Page 64 of The Heir's Bargain

Lukas ignored both of them and turned his attention to me. While his brother's eyes were bright blue, Lukas' were a sea of colors, browns and green and hints of blue depending on the lighting.

Lukas leaned forward. "Are you telling me you're ready to settle down? Only—what?—three or four months ago, you were talking about being with this girl and that girl. Now, you're telling me you've changed?"

The previous buzz from the whiskey disappeared, the accusation sobering me up quicker than an ice bath. My fingers wrapped tightly around the glass. "What's that supposed to mean, Lukas?"

Lukas shrugged, apparently unaware of the shift in my tone; Terin and Riley, however, were not. They both sunk back into their chairs, drinks pressed to their lips. Terin tried to throw his thoughts down the line, but I swatted them away.

Lukas shrugged and split the deck. "Don't get me wrong—I admire you a lot—but you’re not the long-term relationship type. You never have been. There’s always been an end date, always something that prevents you from taking the courtship to the next stage." Lukas began passing out the cards. "Do you really see Dani beside you for the rest of your life?"

Parchment slid across the table as he divvied the cards.

Mine and Dani's courtship might have been fake, but either way, I didn't appreciate whatever Lukas was implying.

"She's been one of my best friends for my entire life. Why would it be any different going forward?"

"But the role she plays will be different. Eventually, Queen Esmeray will step down, and you will take her place. Does Dani wish to be your queen? Have the two of you even had that discussion yet?"

I grabbed my glass and tossed the whiskey back, the liquid burning my throat as it went down. "Shut up and deal the cards."

With the Summer Solstice Ball less than a month away, the ball consumed the council meetings. For the past few weeks, Lord Cunningway had reassured the rest of the council that everything was in order. However, despite his reassurances, the rest of the advisors made him walk through the details of the event—the menu, the itinerary, the entertainment—at today's meeting. All the frivolous details I couldn't have cared less about.

But as they talked, I became painfully aware of two things.

First, my mother hadn't once asked me whom I was attending the ball with. I supposed it was a good sign, for it meant she believed my courtship with Dani was real. But then again, I never felt reassured when my mother didn't bring up something.

Second, I had yet to confirm with Dani that she could accompany me. There was no possible way that she didn't assume that she would be attending it with me. However, I had been so busy that it had slipped my mind to ask her. We mainly saw each other at the tavern at the end of the week—which was quickly becoming my favorite pastime. While I assumed she would accompany me, perhaps it was selfish to think she was available. Her schedule was just as busy as mine, after all.

When I was deciding how to broach the topic, the meeting took a turn for the worse.

After the discussion of the ball concluded, my mother opened the floor to Yelsania, the Royal Seer.

"The future is wrought with danger."

Teacups clattered atop porcelain saucers at the sound of the seer’s voice. The cheerful laughter that had previously filled the room abruptly stopped.

Only a few years older than Terin and me at five and twenty, Yelsania pushed the thinly rimmed thick glasses up the bridge of her nose, her hands trembling slightly.

The seer spent most of her time nose-deep in either books or journals belonging to the former seers. As a result, her alabaster skin rarely saw the light of day. Her skin and paper-white hair were nearly transparent in the sunlight seeping through the large windows.

Although Yelsania had been sitting in the Royal Seer's seat since she had completed her training with the priestesses in the north four years ago, she acted as if every day was her first day among the council. Whenever she spoke, her voice was filled with trepidation and fragility, neither of which bode well for someone on the council. Yet, despite this, her quiet words always sent a creeping prickle crawling up my arms that I could never shake, even hours after the meeting ended.

Seers, especially powerful ones, were rare, and unfortunately, Yelsania wasn’t a particularly strong gift user. Her mental shields were also weak as if she was always too focused on deciphering the visions spinning in her mind. Unlike most people, whose minds were a flurry of words and half-strung sentences, Yelsania's mind was filled with fog-encased images, unfinished scenes, and half-painted portraits.

With no more than a push, I slipped into the young woman's mind.

Burnt oranges and brilliant yellows flashed across her mind. At first, I thought it was the sun setting, but on closer inspection, I knew I was wrong.

Fire. So much fire filled her mind.

I pulled back out, my hand trembling as I put it underneath the table. I sensed Graeson's pointed stare, but I ignored him, turning my attention to the advisors.

"Do you know a specific date for when this future will take place, Yelsania?" Menides asked.

The seer shook her head. "My visions still remain. . .uncertain," she said, sinking in her seat.

Graeson groaned. "What is the point of sharing them then?"

Pain laced the creases in Yelsania’s pale skin as if she had been slapped.

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