Page 49 of Night's Fall
Right to me!
As delicately asIcould,Ishut down his gentle probing about my parents (no wayIwas ready to go there, at least not over beautiful food with a handsome man in a private room).
Truth:I’dprefer never to talk about them.
But although he backed off with grace,Isaw the way his eyes darkened, the tiny pinpricks of stars that came out in the irises, and while this was fascinating, and beautiful, it was also more than a little scary.
To show my gratitude,Ididn’t ask aboutPrincessAnna.
At dessert,SirkParrin,StainedGlass’sfamous chef, showed personally.
This was my favorite part of the night, not only becauseSirkwas a big, brown-haired, friendly, burly bear shifter, but because there was no bowing and scraping or your royal highnesses.
Aleksei andSirkwere, indeed, friends (Sirkwas in their ring ice league).
Good ones.
WhileIlooked on in astonishment, they did a male hug, bumping chests and slapping backs.Sirkeven lightly smackedAleksei’sface affectionately a couple of times after the hug and before he turned to me.
“Ah, look at this female!Thefates have always shined on you,” he announced grandly before he pulled me into, yes, a bear hug.
When he let go, he asked, “Enjoythe meal?”
“Aleksei introduced me toChateauLeBranda few days ago.Yourfood was better,”Ireplied with total honesty.
AfterIsaid that, he swooped me into the side of his bulky body with his arm around my shoulders, turned toAlekseiand declared, “Youcan’t have her, seeing asI’min love with her.”
Aleksei just made a point to stare at his arm around my shoulders, which meantSirkchuckled good-naturedly and let me go.
He sat down and ate dessert with us, whereuponAleksei—continuing to exhibit his prevailing tendencies of being a gentlemale and oftentimes sweet—pulled me into the conversation by talking about the vidsI’dworked on.
Sirk wasn’t a screen or display kind of male, but he had seenSheets, because pretty much everyone of majority age had seen it.Andhe commended me on my ability to design great underwear.
The food was amazing.Sirkwas gregarious and hilarious and welcoming.Thefamous stained glass in the windows was a work of art.Andbeing one of a select few people in four realms to experience a ride in aJetPantherwas a thrill.
But the dinner had been a male and female getting to know each other (okay, it was the female getting to know the male more than the other way around, butIhadn’t had a brief abouthim).
It was tremendously enjoyable.Alekseiwas approachable, forthcoming, attentive.
But it was normal.
Which made it exceptional.
I wasn’t out to dinner withPrinceAleksei, theTrueHeir.
I was out withAleksei, who had friends he let smack his face teasingly, brothers who annoyed him because they were no longer young, but they seemed dedicated to acting like bros for eternity, and opinions he didn’t mind voicing.
He flew wide around thePalace, andIstraight up pressed my nose to the skyscreen at my side in order not to lose sight of its graceful lines, heart-skipping size and architectural beauty, all of it lit, soNocturncould always see the entirety of its stately grace, sitting high on its hill, day or night.
I’d just never seen it that close.
Far away, it was striking.
Up close, it was stunning.
He aimed us toward some buildings on the east side of the island, down the hill from thePalace.Buildingsthat were also old and attractive, but it was clear they had a more utilitarian purpose.
After we landed, as he did when we arrived at the restaurant,Alekseicontained me in the craft until he could help me out of it (and truly,Ineeded his help, my heels were high, and theJetPantherslunglow) by keeping my door closed until he was out and around the craft at my door.
