Page 13 of Only Hard Problems

I arched an eyebrow. “I’m a bad option? What a wonderful compliment. I can honestly say no one has ever called me that before.”

She rolled her eyes. “Could you try to be serious for one moment?”

“Ah, but there’s nothing more serious than a dance with you, Lady Asterin. The mere endeavor isfraughtwith peril. Especially given our audience.”

I tilted my head to the side, and she tracked the motion over to Rigel, who was standing beside Beatrice. The two of them had raised their punch glasses to their lips to hide their conversation, but no doubt it revolved around Asterin and me and how soon they could shackle us together.

Asterin muttered a rather colorful curse and glowered in their direction, her silver eyes sparking with heat. Ah, so some hidden fire was buried deep inside the ice queen. What other secrets was she keeping? A surprising urge filled me to uncover them all, even if such an endeavor would only bring more trouble into my already troubled life.

As a Regal lord, and especially as an Arrow, I was good at sizing people up, at figuring out what they wanted, how far they would go to reach their objective, and how much misery they would cause me along the way. Most people fell into three categories: tentative allies, obvious enemies, or dangerous threats to eliminate immediately. So far, Asterin had avoided all my attempts to figure out which one she truly was, which further annoyed me.

I spun Asterin around and away, then drew her back toward me. The motion surprised her, and she stumbled forward. Her hands landed on my shoulders, her fingers digging into my back as she steadied herself.

“It’s a good thing you aren’t wearing mechanical claws like some of the Erzton Hammers are fond of donning in battle,” I drawled. “Or I would be sporting some very deep scratches.”

“If my nails were that sharp, I wouldn’t waste time scratching you,” Asterin cooed right back at me. “I’d go for a quick, decisive slice across your neck.”

“You would actually cut my throat and murder me on the dance floor?” I grinned. “How delightfully vicious. Although you’d get blood all over your lovely gown.”

She shrugged one shoulder. “A little blood would be worth putting an end to you and this sham of an engagement our families are trying to force us into.”

Perhaps I was going about this the wrong way. Perhaps Asterin and I could help each other—and then never have to see each other again.

“There is a way for you to be free of me, and for me to also get what I want.”

Asterin regarded me with a wary expression. “What are you proposing?”

Proposing?The mere mention of the word made me shudder with revulsion, but I kept my voice light and cheerful. “I will tell my grandmother that I will never marry you, no matter what she threatens.”

Her expression sharpened. “And in return?”

I gave her my most charming smile. “And in return, all you have to do is tell me where Vesper and Kyrion are.”

Her face remained calm, but her fingers dug into my back again. So shedidknow where they were. Excellent. Now all I had to do was pry the information out of her.

“Let me get this straight. You will fight any potential engagement or alliance with my family if I rat out Vesper and Kyrion?” She shook her head. “You really think I’ll give in to your petty blackmail? You really think I’ll betray my friends just to get whatIwant? You’re even more of a callous, clueless jackass than I thought.”

I shrugged off her insults. “It’s neither blackmail nor a betrayal. You wish to be free of me, and I want to complete my Arrow mission. It’s a win-win.”

Her mouth gaped, and she stared at me like I was some vile villain she had never encountered before. Then anger sparked in her gaze, making her eyes glint as brightly as the stars above. Disgust surged off her and punched into my chest like a red-hot hammer.

“You’re despicable!” she hissed.

“Despicable but effective.”

Asterin’s jaw snapped shut. She dug her fingers even deeper into my back, and for a moment, I thought she might shove me away, or slap me, or both. Then her fingers relaxed, and she tilted her head to the side, studying me as though she was trying to suss out my secrets the same way I was trying to uncover hers. “Whatareyou going to do about Vesper and Kyrion?”

“You didn’t answer my question.”

“You didn’t answer mine,” she retorted.

We glared at each other. All around us, the other Regals kept dancing. Asterin and I followed their movements, our steps and bodies stiff with anger.

After several seconds of mutual glowering silence, I huffed out a breath. “I will do exactly what I told you, Tivona, and Leandra. I will find Vesper and Kyrion and bring them back to Corios.”

“You know, after you let Kyrion wound you during the midnight ball so he and Vesper could escape from the throne room, I thought there might be a teeny-tiny sliver of decency buried deep, deep,deepdown inside you.” Asterin shook her head again. “But there’s no hope for you, is there, Zane?”

“Decidedly not,” I chirped. “Especially since I have no idea what you’re talking about. Kyrion wounded me fair and square, and I plan to return the favor and gut him like a guppy the next time I see him.”

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