Page 51 of A Storm in Every Heart
Daemon shakes his head. “Absolutely not.”
“You sound well-versed in racing.”
Daemon shrugs. “I usually play cards, but I’ve been known to attend a race from time to time. I know that a horse is only as good as his rider, and I saw the jockey drinking his weight in wine at dinner last night. Anyway, Thorne will probably bet on that horse.”
Kastian’s eyes flash with interest. “So what?”
“So, I’d like nothing better than to see him lose,” Daemon says irreverently. “I can’t bet on the same horse; it would go against my principles.”
Kastian laughs. “Fair enough, Thorne is an ass.” He looks sideways at Daemon and me. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have said that.”
Daemon grins so widely you’d think he’d never been happier in his entire life. “No, not at all. Please do.”
Kastian chuckles, then looks more closely at Daemon as if seeing him for the first time. “You don’t care for your future king, then?”
My stomach jolts as I remember that Prince Kastian has met King Florian, and probably isn’t blind or stupid enough not to realize that Daemon looks exactly like him.
Daemon opens his mouth, but before he can say something stupid—something that could get him killed—I stomp on his foot. “We don’t have any opinions about the royal family. It’s not really our place to comment.”
Kastian’s gaze immediately flicks to me. “Oh, is that so? You seemed to have a lot of opinions on royalty last night, Lady Odessa.”
“I told you, I’m not a lady,” I snap.
“But you’re her brother, right?” he asks Daemon.
Daemon shrugs. “In every way that counts, but technically we’re cousins. Dessa is from the non-noble side of the family.”
“The better side,” I blurt out before I can stop myself.
Daemon nods. “Can’t really argue with that.”
Prince Kastian looks vaguely intrigued, but doesn’t comment on it further.
“Which horse is your favorite to win?” Kastian asks.
It takes me a moment of silence to realize that he’s talking to me. I look up at him, and do my best to maintain a neutral expression. “I’m not betting.”
Prince Kastian grins and if I didn’t know better, I’d say he was pleased that I answered him. But I do know better, and I’m sure that can’t be what he’s thinking.
“Should I assume you prefer cards too, then?” he asks.
I shake my head. “I don’t gamble. I don’t have any money.”
“Yes, you do,” Daemon corrects, looking embarrassed.
“No,youhave money, but I don’t. If I bet on the race, you’ll have to pay for it, so why don’t you just keep the betting between yourselves and leave me out of it?”
“Which horse would you choose if you were to bet?” Kastian asks.
I look over at the riders. The race is about to start, and they’re all maneuvering into place at the starting line. I wish I knew something about horses, but unfortunately, I don’t. If this were a boat race, it would be a different matter. I survey all the horses, and eventually, my eyes settle on a gray one in the middle. Its coat appears nearly white as it shimmers in the sunlight.
“The white one,” I say finally.
Kastian looks over at me. “Why did you pick that one?”
I shrug. “I’ve always liked beautiful things.”
He nods, looking pensive. “You’ve beaten me to it then. That horse is named Sirensong, and it would have been my choice.”
