Page 49 of Tall Dark and Evil

Delight dances in her dark amber eyes. "Now, that's my girl. Was it the pretty prince? Oh, please, say it was."

As expected, she's heard of my entanglement with Reiks. "It's not what you think," I assure her with a sigh. "I owe him a debt, and I'm repaying him. There's nothing between us."

"Mmhmm." She holds my gaze, her eyes flashing red. "Your mother's quite worried. She wanted me to send the hounds after you when you didn't turn up last night. Do a better job of keeping my granddaughter updated in the future, yes?"

I feel about two inches tall. "Sorry, I was preoccupied. I told Mar I wouldn't come home. I expected she'd relay the message."

"And she did. Do you believe Estelle was appeased by a secondhand account?"

Properly chastised, I look down. "Sorry, Valina. It won't happen again."

She pushes off against the wall, moving with her usual unsettling grace. "Good. Now give me a hug, great-granddaughter, dear." She makes a point of using titles with me to remind me, again and again, that to her, I'm just as much a member of her family as those sharing her blood. She doesn't need to. She's proven she considers me one of hers with her years of patience and love. I appreciate it all the same.

I let her wrap her bronze arms around my shoulders. She's much shorter than me, but her grip is so strong.

It doesn't feel the same today, but still,I am home.

CHAPTERTWENTY-THREE

THE ROYAL PRIDE

Reiks

Standing at the window, hands hooked behind my back,I watch her leave, both amused and frustrated. I knew what I was signing up for when I chose Alis Frejr, but her defiance is no less frustrating.Life would be considerably smoother if everyone could simply do as I say at all times.

Most people ultimately hate making decisions, so they procrastinate until the last second and rush into whatever seems easiest at the time, instead of looking far enough in the future. Alis is doubly guilty of that, because she does her very best to stay exactly where she is in life. She's scared of evolving. Scared of what she might become if she lets herself grow.

Tough luck,sweetheart. The decision was taken out of your hands the moment I met you.

She'd be pissed if she knew when that was. If she knew how long I've watched her, or that I calculated everything to ensure she'd collide with me that day.

She forced my hand, in a way. Things could have been much simpler for her and me. If she'd accepted that she was Alis Frejr, one of the two hundred and seven members of the most influential clan in the mortal part of Xhera, and acted as such, I would have made difference choices. We would have met at a royal ball, and I would have asked her to dance. I would have seduced her and made her believe she had a choice in her future. But unlike her cousins, Alis doesn't attend parties. She doesn't sit on the international council, to hear what's decided for the fate of the entire world. She doesn'texist.

I'm partially glad of that. The unrest is growing too serious. I wouldn't want herschmoozing with politicians when there are so many attacks.

Zale joins me at the window and smirks as we watch her practically run to her dorm. "Ah, the future queen of Anderkan. Is she aware of the fact that she’s replaced dear Blythe yet?"

I shrug. "Kinda. She thinks it's temporary."

My oldest friend chuckles. "She'll figure it out at the wedding, with a bit of luck."

I raise one eyebrow and echo his question. "How about your future queen? Still in denial?"

His eyes flash. "Don't be ridiculous. She'scommon."

I smile to myself, not bothering to tell him that if he knew exactly to whom I referred, he might well have her ring finger sized.

Zale changes the subject, as he usually does when anyone mentions the redhead who's proved herself a thorn in his side all term. "How is Blythe, by the way? Recovering well?"

I incline my head, anger still stabbing in my chest every time I think about what happened to her. What could have happened.

Blythe and I were always close. We met when I was six, and the first thing she told me was that she wasn't marrying me. Almost twenty years later, she never wavered. I couldhavetied the knot; she's pretty enough, and good company, but she's never wanted me. We were fourteen when she told me why: I'mreallynot her type.

Neither of our parents cared one lick about our opinions on the matter, but as we grew older, we devised a plan. We've both been putting money aside for years to prepare for her exit. She wasn't supposed to tragically die until next year, once we were both done at Five, but the attack at the start of the year was an opportunity we couldn't pass up.

The rebels were going for me, not her, and being the beautiful, selfless soul that she is, she placed herself in the path of a bullet that would have hit my heart. It pierced her shoulder, close to her artery.

It was touch and go for her for a while, but with Zale and Rovan's help, we managed to stabilize her. Then I took her frozen body to the castle and entombed her in my mausoleum. Getting her out of there took no small amount of cunning and subterfuge, but we managed.

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