Page 1 of Only in Moonlight
Chapter 1
Valen
I’d rather face an assassin than spend another minute at this party.
The guests mingling in the garden showed off their finest eveningwear: gowns studded with precious stones, gold-embroidered doublets, and rings with gems the size of olives. Sadly, none of them seemed to be hiding a knife up their sleeve. I scanned the neatly trimmed flower bushes and silvery green trees, but no murderers lurked in the shadows, just luminescent moths fluttering among the leaves. It was a shame, but I suppose I should be grateful. I didn’t need murderous complications when I had a mission to complete.
Since I couldn’t get violently attacked (at least not yet; the night was young), I resigned myself to continuing my current conversation.
“Your family is well, I hope?” I asked Felina.
Or was that Florina? I could remember the names of every suspected spy, assassin, and saboteur in the kingdom, but I always mixed up the two sisters. Both of them stood in front of me, fluttering their eyelashes so much you’d think they were trying to shake them off.
“Oh, yes,” she said breathlessly. “Mother is insanely busy, but she thrives on hectic schedules. And Father just returned from Earth. My brothers went with him, and they’ve brought back all these horrid hunting trophies. My aunts are fighting over who gets to host the family party for the feast day, but Uncle Andeolus says he’d rather burn down the manor than have us all over again.”
Florina elbowed her, and Felina snapped her mouth shut, cheeks reddening as she realized she’d shared too much.
“Preposterous,” I said. “Why, for the honor of hosting two lovely ladies like yourselves, I’d build a manor myself.”
It was a weak attempt at charm, but they giggled anyway.
“Itisa small ordeal,” Felina said. “There are seven siblings in Mother’s generation. We have sixteen cousins along with all our brothers.”
“It’s true. I come from a long line of fertile women.” Florina met my eyes with all the subtlety of a war hammer to the skull. “We don’t have trouble producing heirs.”
I coughed. “Yes, well, luckily, knighthoods aren’t a hereditary title. I don’t have to worry about an heir.”
Florina’s mouth hung open for a moment. “Right,” she squeaked. “Of course. How lucky. Children are such a bother, don’t you think?”
She gave me a wide and completely unconvincing smile.
I needed an excuse to leave—and not just to escape their flirtations. The party was winding down, and I had to locate the documents before it ended.
Felina pounced on her sister’s awkward silence. “Do you like plays?” she asked me. “Would you like to seeThe Tale of Helvia?The troupe is from the Dark Moon Court. It’s supposed to be quite scandalous.”
“I wanted to ask him,” Florina hissed at her.
Felina’s gaze darted from me to her sister. “Then ask.”
“It’s too late now that you already did. It wasmyidea, remember? How could you—?”
“I’ve already seen the play,” I lied. “It was entertaining enough.”
The sisters pouted before glaring at each other.
“And pardon me.” I took a step back. “I need another drink.”
I raced away before they could stop me, feeling like I’d barely escaped getting torn apart by starving tigers.
The sisters were normally pleasant, but their mother was pressuring them to make advantageous marriages. And the Court lacked eligible bachelors with a title, which painted a target on my back. My looks didn’t exactly help the situation either. The stubble along my jaw and shoulder-length hair gave me what Aurea used to call a “roguish charm,” and years of training had left me with the kind of physique that made women take notice. In a court full of soft, pampered lords, I stood out like a sword among butter knives.
I snatched a glass of wine from a nearby refreshment table and slipped behind a large shrub before Felina, Florina, or anyone else could spot me. As soon as I’d escaped everyone’s sight, it felt like a heavy weight had fallen from my shoulders. The wineglass felt cool in my palm, the chatter of the party swirling around me. I threw back my head and took a long drink. Sir Valen Corvanos: charming party guest, handsome but shallow, more skilled at dancing than swordplay. I played the part for good reason, but stars, it was hard sometimes.
A moment later, I realized I wasn’t alone behind the shrub.
“Pardon me, my lady,” I said, dipping into a quick bow.
Lady Celestine. Minor nobility. Too shy and reclusive to wield any political influence. She wore a subdued gray dress trimmed with pearls that seemed designed to help her blend into the background.
