Selena breaks the silence. “Why would you want to marry me?”
Emmanuelle leans toward her, a small smile playing on his lips. “If we allied, our two big cities combined in power would be unstoppable.”
She shakes her head, squeezing my hand without realizing it. “No, I mean, why would you want to marry me, especially right now? I have nothing to offer you. At the moment, the security guy at the door holds a higher position of power than I do.”
I’m about to cut in, change the subject, something. This isn’t what we discussed. She’s supposed to be playing up her place in the world at the moment. It’s the whole damn reason I’m sitting here playing the besotted pup.
“I have every confidence you’ll regain your seat of power and eradicate any resistance.”
Selena smiles at him, her white teeth flashing against her bright red lips. “I’m glad one of us is feeling confident tonight. So, help me out. Sweeten the deal for me.”
He gives her the regal nod these assholes must have to practice in the mirror. “What would you like?”
I tense at her bitter tone. “Tell me who I need to hunt down and eradicate so I can take back my city.”
It’s on the tip of my tongue to jerk her back against me, scream at him to get the hell out. Anything to acknowledge the fact that the ring is still glinting in the candlelight, and she hasn’t told him no yet.
“I’m afraid I don’t have that information. Like many, I assumed my former head councilwoman had orchestrated a diversion so she could capture your brother with little fanfare. Now that her schemes have been revealed, it seems there was something deeper at work in your territory. Someone unhappy with the power dynamics looking for the first opportunity to strike. The councilwoman gave it to them.”
She leans in, riveted to his every word. Something sharp twists in my gut. “But you don’t know who it is? What they want?”
The other man shakes his head mournfully and glances to Andrea at his side. They share a long look, one I don’t understand, and I’m very good at reading people.
Selena settles back into her seat, and then jolts, staring down at where she’s dragged our joined hands into her lap. “Sorry,” she whispers.
I give her a little shake of my head. Not while he’s here. Right now, I’m still playing the part, and so is she.
I think she understands when her spine snaps straight and she eyes Emmanuelle and Andrea. “I’d like to consider this offer.”
The man reaches out and snaps the ring box closed. “You can have forty-eight hours, and then I’ll go with plan B.”
I’m pretty sure I don’t want to know what plan B is, and neither does Selena.
“Please understand, councilman, I was the head of my own city. Marrying you, becoming your wife, would be a step down, in my opinion.”
He leans forward, his face going red, but Selena holds up her hand to finish. “Not because of you personally, of course, but because I know how our world works. A woman alone might be considered powerful, if she can back her power up, but a woman married is only an extension of her husband. I can’t give up that kind of power, not easily. Not without careful consideration.”
Andrea is leaning on his arm, whispering into his ear. I catch the exchange from under the fall of my curls, studying Andrea. Of course, she is here on orders from Kai, or Adrian, but I’m very curious to know what she’s supposed to be doing, and why it’s with this particular councilmember. One who’s crossed our path a lot lately. Something to ask Kai when I check in next.
Emmanuelle claps his hand on the sides of his chair and shoves to stand. “Well, I see no point in lingering. You may consider and let me know your answer.”
His eyes shift to me and narrow before he turns and holds his arm out for Andrea to take. There’s a heartbeat of hesitation she covers up as she grasps his arm and leans in close, her hips swaying against his as they walk out of the glittering dining room.
I release my hold on Selena and sit back. “Why is it when you powerful people meet up, no one actually eats or drinks anything? Hell, no one even got to order.”
She snorts once, then laughs loud, bending over to laugh more, hiding her mouth behind her hands. When she comes back to herself, her eyes rimmed in tears, she shakes her head. “I have no idea. I suspect it started because people didn’t want to be poisoned, but now, I don’t know.”
As much as I want to share her laughter, I can’t. She might look normal, laughing in her couture, but she’s just like the rest of them. People who buy and sell others, moving them around like pieces on a game board.