Page 27 of The Courting of Bristol Keats
Glennis’s furry white brows shot up. “Tyghan promised you?”
“Promised to help you find yourfather?” Quin clarified. “Are you certain about that?”
“I know Mr. High and Mighty is disagreeable, but yes, he agreed.”
A grin curled Cully’s mouth. “Did he, now?” The knights exchanged peculiar glances that made Bristol uneasy. Did they doubt her? She had no proof of his promise, nothing in writing like a contract. She doubted he would have given her one anyway, considering his temperament. But he did swear, and that part had seemed genuine.
Kasta shook her head. “No, it’s getting late, and Mugwort Street is in the opposite direction of where we’re going. Besides, Tyghan’s promise, Tyghan’s duty to take you there.”
Glennis chuckled and mumbled, “Mr. High and Mighty.”
“And where would I find Tyghan?” Bristol asked.
“There,” Quin answered, pointing to a spot behind Bristol. She twisted in the saddle and drew a startled breath. With the enormous boulevard trees no longer blocking her view, she gazed up at a sprawling manor high atop a hill. Its massive walls glowed, not just from the setting sun but from within, like it burned with an inner light. It dwarfed every other structure of the city, spreading out over the terraced hillside on several levels. The spires on the top level disappeared into the clouds.
They were what she had spotted in the distance when she first came through the portal.
“What is that place?” she asked.
“The royal palace,” Kasta replied.
“Tyghan lives there?”
“Of course. He’s king of the Danu Nation.”
CHAPTER 20
Decadent ambience rolled across the palace grounds as fae of every persuasion emerged from forest, pond, and palace. Sorcerers strolled through the merriment with watchful eyes, ready to quell any magic fights that might erupt between well-oiled fae who couldn’t hold their brews.
It was the same every night, the carousing lasting until dawn—except for the knights. Their days began at sunup, so they needed a measure of sleep, but most, like Tyghan, didn’t require more than a few hours. New recruits from the mortal world, accustomed to long hours in their beds, didn’t fare so well.
“Look over there,” Glennis said when she spotted Tyghan working his way through a crowd of dancers, scanning the terraces. “Who do you think Mr. High and Mighty is searching for?”
Cully laughed at Tyghan’s newly acquired title. “There were a lot of sparks flying between those two at the inn.”
“Bad ones,” Dalagorn replied.
“I’m not so sure.” Glennis’s head angled slyly. “There was definitelysomethingflying between them.”
Kasta sighed. “It’s like he doesn’t want to lose sight of a poisonous serpent, but wants to keep a safe distance too.”
“With good reason.” Dalagorn downed the last of his ale, foam clinging to his thick upper lip. “Maybe she is a serpent—or worse.”
“That weak little thing?” Glennis shook her head. “Not a trace of magic in that girl. I feel sorry for her. She won’t last long here.”
“And yet,” Kasta mused, “besides gaining valuable art, she managed to wheedle a promise from Tyghan, too. That’s no small feat. I would have loved to watch that negotiation.”
“Looks like she may have her father’s persuasive powers,” Cully agreed.
“Let’s hope she has more than just that,” Kasta said, still weighing the pros, cons, and inherent risks of bringing her to Danu at all. She hoped Eris hadn’t made a colossal mistake. Tyghan had already been bitten by one serpent. He couldn’t afford another. She was Kierus’s daughter after all. And worse, Maire’s.
Tyghan spotted his officers and headed over. Kasta answered his first question before he could ask it. “She’s settled in her room. She refused to come.”
He bit back a curse, remembering Melizan’s comment,That one is trouble. He hated when his sister was right. “She’s not going to eat?”
“She brought food,” Kasta replied. “She’s quite resourceful.”
“Her own food?” Tyghan recalled the small bag she carried over her shoulder. Did she think they wouldn’t feed her?
