Page 74 of The Evernight Court

The soundof the doors closing behind me echoed in my head.

I was still shaking, but when Romin finally took us into his office, closed the doors with a wave of a hand, and produced his precious wine on the table with another, it got worse.

The reality of the situation dawned on me all of a sudden.

Valentine was gone. Romin had banished him.

And now I was all alone with him in his office again.

“You certainly have my attention, Fall. Come. Sit down.” His wings folded and disappeared on his back, right in front of my eyes, and then he sat at the head of his table and waved for me to sit near him. “Let’s have some wine and perhaps you can tell me why the moment you come to my Isle, two of my brothers get banished within a month. Please—do me the honor.” And again, he waved at the chair and the glass of wine he’d summoned with his magic for me, while he slowly sipped on his own.

I sat, only because I doubted I’d be able to stand for much longer. My body was so, so weak.

“Tell me, then,” Romin said. “Tell me—and drink your damn wine.”

“No, thank you.” My mouth was so fucking dry.

Valentine is gone.

My God, what the hell is happening here?!

“Why not?” Romin said, and his voice was strained, like he was trying to keep himself calm, to keep his tone down.

“Because I haven’t eaten in a day.”

I figured that would get him off my back, but then he waved that fucking hand again.

“Let me see what they have in the kitchen, then. I told you I would be at your service, didn’t I?”

Before the minute was over, magic was fading away from the air, and I had four different dishes in front of me on the table. Meat and salads and vegetables and rice and perfectly sliced pieces of bread.

As if on cue, my stomach growled, and Romin heard it.

“There. Now eat. Andtalk—what did you mean out there in the garden?”

I looked up at him, trying to decide whether it was a good idea to eat right now.

On the one hand, there was a good chance I would throw it all back up again if I did. On the other, there was an even better chance that I’d pass out soon if I didn’t.

“Exactly what I said,” I whispered, reaching for the smallest slice of bread in the basket. “Valentine has been trying to get you to banish him since he first tried to kill me.”

I thought for sure he’d laugh in my face exactly like he’d done when I came to warn him about Genevieve. And Romin thought about it. He thought about laughing and mocking me and calling me a damn liar, but in the end, he decided he wanted to hear more.

So, he leaned back in his chair and sipped his wine, his unblinking eyes on me as I slowly chewed on the bread.

“Explain,” he ordered.

And I did.

“He took me to Faeries’ Aerie through the mirror in the mirror room that night of the Blood Call. He told me that the ring Genevieve had given me would make me undetectable to the curse, and I’d be able to slip out unnoticed. Needless to say, he lied.”

“Yes, I’ve heard that before,” he said, irritated already.

“I am not done,” I said because if he kept interrupting me, I wasn’t going to get to the end of it. I’d fucking lose it before I did.

Romin raised his brows, but I didn’t give him the chance to speak again. If he had something to say to me, he would have to wait until the end of my story.

“While in the Aerie, I found out that if I did leave, it would be his responsibility, and he’d get banished for it. At that point I had no idea that the ring didn’t really work. I just thought he was sacrificing himself for me—so I returned. That is the first time Valentine tried to get banished.” I’d just been too naive to see it then. “The second time was when he challenged Grey, knowing he’d lose. He hoped Grey would demand you banish him when he won, but Grey didn’t. He let them both stay.” BecauseI’dwanted him to. Because I’d begged him to not go to that challenge at all.

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