Page 54 of Veil of Shadows

The prince set his drink down. He still had a quarter of it remaining. “No, but I can be. Are you ready to go?”

“Yes.”

I slid out of the booth, nearly swaying when I was upright. As I feared earlier, the alcohol I drank was going straight to my head. And it hadn’t helped that I practically slammed it.

Despite knowing that the drink was likely impairing my judgment, I couldn’t stop the irrational annoyance stoking my insides like a flame, which only made me angrier, then embarrassed, then angry again.

Frustration stole through me that I couldn’t control my reactions to the prince or change what his future held or alter the path in life I’d been given.

It didn’t help that we hadn’t found his brother yet, which meant I would have to continue this charade at his side for who knew how long, even if he did havefeelingsfor me. It was insufferable since I was ready to straddle the prince at this very second, but nothing could ever come of it.

The prince joined me at the table’s edge. He towered over me and inhaled, his nostrils flaring sharply. “Elowen, tell me what’s the matter.”

I shook my head and forced myself to take a deep breath, yet the alcohol kept burning through my veins. “It’s nothing. I’m just tired. It’s been a long day, and I think it’s hitting me.”

His frown deepened, but he drained the rest of his beverage in one gulp, then nodded at his guards. “Let’s go.”

The four of us headed back toward the attached inn, and Jax took the lead, his hand once again clasped over mine.

We wove through the dim salopas, out into the grand entryway, then past the inn’s magical lift that would take us up flights of stairs on a levitating platform.

Jax led me to a back staircase, and the old spiral stairs groaned under our weight as we trudged up three stories.

I was winded by the time he reached the top floor, but Jax didn’t slow.

He went to the door at the hall’s end, and with a start I realized it was the largest suite. We were on the top floor, and none of the other rooms had a double-doored entry.

The lock clicked when he hovered his finger above it.

I canted my head. “I take it, this is your residence.”

“It is.”

“But is this normal? To have a private residence at an inn?”

The prince shrugged. “My father always liked this inn, so when he requested to purchase their nicest suite, they obliged.”

“I’m sure the fact that he’s a foreign king had nothing to do with their decision.”

His brow furrowed. “My father has no qualms about taking what he wants and using his status to do so.”

Phillen cleared his throat from behind us. “But the fact that we can use the inn’s kitchens is a nice perk. All you have to do is summon food from the inn, and it appears.”

Lars nodded. “I have to agree with Phillen on that one. Cooking has never been my favorite pastime.”

Jax opened the door and pulled me inside. The double doors had opened to a grand entryway with polished stone flooring, paneled walls, and glittering fairy lights. Just beyond the entryway was a vast sitting area. A large kitchen waited to the side of it, and several hallways branched off in other directions farther down the hall. The halls were long, and I figured those led to multiple sleeping chambers in this massive apartment.

“Will my chambers be down there?” I asked, pointing toward the hall.

“Yes, but?—”

I didn’t wait for the prince to reply. I fled from his sight, and a quick perusal of the rooms showed they were nearly identical. I figured it didn’t matter which one I took, so I closed the door behind me on the second one down and quickly flopped onto the bed.

Alcohol still swam through my system, and even though it was only mid-evening, my eyes drooped, so much so, that within minutes, I was asleep.

I awokethe next day to a knock on my door. Lars opened it cautiously and peered inside. “Elowen? It’s time to get up. We need to get moving.”

Sunlight streamed in through the windows. It was bright enough that I knew it wasn’t sunrise, but it was still early.

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