Page 3 of Wilds of Wonder
I’d frequented the same parties and dinners and balls as him over the years, had thought about formally introducing myself, but in the end, what was there to say? If I was going to speak with Maverick Von Lucas, I wanted to be able to show him who I was, who I wanted to be. I wanted to speak with him about history and his groundbreaking discoveries—my own discoveries.
But I wouldn’t be able to do any of that tonight. Not without revealing far too much about myself and my secrets. So instead, I spent the night lurking close enough that I could hear his stories but far enough that I wouldn’t catch his attention.
Then he left, and so did my chance of speaking with him.
It was for the best.
Meanwhile, the party droned on. Three exhausting hours of nodding along to inane chatter, smiling as others complimented my red silk dress, the pearls around my neck, laughing at my husband’s jokes, most of which were made at my expense.
He stood next to me now, arm wound around my back, fingers digging into my skin. “You’d think for someone who attended the Academy of Ladies, Emory would be a little better at planning these events, but my Emory’s mind is so often somewhere else, I’m surprised she even remembered to show up.”
Everyone standing around us laughed, though I heard the edge to my husband’s words. I’d done something wrong. I wasn’t sure what, but I’d no doubt hear about it later. He’d never physically hurt me, probably because he suspected if he dared hit me, I’d fight back. But he didn’t need to. His harsh words, his constant displeasure, was enough of a punishment, enough to keep me in line.
Well, mostly. He thought he kept me in line, which was all that really mattered.
He wasn’t incorrect about my mind often being somewhere else. Right now, my hand itched to take the ring I’d stolen out of my pocket and study it. To add it to my collection of artifacts and stay up late into the night trying to piece together its history.
“Lord Growley, have you had a chance to speak with the frost queen after that disaster at the conclave?” a woman next to my husband said. I believed she was a council member for the frost court.
My husband glowered, running a hand over his bald head. “Not yet. I have a lot of damage control to do.”
He hadn’t told me about this. To be fair, he didn’t tell me about anything, but this seemed big. The new king of the water court, King Maledonan, had called a conclave. The first conclave in sixty years. He’d claimed he had dire news and all the leaders of the courts must convene to discuss it. Everyone was abuzz about it.
A mysterious power was rising in the shadow court: a shadow king who wanted revenge on all the other courts for banishing the shadow elementals to their little island sixty years ago. This shadow king was wreaking havoc, kidnapping boys, taking their shadows, and the watercourt wanted to do something about it, wanted all the courts involved to fight this emerging threat before it became something we couldn’t handle.
“What happened with the frost queen?” I asked, giving the woman a polite smile while my husband’s lip curled.
She flipped her long red hair over her shoulder. “Did you not tell your wife, Lord Growley?” She tsked. “The frost queen stormed out of the conclave. We don’t know why yet, just that she left early and refused to listen to anything the other rulers had to say.”
What a fool. This shadow king could be a serious threat, and if there was anything I’d learned from studying history, it was that war was inevitable, and those who were in denial were usually on the losing side. We needed to be prepared. I turned to say something, but one of our guests began playing the white piano situated in the corner of the room, and everyone dispersed, gathering around and listening to the melody.
I made to move, but my husband’s arm curled tightly around my back, his voice dropping to a low murmur. “You didn’t tell me you invited an ambassador from the earth court, nor the sky princess’s new captain of the guard.”
My brows shot up at that. So that’s why he’d made the jab. He was angry I’d invited someone he hadn’t approved of. Except... I didn’t. I didn’t even know any ambassadors from the earth court, not well enough to invite them here. And the princess of the sky court... I’d only had a few interactions with her.
“You’ve embarrassed me, wife.” His voice cut through me, and I winced. “I didn’t even know their names when they arrived. They had to introduce themselves. Driscoll Bayliss and Leoni Andora?”
I stilled. Wait. I did know them. I’d hosted them in our home in the sky court without my husband’s knowledge. I’d helped them on a mission that, if my husband found out about, would be the end of me. But that had been months ago.
Now they were here. In my home in the frost court. Blood and frost. I needed to speak with them before they did something stupid, before they said too much, revealed too much, to my husband.
I unwound his arm from my waist. “Apologies, my lord. I met them both in the sky court and invited them here last minute. It slipped mymind to mention it, but I thought you’d be pleased to have an ambassador here from the earth court so you can make a connection with Queen Liliath.” I bit my lip. “And the princess of the sky court suggested Leoni come and get acquainted with you. The princess must already have her eye on you as one of her valued ambassadors.”
He peered at me with his beady eyes, and my heart hammered. I hoped he’d buy that explanation, that it would soften his temper.
He patted his round belly, then gave a stiff nod and gestured to Leoni and Driscoll, who both stood near the entryway. “Well, go speak to your guests, then. And make sure to apologize for your blunder. I want to make a good impression on Queen Liliath and Princess Poppy, as you well know.”
Of course he did. That was all he cared about: his reputation.
I bit back a retort and plastered a smile on my face. “Yes, my lord.”
He spun on his heel and strode toward the piano, joining the rest of the party.
I hurried toward Driscoll and Leoni. Driscoll ran a hand over his coiled black hair, snowflakes melting on his desert-hued skin. Leoni barely reached his chest, her pale skin flushed pink, her red-gold hair in the same tight bun it had been the last time I saw her.
“Typically when you come to a party, it’s because you’ve been invited,” I said as I approached them, my smile wide and welcoming, the opposite of my words.
Leoni winced while Driscoll just smirked. “At least offer us a drink,” he said. “Spirits know I could use some alcohol.”
