House of Shadows (Royal Houses 2)

Kerrigan moved away from Fordham, looking back at him coquettishly. Then, he grasped her hand and drew her in close. She adjusted his grip slightly, and then they were off. Their bodies not quite flush together as he held her waist with ease. Dancing with Fordham was not like dancing with anyone else. He had nimble footwork from all those years of weapons training, and they moved into the perfect rhythm between them. As if they had been born more for this moment than all those times they had fought together.

She twirled away again, and when he pulled her back the next time, he drew her in just a bit closer. And though she was supposed to move her head with the number, she found herself trapped by his gaze and unable to look anywhere else. Her pulse beat a tattoo against her throat. She found that here, there was little acting. Just a girl ensnared by her prince.

“You are full of surprises,” he said.

“And do you like being surprised?”

A small break in his facade brought a side of his lip to quirk into a smile. “It reminds me why I chose to help you.”

“Because I am irresistible?” she joked.

“Because you are unlike anyone I’ve ever known.”

“And is that a good thing?” She barely breathed the question, feeling them continue to drift together. His mouth now mere inches from hers. The song almost forgotten.

“Yes.” The word escaped him, as if he couldn’t hold it in any longer.

He released her in the final turn. When she finally stopped and the crowd applauded the show they’d put on, she found whatever ice she’d melted had solidified once more.

He pointed at her. “Dance with Prescott.”

She opened her mouth to object. How could he want his cousin anywhere near her after that dance?

But he didn’t let her ask it, just turned to the queen and took her into his arms. Kerrigan didn’t imagine the smirk on her lips.

“One dance,” Prescott promised.

She would have denied it entirely if doing as Fordham demanded wasn’t part of her act. They moved around the room effortlessly but with none of the passion she’d had in Fordham’s arms.

But when they were finished, Prescott pulled her out of the throng toward Arbor, who was standing against an obsidian pillar with a half-empty glass of punch.

“Here,” Arbor said. “You need this more than I do.”

“I need to be coherent.”

“Your part is done. Everyone saw you and believed that you were infatuated.” Arbor eyed her with a little sadness. “Or perhaps it was not all an act.”

“Give me that,” she said, taking a long gulp of the drink. Strawberries and honey—gods, it was good. “What do I do the rest of the night?”

“Get a little drunk and stay out of the way,” Prescott said. “Fordham has already shown you and me together. It is not uncommon to share.”

Kerrigan paled. “This place is disgusting.”

“It is,” Arbor agreed sadly. “But it will get you out of here sooner.”

“Thank the gods.” She finished the drink and passed it back to Arbor, who laughed. “When will we be able to drop this whole act?”

Arbor and Prescott shared a look. “Fordham is going to address the king tomorrow. I don’t know how it will go.”

“Poorly,” Kerrigan said, looking over her shoulder at the king and his child bride. “And if he doesn’t hate it, the queen will assuredly.”

“Ugh! Viviana,” Prescott groaned.

“She is terrible,” Arbor agreed, twirling a strand of her dark hair. “She has been obsessed with Fordham since we were children. I still say that she married the king to get closer to him.”

“How do you two survive this place?” Kerrigan asked. “You both seem well-adjusted.”

“It’s all we have,” Prescott said.

Arbor nodded with a shrug. “What else could we want when we can’t leave?”

Kerrigan frowned. Right. For a second, she had forgotten that this disgusting court was frozen in time. They had no governing body to stop the atrocities happening here. The Society had cut them off like a diseased appendage. They hadn’t considered how it would hurt the ones who longed to break free of the bonds, the ones who weren’t as disgusting as the rest of the court they fought against. They’d punished everyone.

“I’m sorry,” Kerrigan whispered. “I can’t imagine how it is here for you. The outside world isn’t exactly friendly to half-Fae, but the world isn’t like this at least.”

Arbor rose to her feet. “We know. We don’t blame you.” She patted Kerrigan’s shoulder. “I’m going to go dance a few rounds, so people don’t get suspicious. Have another drink and then leave with Pres. He’ll take care of you.”

“Thank you,” she said. “You two have been a big help.”

“We haven’t seen Fordham like this in a long time,” Prescott said. “Maybe… ever. We’d do anything for him.”

Arbor nodded and then disappeared into the crowd.