Page 281 of Night's Fall
“For goodness sakes,”Isnapped.
“He’s going to end things with her after theMasque.Butconsidering the current climate, he didn’t want to do it before.”
“Good call,”Ibit off.
“I sense some guilt, becauseTimthinks what he did toErrolset him on this course.”
And another mark in the good column, an indication thatTimotheecould consider his actions and their ramifications.
Even so.
“I refuse to condone his behavior, but sadly, the truth is, until they learn better, boyswillbe boys.Thething is, he did the same to you, and you didn’t turn intoErrol.Sothat’s onErrol, not onTimothee.”
“Precisely whatIsaid to him.”
“Did he listen?”
“Maybe,” he murmured, and his eyes wandered, to his brother no doubt, butIdidn’t check because he kept talking. “Ithought they were close.IthinkTimthought they were too.He’staking this hard.”
“Of course he is, honey.I’mstunned all of you are doing so well.I’dbe a mess.”
Aleksei returned his attention to me, and there was surprise in it. “Youwould?”
“Undoubtedly.”
“Well, love,Ihate to point this out since you seem so sure, but itdidhappen to you.Youbore the brunt of it.Andthere you stand, entirely too fuckable in that dress and those shoes, chatting with your females and being nothing but the wonders that are you.”
I felt my eyes get round.
ThenIsmacked his arm and sniped, “Haveyou not learned not to say marvelous things and get me all emotional whenIcan’t do something carnal to pay you back for the compliment?”
He adjusted me to his side, his gaze again moving to the room, as he murmured, “Youcan pay me back for the compliment later.”Hegave my waist a squeeze. “Thoroughly.”
He’d barely finished his last word when a throat clearing could be heard.
It was the king.
“If you would all accompany me outside,” he said.
We were in the room with the balconyAleksei, the king andIhad gone out on the night we lostAntheme.Theroom was bigger, slightly more formal, and nowIrealized we were there because of whatever this was.
We set our drinks aside and followed the king out.
The air was super chill soAlekseiheld me close.
I watched the king move to the balustrade, look down and nod.
And thenIwatched thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands of tiny drone lights lift into the air and head out to sea.
Once there, they danced, they whirled, reflecting off the cloud cover, glistening on the sea.Andthey did this a long time.
It was gorgeous.
At first,Ithought this demonstration was a show for our distinguished guests, and a bonus for the population ofNocturn.Asurprise treat from thePalacethe night before theMasque.
ThenIrealized this preliminary light show was to get attention before the real purpose came clear.
AndIwas in the position of fighting emotion again, this time,Idid it curling intoAleksei’swarm, solid side and pressing close even as his arm tightened at my waist.
