Page 56 of Blood On His Lips

As she spoke, I breathed as silently as possible to ensure she didn’t notice my existence and take offense to it. Deep rooted instinct reminded me that there were not only Old Ones in our universe, but Ancients.

“My father is content to remain back and call the fog?” Renaud asked. “He indulges you. I hadn’t expected such melodrama from him at his age.”

This time I did wince. I wanted to ask if he was certain that was the tone he should take with his mother, especially since he had the nerve to criticize someone else’s streak of melodrama.

She lifted her shoulders. “It affords us privacy for our discussion.” She shifted her gaze to me.

Renaud stepped in front of me smoothly.

“Oh, come, youngling. Will you refuse to introduce me to your companion?”

“Introductions are unnecessary.”

“And will she continue to hide behind you and allow you to speak for her? Such a prettily behaved young girl.”

I sucked in a breath through my teeth, understanding the silky, backhanded girlspeak for the insult and challenge that it was. I should have done the smart thing and stayed behind Renaud. I should’ve done the smart thing and stayed behind Renaud and pretended as if I didn’t exist.

I stepped from behind the Prince, proving again that I didn’t always do the smart thing.

I bowed, executing the obeisance as flawlessly as any I had ever given her son, if not more so. “Majesty.”

She waited several moments. “My son?”

He waited another moment, then said, “Queen Nayya of Ninephe, may I present Lady Aerinne Capulette of House Faronne? Of Everenne, my city.”

He stressed the last two words.

“Capulette? I do not know the name.”

“Kuthliele,” I said, carefully pronouncing the name in the old tongue as I’d been taught as a child.

Renaud’s silence took on an edge, but I didn’t understand the mistake I’d made.

Queen Nayya stared at me, her eyes fathomless. “Kuthliele. That name, Idoknow. Who is your mother, child?”

“Muriel Kuthliele.”

“Muriel.” Her gaze flicked to Renaud. “Interesting. And your father?”

I felt as if I was navigating a predator-infested bog while blind. I sensed she already knew who I was. So why pretend otherwise? I hated these kinds of games.

On the heels of that thought, it occurred to me that this was a subtle kindness. The redundant introductions gave me time to compose myself.

“Her father is Regent of her House, and human,” Renaud said. “He is a competent overseer, and I have no complaints with his rule.”

High praise. High praise indeed.

“Human.” Her voice said everything she was thinking.

“You can hardly find fault with that, Mother.”

Something crackled in her eyes, and I almost ducked behind the Prince again, but then she smiled, her expression softening. “Silly child. I am twenty-five thousand years removed from my humanity. The reminder lacks merit. But.”

“Aerinne, step behind me.”

“I am not here to hurt the girl.” Nayya’s eyes flared gold. “Quite the opposite. We have a problem, but there is a smaller problem that must be resolved first.”

I began to step forward, and he grabbed my upper arms, halting me and dragging me back against his chest.

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