House of Shadows (Royal Houses 2)

“As you once said.”

Kivrin frowned. “I do not enjoy being right about this.”

The door opened to the carriage, and she let the footman assist her out.

“Kerrigan,” he said, leaning out the door. She turned back to him in surprise. “I’m proud of you.”

A lump formed in her throat. She’d never thought that she would want to hear those words, but she did. She smiled and sent him a small nod of acknowledgment.

24

The Star

CLOVER

Clover had been drinking too much wine.

“You need to slow down,” Hadrian said, trying to pry the gold goblet out of her hand. He managed to take it out of her grasp, but it was already mostly empty anyway.

“I’m fine,” Clover muttered.

“No, you’re not. You’re going to make a fool of yourself.”

“This is a ridiculous spectacle.” She thrust her hand out toward Darby. Hadrian grabbed it and pulled it to their sides. Their fingers laced together in the space, and she looked up into his face. The handsome boy she had always teased and mocked and joked with to get him to shed his perfect skin.

Hadrian was a street rat through and through. He’d grown up on the streets, and though he was Fae, he was as much a part of this city as Clover was. He might dress in silk and cravats and top hats now, but she could feel the city on him. Drawing it out of him was the real work of her life. It was how she’d convinced him to come to the protest. It was why she was standing with him right now. Because despite how she felt about Darby, Clover and Hadrian were the same.

Darby was from a middle-of-nowhere farm town. She’d had family who loved her enough to give her up to the House of Dragons for a better life. Clover and Hadrian had nothing and no one. Then, he’d been picked for the House of Dragons, and she’d found the Wastes.

“I know it’s a spectacle,” he finally said, dissolving his anger and releasing her hand. “But it’s what Darby wants.”

“She doesn’t know what she wants.”

“Don’t do that,” Hadrian said. “Don’t diminish her choice just because it wasn’t you.”

Clover winced. She hated that he’d gotten to the heart of it.

Darby was too good for a lousy human. She had always been too good for Clover. Still, they’d shared one perfect kiss at a party just like this. Clover had thought this would be easier. It wasn’t.

“Fine. We’ve seen what we came for. Can we go?” Clover asked.

Hadrian nodded. “Clove …”

“It’s fine, sweetheart,” she teased. “You don’t need to coddle me. I’m not breakable. Unless you want to try.” She winked at him.

He flushed from his neck to the tips of his sharply pointed ears. “That isn’t …”

She laughed. “I know, Hadrian.”

He cleared his throat again. “I don’t want to hurt Darby.”

Clover startled at the words. Was he saying that he was interested?

“What are you saying? Speak plainly.”

“Don’t you know?”

“Say it,” she commanded.

His gaze traveled to her lips and back up. “I shouldn’t want this, but I do. She wanted you first. Her feelings matter.”

“So, she gets to do that”—she gestured to Darby standing with a tall gentleman, her hand on his sleeve as she laughed—“but we can’t do this?”

He gulped. “She still likes you.”

“She chose. And you said so.”

He nodded and then took a step back. “She chose, but it’s still wrong.”

Clover wanted to tell him to live dangerously, but she could feel this thing between them was strange and precarious. If she pushed, he’d shut down. Darby was one of his closest friends. Clover still ached for Darby. But she’d wanted Hadrian in other ways for too long to ignore it when he admitted to wanting her back. She’d have them both as lovers if she could. If they’d let her.

But not yet.

Then, they heard the room go silent. Clover stared at Kerrigan stuck between Fordham and some unknown male. She heard the word betrothal, felt Kerrigan’s shock from here, and then she was leaving.

“Oh gods,” Clover gasped.

Fordham rushed out after her. The other man, whoever he was, looked at Kerrigan with a smug smile on his face. Clover didn’t know anything about him, but that smile told her all she needed to know. He had done all of that on purpose. And it hadn’t been for a good reason.

She didn’t think. She just dashed across the room with Hadrian on her heels. Kerrigan was speaking to Audria and then was out into the night. Fordham was going to catch her, and Clover couldn’t tell him how big a problem that was. Kerrigan’s feelings for Fordham were so blatant that he could only make things worse.

She grabbed his shoulder. “Wait,” she gasped.

He whipped around. His eyes set and hard. “Clover… what? I need to catch Kerrigan.”

“Let her go.”

They stood at the entrance to the party. A crowd milled around, waiting to see what would happen next. But then Kerrigan’s father appeared at her side.