The figure he spoke to was the tallest out of all of them, and I caught a glimpse of light reflecting off his eyes. Werewolf, I thought. He had tumbling brown hair, a beard, and broad shoulders. Though I had no way of knowing what he wore beneath his cloak, my mind conjured the image of a checkered shirt and an ax, completing the lumberjack look.
The last male walked silently behind us. From the less-than-furtive glances I stole, I noted that his lips were thin, the planes of his cheeks smooth and flat. Dark hair fell to his shoulders in layers, and diamonds gleamed in his earlobes. Faerie, I noted.
For the females, the one walking to my left owned the voice that had been talking about investments earlier, I was sure of it. Pink, the dark-haired male had called her. Her dark eyes were bright with intelligence as they darted around beneath her hood. A splash of color caught my attention, and I glanced down, noting the pretty blue gown that vanished and reappeared with every step through the folds of her cloak. Her black hair was in a long, thick braid. Though her body wasn’t visible, I could see that she was a little person—the top of her head was even with my chest. I couldn’t find any hints for her species.
The second female was fae, evident in her pointed ears and the weightless way she walked. Her hair was pulled back in an elegant chignon. Her eyebrows were flawless, dark arches and she wore red lipstick, which contrasted strikingly with her tawny skin. She wore earrings that looked like real gold.
The last was an alarmingly thin creature. She couldn’t be a witch, since Laurie had lost access to all of his. Her hair was long and blond, scraped back into a ponytail that hadn’t seen water or shampoo in days. There were gray smudges beneath her blue eyes, and her cheekbones were overly sharp, as if she’d just survived a long illness. There was nothing weak or unclear in the way she looked back at me, though. I knew, just as certainly as I’d known it when I met Maria, that she loved the silver-haired faerie walking between us.
All of Laurie’s comrades were striking, or stunning, or both. I couldn’t help but wonder if the Seelie Prince was subconsciously drawn to his friends, at least in the beginning, because he was drawn to beautiful things, as he’d said earlier tonight.
We were nearly at the archway now. Reluctance fluttered in my belly; I knew it was time to say goodbye. Time to leave the side of this infuriating, unexpectedly kind faerie prince who had saved me once again. Forcing everyone to stop, I turned to Laurie and raised my gaze, still uncertain what I was about to say, especially in front of an audience. I just knew I had to say something.
But once again, Laurie wasn’t paying any attention to me. He accepted a cloak from one of the faeries behind us, and when he pulled it back, his bare wrist brushed against mine. Just for an instant.
“Thank you, Sir Robert,” Laurie said. His gaze finally moved to mine. He raised his eyebrows as if to say, Yes? May I help you?
“What are you doing?” I whispered, watching him put the cloak on. “I thought the plan was for you to stay here, make sure you’re seen in the palace.”
“The plan changed the second Belanor just let you go,” Laurie said, pulling the hood over his head. Smart—that signature silver hair would get us noticed in an instant if he didn’t cover it.
No, wait. Consequences. Every action had consequences. I couldn’t let him do this. Even if Belanor knew about Laurie’s involvement now, and he made an accusation of treason, Laurie could cast doubt in people’s minds if he didn’t act guilty. He wouldn’t help his case by leaving with me.
I didn’t even get a chance to open my mouth before Laurie added, “No time for one of our rounds, Firecracker. Let’s go.”
He propelled me toward that enormous archway, and in those few steps, his friends casually surrounded us again, Gil included. Their behavior didn’t change in the slightest. Their conversations continued. Their stances remained relaxed and unhurried as we made our way over the threshold and into the night. That’s part of the strategy, I thought. We were just guests leaving the party. We had nothing to hide.
My nostrils flared as I inhaled fresh air for the first time in days. The stars greeted us, so aloof and oblivious to our plights. Our strange group started down the driveway. I walked stiffly, my nails digging into my palms as I waited for one of the guards to call after us or sound an alarm.
Nothing happened.
The night was starless and cold. The road had been salted, clearing the gravel of ice, but it still glittered with a layer of fresh snow. Every few seconds, faint but vicious gusts moved past, raking over my skin like small claws. I looked up at Laurie, my breath forming clouds in the air between us. “Is it just me, or was that too easy?”
“Well, now you’ve done it.” He glared back. “You practically just begged them to—”
Belanor’s crisp voice drifted past. “Going somewhere, brother?”
Every single person in our group stopped. The heavy cloak twisted around my legs as I turned, dread forming like a stone inside of me. Gil’s side of the bond pulsed.
Belanor stood before the palace, a huge mass of Guardians gathered at his back.
It wasn’t surprising no one on my side had heard their approach, not with the distance and the wind in our ears. From this vantage point, the picture Belanor and his guards made was striking and detailed: every figure dressed in full armor, plumes of breath coiling through the air like smoke or mist. Their swords caught the light coming from the largest palace windows. There were so many Guardians that the mass of armed, immortal soldiers formed a curved shape, the ends of which were too close to us for my liking.
There was no point in Laurie sifting, since he’d already exposed his involvement in the library, but I still braced myself to see him disappear. Especially when courtiers began to trickle outside, probably drawn by the sight of a small army gathered on the front lawn.
He didn’t.
“Lady Sworn started to feel unwell during our dance, so I am merely escorting her home,” Laurie called, the lines of his body loose and unconcerned. While he paused, pasting on an expression of confusion, I peeked over at Gil. His breathing seemed to be steady, I was relieved to note. “Is there a problem, Your Majesty?”
Belanor’s eyes flickered at the title; he was probably wondering, like I was, whether it was meant to be an insult or strategic flattery. His scarred features revealed nothing else as he replied, “There was a murder this evening. The dagger they found belonged to one of the guests.”
Laurie made a sound of sorrow deep in his throat. “How tragic. Was the victim someone we know?”
“It was a member of the Royal Guard. The killer dropped their weapon as they fled. Interestingly, Lord Arthion had reported this dagger as stolen minutes before the murder took place. But we have witnesses who claim he never left the room. Upon further investigation, an officer discovered traces of Lady Sworn’s scent in the same place where the body was found. I’d like to detain her for questioning.”
I heard Laurie curse under his breath, and I suppressed the same urge—Belanor was smarter than we’d given him credit for. He couldn’t have known Laurie would kill a Guardian in our escape, but he was using the loss of his pawn to reach his endgame.
Getting me back.
Laurie was probably worried I’d blurt something we’d all regret, because he didn’t pretend to consult me or consider Belanor’s request. “I’m afraid Lady Sworn has had a long evening,” he said. “You know how much importance Mother puts on being the perfect hostess. We wouldn’t want her to find out we detained an ill guest—can’t you already imagine the look of disappointment on her face?”