Page 24 of Evil Queen

Nathan’s head dropped. “God, I hope not.”

“I’ll ask Alistair about it next time I get the chance,” I said.

Nathan kissed my cheek. “Thank you. Hey, can I give you your gift now?”

My eyes went wide. “You have a gift for me? I thought you were just saying that.”

He scoffed. “No, I’d never tell you I had something for you if I didn’t.” He fished into his pocket and pulled out a silver chain, on the end of which was a translucent, purple crystal. Inside were dozens of white dots that reminded me of stars. “Merry Christmas.”

I grabbed it. “It’s beautiful. What are the dots inside? Just decoration?”

“Nope. Those are stars.” He took the necklace back from me and laced it around my neck. “The stars depict the sky as it was the night we met.”

It knocked me totally off-center. I’d never received such a beautiful gift before. “I love it. Thank you.”

Nathan leaned forward and kissed me. “I love you. I know you’re…struggling with me. I just want you to know that I am trying.”

“I know,” I replied, “but I—”

I was cut off by the sound of a growing commotion and tons of people rushing toward the courtyard doors. Nathan grabbed someone by the arm as he was racing past. “What’s going on?”

“Cherri is about to get into a fight with Stacey Raffe!” he said as he pulled himself from Nathan’s grip and continued following the crowd outside.

“Stacey Raffe?” Nathan mused, looking over at me. “Why would she fight Cherri?”

Stacey Raffe was one of Posting Proper’s rougher brood, someone who had tried on more than one occasion to get me to ditch The Royal Court and join her self-made gang of troublemakers. Being turned down once made her determined, but being turned down twice made her vengeful. She must have been lying low in Deon’s presence as someone who was worth fearing, but with him gone again, she was on the prowl once more.

“No idea,” I replied, “but whatever it is, it cannot be good.”

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