Page 61 of Only Cold Depths
Aldrich squared his shoulders and lifted his chin. “All the more reason we should proceed as though nothing is wrong. Besides, Verona put a lot of time and effort into the marriage mart, and I don’t want it to have been for nothing.”
“Oh, no,” Siya piped up again. “We wouldn’t want to scare off any of Asterin’s potential husbands.”
Asterin shot her stepsister another angry look.
“Enough!” Aldrich barked out. “You both know tonight’s event is a tradition, one that House Collier is honored to host this social season.” He looked at Kyrion and me, cold calculation sparking in his gaze. “The two of you are more than welcome to attend.”
Leland blinked in surprise. “My lord, are you sure that’s wise?”
Aldrich waved his hand, dismissing his chief of staff’s concerns. “As I said, we need to proceed as though nothing is wrong. Besides, having Lady Vesper and Lord Kyrion attend will give the gossipcasts something else to focus on besides what happened at the shipping yard.”
My eyes narrowed. “You want to use us as a distraction while you search for Esmina and Pollux.”
Aldrich nodded. “Absolutely.”
“Bloody Erzton games are just as bad as Regal ones,” Kyrion muttered.
Verona gave us a deceptively bright smile. “I was hoping you would attend the marriage mart as our honored guests, so I already made the preparations. You will find appropriate clothes and everything else you need in your suite.”
Kyrion crossed his arms over his chest. He didn’t want to attend the Erzton event. Neither did I, but we were at our hosts’ mercy. I would much rather play along with the Colliers and return to the relative safety of their estate than go on the run again. Besides, if an Erzton ball was anything like a Regal one, then everyone would be gossiping about everyone else, and I wanted to see what information we might discover about Esmina and Pollux and their feud with House Collier.
Leland cleared his throat again. “We need to discuss a few final details about the marriage mart, and I’m sure Siya and Rigel would like to update the security plan.”
Verona turned her bright smile to her daughter. “Asterin, I sent some things to your suite too. You should go get ready.”
Asterin stiffened, but she tipped her head to her mother, then stalked out of the library. Kyrion and I followed her. None of us spoke as we left the main castle and headed toward the guest wing, but thoughts swirled through my mind like a kaleidoscope shifting from one enemy to another.
I’d thought Callus Holloway was the most dangerous psion in the galaxy, but Esmina Reston had the full power of a truebond running through her veins. She had all the strengths and none of the vulnerabilities of being connected to another person. Plus, she’d had years to learn how to wield her magic. So had Pollux.
I couldn’t see as far and as clearly into the future as the other seer could, but dread vibrated through me that Esmina and Pollux were going to be the death of me and Kyrion.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
KYRION
“BloodyErztonians,”Imuttered.“I can’t believe they’re going ahead with their event as though nothing happened. As though two defectors from their own House didn’t breach their defenses, steal their resources, and waltz away without a scratch.”
I stalked from one side of the bedroom to the other. “Siya, Rigel, and the other Hammers should be locking down the city and scouring the streets for Esmina and Pollux. Not worrying about security at a ball.”
“So you’ve been saying for the last hour, ever since we returned to the suite.” Vesper’s voice drifted out from behind a wooden dressing screen in the corner.
I quickened my pacing. “The Colliers aren’t using us as a distraction. We’re thebait.”
“You think once the gossipcasters realize we’re at the marriage mart, word will get back to Esmina and Pollux?” Vesper called out. “And Aldrich will set a trap hoping the mercenaries try to kidnap me again?”
“Yes,” I growled. “Because that’s exactly what I would do.”
Vesper let out an agreeing murmur, and fabric rasped behind the dressing screen. I yanked at my shirt collar, which was choking me, then stomped over to a mirror on the wall.
As if using us as bait wasn’t bad enough, our outfits for the marriage mart bordered on the ridiculous. I was dressed in a dark blue tailcoat over tight black leggings and black boots that stretched up to my knees. The front of the coat stopped at my waist, where my stormsword was belted, but the back dropped away in two long, wide pieces that plummeted to my ankles, making me feel like an oversize penguin with two flapping silk tails. Such tailcoats were common attire at Regal events, but the House Collier tailors had paired this one with a silver shirt with frills that spilled down my chest like an ocean of stiff, puffy silk.
I yanked at my shirt collar again. I despised frills, and my fingers itched with the urge to rip off the puffy pieces of fabric and toss them aside like I was molting feathers.
“Any word from Daichi yet?” Vesper asked.
“No,” I said, spinning away from the mirror. “I sent him all the info we learned, but he hasn’t come up with anything new, and he hasn’t identified who Esmina and Pollux might be working for.”
“Maybe they aren’t working for someone,” Vesper called out. “Maybe Esmina and Pollux want to destroy House Collier all on their own and think I can somehow help them.”
