Page 54 of Royal Rising

“Quite the crowd you’ve got here tonight.”

“Yeah.”

“Is that all you have to say? Half your staff is out there dancing with those they are supposed to be serving, and all you can say is yeah?”

I look Mathias up and down. “Yeah. Want a beer? Is that the problem?”

“There’s no problem.”

“Then why aren’t you out there dancing with Edie?”

Mathias has the gall to sniff at the thought, like something here is beneath him. I don’t know if it’s my place or those enjoying themselves… or Edie…

I don’t like it.

Granted, the sight of Edie dancing does that thing to my stomach, but honestly… she’s not the best dancer. Top marks for enthusiasm but she’s always lacked some rhythm. She loves to dance, but when the place becomes an impromptu dance club, Edie might take one turn around the floor and come back to her customary spot behind the bar.

She’s about a half beat behind Kate but still going strong. It’s a while since I’ve seen her let loose like this.

It wipes all the bad thoughts away.

Except that Mathias is right here and if I wait long enough, he’s going to say something to get meannoyed again.

I watch him watching Edie, and there’s no smile of appreciation on his face. There’s no admiration. He looksbland, handsome but bland like he’s wearing a Mathias Halloween mask.

There’s no way he should be watching Edie without even any expression on his face.

I won’t allow it.

I wait for a response, but all he gives me is the sniff.

“Seems to me that when a man is interested in a woman, he shows her he’s interested,” I say, moving behind the taps.

And I pour him a pint of honey mead to keep him at the bar. It’s obvious if he even thinks about wading into that mass of dancers, he’d lose his beer sooner than he could smile hello at Edie.

“It’s not my style of music,” he says, accepting the glass and staying right where he is.

Style of music? I might not enjoy females wailing aboutgetting him backandnot hooking up,but when I see a woman alone on the dance floor clearly in want of a partner…

“Good thing it’s mine,” I tell him with a wolfish grin. “Yell if you need me,” I say to Tyler, happily mixing drinks for a couple of just-nineteen-year-olds, their hair damp from the rain.

Then I slide into the group on the makeshift dancefloor.

It’s Edie’s playlist, heavy on the female artists and 1990s pop-rock. Kelly Clarkson switches to a cover of Total Eclipse of the Heart and I move beside my sister.

Kate sees me first. “Kalle?”

“Big brother is in the house,” Lyra cheers, arms over her head and shimmying like my sister should not be shimmying. But still, I step up and show her my moves.

I have moves, but mainly they’re used for picking up females, which is to say I should not use them on my sister. But it makes her laugh, and a happy Lyra is good for all.

And it gets me closer to Edie.

Her face breaks into a smile that loosens the knot in my stomach. “You’re back,” she says loudly, glancing toward the bar like she’s looking for someone, her gaze passing right across Mathias standing there looking as out of place as a three-piece suit on a baseball field. “I didn’t think you’d be back,” she admits, raising her voice so I can hear her over the music.

I put my hand on her lower back. “Shouldn’t have left.”

Edie tries to frown but her eyes are dancing. “That good?”

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