Page 2 of Devotion

I focus again, applying color to my lips and eyes before I slip on my pale rose dress.

I definitely don’t want to be late, or I’ll miss one of my final chances to make ten years of dreaming come true.

The first appearanceof the new palace administrator evokes a soft murmur of excitement from the group of candidates. He is, indeed, a man and not a bad-looking one.

His hair looks medium brown from a distance, but as he gets closer, I realize it’s actually a dark brown threaded with a lot of silver. The gray must be premature because his face doesn’t look older than his early forties. He’s got a tall, fit body. Good shoulders and long legs. Strong, classic features and eyes so blue I can see their color all the way across the large room.

I’d find him more attractive if his expression was something other than the faintly annoyed impatience that’s radiating off him.

His name is Gabriel. He’s been hired by the president as Coordinator of Special Projects. I pick up that much from Maeve as we line up, separated into groups of men and women as always.

Barrett is talking to the new administrator privately as the thirty candidates get in position, but I hear the tail end of the conversation as they approach.

“I understand it’s one of the benefits of a palace position,” Gabriel is saying. His voice is soft. He sounds educated and quietly frustrated. “But I’m genuinely not interested.”

“Yes. It’s a new idea for outsiders and newcomers to the Capital, but you’ll get used to it and come to appreciate it eventually.” Barrett is slender and blandly confident in himself and his position in the palace.

“I’d rather not bother. I’m here to work, not waste time.” He scans the line of young, attractive, well-dressed men and women with obvious reluctance. His gaze lingers on me briefly, but that’s probably because I’m the only one who meets his eyes. Everyone else has their gaze properly downcast as we’ve all been taught in order to convey our desire to submit. “This feels… sleazy.”

“It’s not sleazy,” Barrett replies sharply. “And you’d be wise not to let anyone else hear you refer to the president’s special practices in that manner. A partner is a key facet of the benefit package of palace administration, and it is not optional.” He bites out the final words with a crisp staccato.

Gabriel gets the point. “Understood. So I just pick someone?”

“Anyone you want. I believe you prefer women?”

“Yes.”

Barrett motions toward the line of male candidates, and they retreat to the rear of the room in a not-quite-orderly fashion. Then he waves toward Poppy at the end of the remaining line, indicating that the women should spread out.

Gabriel looks from one end of the row to the other, still clearly impatient and annoyed with the whole procedure. His hair is longer than is typical in the Capital. He’s got it pulled back with a tie at the nape of his neck, but it’s thick and doesn’t seem inclined to stay neatly restrained.

He glances over at Barrett. “And you’re assuring me they’re here by choice? They aren’t trafficked or?—”

“Of course not!” Barrett is offended, and who can blame him? As if anyone would ever be forced to be a palace partner. “You can talk to any one of them. Ask how they came to be here and listen to what they tell you.”

Gabriel looks down the line again, and once more his gaze pauses with me. I tried dropping my eyes a minute ago but was too intrigued by the conversation to sustain it for more than ten seconds.

Barrett is probably annoyed with me for staring so gauchely, but I’ve never met anyone who wouldn’t jump eagerly at the chance to choose a palace partner.

Who the hell is this man?

“Tell me how you got here,” Gabriel demands of me curtly.

It’s a vague directive, but I answer the real question he’s asking. “When I was eleven, my cousin was chosen to be the partner of an administrator. She always came back on her weekly visit wearing pretty clothes and bringing treats for us. She told me all about her job and her life. She was so happy. I decided then that I wanted to be a partner too, and I’ve spent the past ten years working toward that goal. I started in the hospitality industry when I was thirteen, washing dishes at first but eventually working my way up to a front hostess so I could learn proper behavior. As soon as I turned twenty-one, I applied for the selection-candidate group. I was chosen on my third attempt. This has been my dream for more than half my life, and I’m incredibly lucky to have gotten this far since so many other people want this position too.”

Gabriel hears me. I know he does. I can see a reaction on his face—like a tension relaxes inside him.

Barrett catches my gaze with a discreet nod. He’s clearly pleased by my response.

“All right,” Gabriel says at last. “I get it. I’ll take her.”

I blink. It’s several seconds before it processes that I’m theherhe’s referring to.

Barrett says, “Excellent choice. Jess is intelligent and experienced as well as beautiful. You won’t be disappointed.”

I’m flushed as I glance around, trying to catch up to what just happened. Poppy grins at me from farther down the line, and Maeve is decidedly pissed.

Gabriel looks impatient again, and his expression doesn’t change as I walk over to stand in front of him. He stares down at me for a minute, then finally shakes his head. “What the hell am I supposed to do with you?”

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