Chapter Nineteen #2
The merchant busied himself with setting six small glasses on the table before them.
All the while, Thea scanned the ballroom, which was growing more crowded by the minute.
That was good. The more people in the room, the more chaotic things would become when Cal and Kipp triggered the diversion.
Thankfully, she spotted them at the ballroom’s edge, both holding goblets but not drinking, not even Kipp.
She suppressed a sigh of relief. They were exactly where they were meant to be.
Marise pressed a glass into her hand. ‘This first, my intense friend. It’s a lighter red from the provinces of Valia, beyond the Veil.’
Thea didn’t know which information to absorb first: the fact that Marise had called her intense again, just as he had the first time they’d met, or that the wine she now held was from a place beyond the Veil. The same place that was home to the women warriors after whom she styled her hair.
Thea was distracted, so much so that she only heard every few words from the master wine merchant.
Something about hints of blackberry and cassis, something else about a barnyard aroma and spice on the nose, whatever that meant.
She dutifully sampled the wine, nodding appreciatively at Princess Jasira’s observations.
The young royal seemed to have an impressive grasp on the niche vocabulary needed for such things.
Before Thea knew it, the third and final drop was being pushed towards her and she sipped it self-consciously, noting that Marise’s gaze was fixed on her this time.
The moment the wine hit her tongue, she closed her eyes. Delicious didn’t cover it. It was otherworldly, elegant and complex all at once.
Marise was looking at her strangely.
‘It’s lovely,’ she admitted.
‘Curious that you should like that one the best…’ He smiled faintly.
Princess Jasira had been drawn into a conversation with a nearby nobleman, and Thea frowned at the wine merchant. ‘Why do you say that?’
He shrugged. ‘It’s nothing. Perhaps it’s just that all you Warswords have the same taste.’
‘I’m not a Warsword.’
‘No?’
‘Not yet.’
‘You could have fooled me.’
Thea slid the glass back across the table. ‘Thank you for the tasting.’
‘May the Moonfire Eclipse bring you all the light you may need.’
Thea hesitated, just for a moment, before allowing the words to tumble from her mouth, the wine having loosened her lips. ‘This doesn’t seem strange to you, then… All this celebration while darkness creeps towards us?’
Marise offered her a broad smile. ‘Let me tell you something, Althea Zoltaire. A fine wine is just like this event… It’s all about the finish.’
Then he winked at her, before turning to a fresh crowd of patrons.
Baffled, Thea left his stall, gesturing to Jasira that she would catch up with her later. She went to Cal and Kipp, who were still stationed on the opposite side of the ballroom. Both men had been fitted with brand new tunics and jackets.
‘You two scrub up alright,’ she told them, taking her place next to Kipp.
‘You’re not so bad yourself, Highness,’ Kipp replied. ‘Everything is in place. We just need to wait for the royals to make their entrance… Then the diversion will be underway, as will we.’
Thea nodded. ‘Good… That’s good.’
She noted Cal’s attention elsewhere, following his stare to a woman in the far corner.
Thea elbowed Kipp and nodded to their friend. ‘What’s wrong with him?’
Kipp rolled his eyes. ‘Lovestruck, apparently.’
Cal sighed. ‘She’s the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen.’
‘Really?’ Kipp said with interest, craning his neck to get a better look. ‘Do you think so?’
‘Definitely.’
It was at that moment that the woman in question chose to cross the ballroom, making a beeline not for Cal, but for Kipp.
She draped her arms over his shoulders. ‘Kristopher —’
Kipp grimaced.
‘I’ve been waiting to hear from you,’ she said, her voice sultry.
Cal looked between them. ‘You’ve got to be kidding.’
Thea nudged him. ‘Focus,’ she warned. ‘There are bigger things at stake here.’
Kipp made a point of untangling himself from the woman, whispering reassurances to her before rejoining them with a sheepish look.
Cal shook his head. ‘Do you have a girl in every fucking port or something?’
Kipp scratched the back of his head. ‘Uh, not exactly.’
There was a pause before Cal stiffened at the sight of something – someone – across the room. ‘Did you see who else is here?’ he asked, thrusting his chin opposite them.
Thea’s gaze fell upon Seb once again. ‘I saw him, alright,’ she muttered, fists clenching at her sides.
‘Bet you wish you’d let my arrow fly now…’ Cal mused as Seb pinned them with a hateful glare.
‘A moment of weakness on my part,’ Thea said.
‘Should have shot him in the dick instead,’ Kipp offered. ‘I would have paid to see that.’
Cal laughed. ‘Too small a target, even for me.’
