Page 10 of Thief of Dreams
He's made it clear he expects to end this entire ruse with a pretty princess by his side, and the entire flock of them is awash with predatory intent. They look like a herd of flamingoes in their finery, albeit flamingoes with sharp teeth and hidden claws. Four of them have already formed some sort of alliance—Narcissa and Ismena among them—and they've made two girls cry. If I had to listen to their whispered malice for the evening, I was going to do something rash.
Like stick a knife in someone.
If I were Prince Keir, I would lock my bedroom doors. One or two of those princesses look desperate to me. And desperate is dangerous.
Stairs beckon ahead of me, leading down into the gloom.Yes. Here we are. Glancing along the hallway, I find myself alone. Slipping from shadow to shadow—old habits die hard—I'm almost standing at the top of them when something moves behind me; a whisper of noise, like that of silk rasping over stone.
Spinning around, I stare along the hallway.
Lights flicker in their sconces. Two of them further down the hall have been extinguished, but there's no one there.
A hint of dread trickles inexplicably down my spine, but maybe it's naught more than the thrill of getting caught?
And then a shadow moves, huge and towering. It ripples along the hallway and it moves fast.
Damn it.
Hauling up a fistful of my skirts, I turn and bolt around one of the enormous columns that line the hallways, slamming directly into a firm, hard chest—
Hands immediately lock around my upper arms, and my weight shifts onto the balls of my feet, instinct preparing me to throw him.
And that's when I see his face, hard and implacable.
The perfect straight line of his nose. The cut of those hawkish cheekbones.
The prince himself.
"What are you doing here?" I gasp, because tossing the Lord of the Morning Star, the Master of Chaos, and Lord of Shadows—or was it Secrets?—onto his backside is probably not the best idea.
One of those dark eyebrows lift. "I should say the same. This is my palace. I'll skulk behind columns if I wish to."
I can't help myself. A smile curves my lips. "Hiding from your flock of pursuers?"
"The question is: What are you doing here?"
I bat my lashes at him. "Hoping to ensnare a certain handsome fae in my web"—his smile widens—"only to have you stumble into it instead."
I make a sound of disgust, and the prince actually laughs.
He lets me go, one thumb stroking the tender inner skin of my elbow, but as his laughter fades, those dark eyes dart over me and I realize he's not fooled. I didn't answer his question, and he knows it.
"I was trying to find the rose gardens," I admit. "They say the palace is beautiful, but the gardens are... another thing entirely. After dinner, I felt the need for some fresh air."
Away from the syrupy sweet threats thrown my way and the pathetic way some of the princesses have been trying to capture Prince Keir's attention. Calliope chose to stay. I think some part of her enjoys watching them pander to him.
"Then you are going the wrong way," he says.
"Was I?" Oh, the horror.
Prince Keir seems to make some sort of decision. With a dangerous smile, he holds out his hand. "Let me escort you."
This is... not ideal.
"Don't you have princesses to pursue?"
"Perhaps I'm pursuing one right now?"
For some strange reason, it seems I've caught his attention.Of course. I almost close my eyes and slap my own forehead. I'm the one female not at the gathering tonight. The one femalenottrying to crawl into his lap.
