Page 131 of Enchanted Heir
“I know,” I whispered from around my glass.
Keir slid around Molly to the other side of her so he could whisper to me, “Is it some sort of power play?”
“The cards?” I asked, only briefly looking at his blue eyes that were so different from his brother’s. I wasn’t sure how anyone could ever mistake one brother for the other even if they were twins.
“Yes.”
I nodded aggressively. “Of course it is.”
“For my father or Krew?” he asked.
He should probably stop whispering to me or people would start talking again. The whispers about Molly and I had barely died down as it was. “Both. Your father wants to parade me around whilst making Krew think he approves of me.”
Keir let out a long sigh. “Long night, Renna, I’m afraid.”
“Well,” Renna said as she turned toward me. “You take them down, Jorah. You make them rue the day they thought they could best you.”
Her faith in me made me catch my breath. “It’s too bad I haven’t taught you two that game also, or we could have taken them down together.”
Molly added, “It’s fine. Destroy them, Jorah. Clean the floor with their souls.” She paused. “Too far?”
I burst out laughing.
“Entirely too far,” Keir laughed.
Renna gestured with her head toward the bathroom, and I nodded. We should give Keir and Molly some time alone.
“We’re going to walk the room and use the lavatory,” Renna smiled.
I smiled at them both, and we spun to leave.
I felt a hand on my arm as I was tugged back. “I know you’ve had a rough week, Jorah. Be careful. And I’m here if you guys need me.”
Just beyond his head, I saw Krew’s in the distance. He’d seen it, probably thinking the worst.
I first smiled at Krew beyond him, hoping that anyone watching would notice. Then I switched my attention back to Keir. “Thanks, Keir.” I didn’t loathe him. I didn’t wish him unwell. Any hard feelings I had about Keir had been emptied the night I decided to leave his Assemblage. The night I had decided I deserved better.
And I had better.
There were no regrets.
Krew came up alongside me an hour later, lazily trailing his hand down my back. I turned toward him, Renna and I in the middle of a discussion about the upcoming Winter Solstice celebration.
“We are going to dismiss the Assemblages now that everyone else is filing out. Then the cards will start up.”
“Where?” Renna asked.
“Here,” was his answer.
“Thank Gods,” Renna sighed. “At least it isn’t anywhere near his wing.”
I hadn’t even considered that, but now I was also glad.
“Renna, dear,” he asked, holding his arm out for her. “Shall we?”
I noted across the room there were a ton of eyes on us as the Savaryn families readied to leave. Renna and I were friends. Also the presumed frontrunners of Krew’s.
Wanting away from the watchful eyes, I made my way back over to my window. I had survived most of the night so far, but now I was going to be placed at a table with the king and forced to play nice for however many hours.
