his head. "Put him out of his misery."
Laen nodded, wondering if this was the level of exasperation Corin had felt for him before he’d married. "It might have been kinder."
Bram had a belligerent look in his eyes now that didn’t bode well. Laen suspected the fool was about to blow it, and it was horrifying to watch. Yet he couldn’t look away.
"If I had considered your feelings in the matter,” Bram said, his voice low and angry now. “I would just have sent you some undergarments, as that seems to be your preference for wandering around in public," Bram shouted. It was an indicator of the depths of his emotions that he raised his voice in public. Laen well knew he was a stickler for manners and propriety, the idea of making a scene in front of others would have appalled him.
"Why, you sanctimonious prick!" Laen winced on Bram’s behalf as Ameena stood with her hands on her hips, facing him squarely, every inch of her quivering with fury.
"She is really quite magnificent," Dannon observed, his voice a low whisper.
"She certainly has a turn of phrase,” Laen replied, smiling despite his sorrow for Bram’s foolish behaviour. “Just keep her away from Océane, she makes my ears burn as it is, without any tuition." He snorted as Dannon made a squashing motion with his thumb. "Ah, yes,” Laen replied, his tone dry. “And how is the lovely Anaïs?"
"Touché," Dannon said with a soft smile that indicated he didn’t care a hoot if Laen was right. The furious energy surrounding Bram and Ameena rose further, as Bram’s temper burned brighter. The atmosphere was electric, infusing the whole room with tension.
"I am not!" Bram retorted whilst Ameena snorted in disgust. Every line of her body was taut, her grey eyes alight with fury.
"Two-faced, lying arse-hole!" she yelled, and gave him a hard shove.
"Oh, here we go," he snapped, holding his ground and looking every bit as enraged. "We're at home to the foul-mouthed harpy as usual!” He folded his arms, staring at her with cold eyes, his voice icy with disdain. “What the hell did you come here for? All you’re interested in is airing your dirty linen in public, whilst you are still wearing it, I might add! You have no business being amongst civilised people if you can't learn to remove your mouth from the gutter."
Silence rang around the room as everyone realised he’d gone way too far. Ameena faltered, looking around at their audience with horror. Her face paled as tears sprang to her eyes. She swallowed hard and then she put her chin up, forcing a smile to her face and turning to Corin and the others. "I'm so sorry,” she said, her voice a little uneven. “I didn't mean to cause a scene. Please excuse me." She turned and fled, and all eyes were on Bram, who was looking deeply uncomfortable.
"Damn it!" he cursed with feeling. He glanced at Corin, who was giving him a look that Laen was glad he wasn’t on the receiving end of. "Don't look at me like that,” Bram said, his voice rough as he raked a hand through his hair. “The wretched woman is impossible. She … she … damnation!"
He stalked to the drinks cabinet and poured himself a large measure, which was deftly plucked from his hands. Corin downed it, his gold eyes glinting with fury as he slammed the empty glass back down and pointed at the door.
"Get out of that door and apologise this instant,” he said, his voice taut with fury. “And then take the poor girl to bed, because if you don't, I ..."
"Corin!" Laen, Dannon, and Jean-Pierre yelled in unison, and Corin swung around to stare at them in disgust.
"I wasn't going to say that," he shot back at them, looking increasingly angry. "But if he doesn't go after her, I will find someone more deserving of her attentions who will treat as she deserves and not be such an uptight, bloody fool!"
Bram sat down heavily and put his head in his hands. "It's pointless, Corin, you must see that? I've really blown it this time. She just drives me insane. We can't be in the same room without wanting to kill each other the moment one of us speaks."
Corin sighed and then walked over, crouching down in front of him with a sympathetic smile. "In that case," he said, his words dangerously quiet. "I suggest you keep your damn mouth shut and kiss her." He smacked Bram around the head with such force that Bram yelped.
"Ow!" He stared back at Corin with reproach, but Corin just stood and folded his arms, looking down at Bram with a cool expression that boded ill if he didn’t do as he was told.
"Now,” he said as Bram avoided his eyes. “Go and find her before someone with half a brain in their heads sees what you just let get away."
Bram scowled, two high spots of colour in his cheeks as he got to his feet. He hesitated for a moment, opening his mouth to speak, and then closed it again as he noted the look Corin was giving him. Giving a huff of frustration, he hurried from the room.
The Darkest Night Page 43