Page 69 of Ira

“You have visitors in the entrance hall. Theon, the Duke of Lindow, and Verity, the Duchess of Lindow.” I don’t think I imagined the exasperation in the staff member’s voice when they spoke. From what I gathered, there were plenty of other dukes and duchesses in the shadow realm, but only Verity and Theon actually insisted onusingthe titles. They really were a match made in heaven.

“Oh, right. Thanks. Iris—do you want to come with me?” I asked guiltily, acutely aware that I still hadn’t told her the whole truth about what had happened in the human realm. Then again, maybe now wasn’t the time—maybe Moriah Nash would escape from the fallout unscathed, and I would have worried Iris for nothing.

Or I was just a coward. Or both. Maybe my journey to being assertive and confident and speaking my mind wasn’t a perfectly linear one.

“No, thank you. I’m expecting a visit from Orabelle soon.”

“The king’s mother?” I asked, surprised. “I didn’t realize you two were close.”

Iris laughed. “I’m not sure we are, but she keeps coming back. I think she enjoys my company more than she’s willing to admit.”

I smiled in spite of myself. “Of course she is. You’re incredible company. I’ll visit you again later.”

“That would be nice, thank you.”

To my surprise, Verity and Theon hadn’t made use of one of the private drawing rooms at the palace, but were instead waiting in the foyer where everyone could see them, seemingly reveling in the confused looks they were getting.

“There you are!” Verity said, striding over to me in baby pink stilettos that clipped on the stone floor with each step, and pulling me into a hug. “Sorry it’s taken me so long to come to the rescue, news travels slowly to Lindow. Or it does when Damen is responsible for delivering it, at least.”

“Come to the rescue?” I repeated, having to tip my head back to meet her eye when she was in heels that high.

“Yes, darling. We’re off to get your man.”

Theon grumbled something incomprehensible from a few feet away, tapping his foot impatiently.

“My… man?”

“Verner—he’s your man, no?”

“He’s not aman, Verity,” Theon sighed irritably. “I wish you wouldn’t use such deeply offensive terms to describe my fellow Shades.”

“Fine, fine. Verner is yourShade, isn’t he? Ugh, it just doesn’t have the same ring to it.”

“I… Um. Well, I don’t know,” I admitted. “I thought he was. But I don’t know where he is, and I haven’t heard from him. And I kind of told him that I couldn’t be the sort of partner he needed—”

“What on earth did you say that for? Why couldn’t you? Oh my god, Meera, you two have been giving each other puppy dog eyes almost since we arrived in the shadow realm. He isobsessedwith you. You’re more low-key, so I don’t know what the hell is going through your head most of the time, but I feel like the obsession was pretty mutual.”

“It was. It is.”

“Then why the hesitation?” She threw her hands up in exasperation. “Hunt that man—sorry, honey. ThatShade—down and wife him up. Shake that bare neck in his face and make it happen, boo.”

I laughed at the visual, having forgotten how absurd Verity could be, and she grinned smugly.

“Yeah? Is that a yes? Are we going?” she pressed, nudging my shoulder. “Do you want to change first?”

I hadn’t wanted to, but now I did. I guessed I could put in a little more effort. My t-shirt had a tea stain on the hem from breakfast.

“Okay. Yeah, okay. And yes, I’ll change. But I don’t even know where he is.”

“I do,” she replied, crossing her arms and giving me a self-satisfied grin.

“Actually,Ido,” her husband corrected.

Verity rolled her eyes. “What’s yours is mine, babycakes—including all the gossip in your brain. Wait here while we get ready. We’ll be back in a minute.”

Theon slunk over to the wall, obediently leaning against it with his arms crossed. They were an unconventional couple, but there was no denying that it worked.

We’d only made it around the first corner toward my room when we came face-to-face with the Bishop sisters, and Ophelia’s bodyguard, Levana. Only Astrid looked somewhat pleased to see me—which was weird in itself, sincepleasedwasn’t an expression Astrid usually wore.

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