Page 33 of The Lord of Whispers

Rhett would also brush off my efforts to pay, jokingly referring to his money as being “Daddy’s money,” even though I knew damn well that Rhett had his own ventures and his own money.

The truth was, I rarely had to pay for anything anymore. I was almost always with Luke or Rhett or Jay. Jay had provided me with more than I’d ever needed or wanted and insisted that I use his account, and not my personal account, any time I was out. I didn’t even know how much money I had in my personal account at the local bank, consisting of my savings from before arriving at the High Court and almost the entirety of my wages earned since coming to the High Court.

“I thought for sure you’d still be up at the Court… Perhaps still in bed,” I quipped, setting the three tall lagers down at the table.

“Nah, baby. We have that party tonight, so I’m shirking all my High Court obligations until then,” Rhett responded, reminding me of the party that night at Lord Preston’s.

I ignored his sweet talk. He was always calling me “baby” or “doll” or some droll. I hardly even noticed it anymore.

“Who do you have lined up tonight?” Rhett asked Luke.

“Al’s my date tonight. Aren’t you, Al?” Luke joked, taking a sip from his mug and then running his hand through his light-brown hair.

Luke didn’t need to say it. I was always his “date” to High Court events because our respective liaison and counselor roles for House Vitruvian landed us there. We’d spent countless days and nights together, sharing breakfast, lunch, brunch, tea, dinner, after-dinner drinks, and everything in between. Rhett had spent a fair amount of time with us at the High Court as well, although not as much because he often shirked his High Court duties.

“Al, baby, I thought you were going to be my date?” Rhett jested.

“I’ll be both of your dates if you promise to save me from having to dance with anyone else,” I retorted.

It was very common for Luke and me to dance the night away so that I could avoid awkward invitations to dance from other lords. I didn’t mind talking to, or even flirting with, the other lords. I’d gotten quite good at the casual flirting that came with the games of the High Court. But I hated dancing with anyone but Luke or Rhett. We often saved each other from unwanted invitations to dance… or to go home for the night. And then I would end up with Luke and Rhett by the end of most nights. We would migrate toward each other and any dates the boys had could join or not.

“I don’t mind sharing,” Luke said, wagging his eyebrows at me. “You have yourself a deal!” he continued, a smile spreading across his face, like this was some kind of new deal and wasn’t what we did for each other already.

“As long as you help me dodge my father,” Rhett said.

“He currently has a stick up his ass named Cassian Davante,” Rhett continued.

“What did you say?” I asked, jerking my head toward Rhett and almost spitting out my beer.

“You know,Don Davante, how the lesser fae in the north have started to unite, boycotts, shortages, not going to work, leaving their towns to join others near House Dumont. Keep up, baby,” Rhett teased like I’d hit my head and forgotten about the current events of the Court.

“Yeah, yeah. I know all of that, Rhett. But what did you say the don’s first name was?” I asked eagerly.

“Don Cassian Davante,” he repeated. “Some lesser fae with Lord Dumont’s House. A serious motherfucker built like a brick shithouse, I hear,” Rhett replied with a laugh.

I was dumbfounded. Don Davante couldn’t be Cass. He just couldn’t be. Notmy Cass. There were a million Davantes in this world. It was a common surname, which was why it had never crossed my mind that Don Davante could possibly be Cassian Davante. It also seemed unfathomable that my childhood best friend was the man behind all of the High Court’s recent troubles.

“You know him?” Rhett asked, his handsome brows furrowed.

“Yeah,” I whispered in disbelief. “I think so.”

“How?” Rhett and Luke both exclaimed, mimicking each other.

“He’s… He was my best friend back home.”

* * * *

I usually fared pretty well on the short walk between the Court and downtown Vlaise, but my feet were absolutely killing me as Luke and I walked back to the High Court that evening. Rhett decided to stay back at the bar and avoid the High Court a little bit longer.

“I love these heels but, damn it if they aren’t just torture devices posing as really cute shoes,” I lamented.

“Then why did you wear them to walk into town, genius?” Luke teased.

“So, I can see past your belly button,genius,” I retorted.

Luke was over a foot taller than me.

“If I get blisters, I’m hosed for the party tonight,” I groaned. “I’ll be lucky to be able to stand in my heels, much less dance.”

---