Seeming to sense that he was the topic of their conversation, Sebastos Barlowe sauntered over, his lip curled into its usual ugly sneer. ‘Should have known you three would be here —’
‘You mean doing our jobs?’ Kipp supplied, eyes narrowed.
Seb looked Thea up and down, gaze lingering on her curves. ‘I suppose being the whore of a traitor is a job —’
Cal surged forward, fists clenched and raised, but Thea thrust her arm out across his chest. ‘Not here,’ she said, her voice calm and steady.
Cal was trembling with rage, but he did as she asked.
It only seemed to make Seb smugger. ‘You always do what fortress sluts tell you, Whitlock?’
Thea heard Cal’s measured exhale as he fought to keep his rage under control.
Kipp stepped in, placing himself in front of Cal, even deigning to rest a patronising hand on Seb’s shoulder. ‘No friends of your own to play with, Seb?’ he said lightly. ‘Nothing better to do than sling moronic insults at your betters?’
Seb made a noise of disgust, jerking away from Kipp’s touch. ‘Get the fuck off me. And betters ? You?’
‘Why else do you constantly seek us out?’ Thea mused, eyeing Kipp as he peeled off his gloves and tucked them carefully in the outer pocket of his dark tunic, a fleck of violet shining there.
‘Because you’re a fucking insult to the institute of Thezmarr,’ Seb hissed. ‘You’re fooling yourself if you think you’ll ever hear the call of the Great Rite. A woman? Please. You don’t have what it takes. You’ve only got to where you are by flashing your tits and sucking cock —’
Icy anger flooded Thea, and she allowed herself a step forward.
‘I have saved your life several times now, Barlowe, and your gratitude has been less than underwhelming. So, I’ll remind you of a little vow I made to you once…
When we face each other again, I’ll have you on the ground. And unlike me, you won’t get back up.’
‘The watery promise of a woman.’ Seb snorted. ‘I’m still standing, stray .’
‘Because I allowed it,’ Thea said darkly. ‘Walk away, Seb, before I rob you of your ability to do so.’
Seb opened his mouth to respond, but quiet fell across the ballroom, the shift in the atmosphere of the room halting him.
The orchestra was taking their seats on the stage, readying to perform.
With a glare, Seb backed away, returning to Vernich Warner’s side at the opposite end of the ballroom.
There, the Bloodletter didn’t acknowledge his apprentice, but simply watched the festivities with his usual scowl.
Thea’s shoulders sagged.
‘Definitely should have let me shoot him,’ Cal griped, staring after Seb. ‘The things I’d do to see that prick in a world of pain…’
‘Well, you might not be there to see it, but I assure you, he’ll be in a world of pain,’ Kipp said, looking mighty pleased with himself.
Brows raised and suspicion prickling, Thea said, ‘What are you talking about?’
Kipp was openly beaming now. ‘Before we left Notos, the beautiful Wren supplied me with an intriguing substance… Widow’s Ash – I believe you know of it?’
Thea gaped at her friend. ‘You didn’t…’
‘Oh, I absolutely did.’
‘Did what?’ Cal demanded.
A hoarse laugh broke from Thea’s lips, and she shook her head in disbelief. ‘Let’s just say that poor Seb is in for a rough and itchy night.’
Cal grinned. ‘I like the sound of that.’
But Thea’s attention had moved to the orchestra. Now settled, the musicians placed bows to violins, fingers to harps and lips to flutes. ‘Where are the rulers?’ she whispered. ‘Surely they’re to be announced before —’
There was an intake of breath as the musicians burst into their first performance of the evening.
Suddenly, the ballroom came alive with laughter and melody, couples taking to the grand floor, twirling gracefully, layers of tulle and silk sweeping across the shining surface.
Moonlight spilt through the vast windows, casting an ethereal glow upon the nobles.
Thea squinted across the room to the grand entrance, where the guards and heralds all stood to attention, with no sign of the kings and queen of the midrealms. She needed the royals in the midst of the action before they could implement the first stage of their rescue mission.
Poised to throw herself into action, Thea took a step forward as the delicate notes of the orchestra echoed through the chamber, the lavish gowns and regal attire creating a kaleidoscope of sheer opulence. ‘Any minute now…’
‘Not yet!’ Kipp tried to grab her arm.
But she twisted out of his reach, starting towards the exit. She would not leave Wilder to freeze in that cell a moment longer. She would take her chances, she would —
A large hand, covered in grazes, enveloped hers. Another closed around her waist, sweeping her onto the dance floor effortlessly, wrapping her in the scent of leather and rosewood.
With a stifled cry, she looked up.
Behind an intricate mask of black-and-red embellishments, a pair of silver eyes met hers.
‘Heard you were looking for me, Princess.’