Page 30 of A Hunt So Wicked
Kael looked at the two in question. "Where do I get some of this magical potion?"
Isla laughed and walked over to the small table we had in our room. On it, there was a pitcher that held enough of the purple concoction for Kael. “This should help because none of us felt sick after eating the shrimp. I think the drinks were just double strength!”
"Praise the Goddess," he proclaimed as he marched over to Isla and took his glass. Looking back at me, he raised it. "Cheers."
"Cheers," I grumbled and downed the contents. It was surprisingly sweet. "That wasn't nearly as bad as I was expecting."
"Chop, chop, people! We are running out of time, and Evie needs..." Riv paused, looking me over. "Assistance."
The fog in my brain was already lifting. Amazing. "It can't be that bad." I hopped out of bed and trodded over to the mirror. "Oh. What the—'' My hair was an absolute disaster. It was going to be a nightmare to brush. My makeup was smeared across my face, giving me a haunted look.
"Aye, they weren't exaggerating. Sit down and let Isla work on that hair. Riv, can you fetch a washcloth?" Kael asked, quickly forming a plan of attack.
"What are you going to do?" I asked him as I was pushed down into a chair.
Kael smirked and strode over to the wardrobe, flinging the doors open. "I'm going to pick your dress out, of course."
I hmphed. "Ouch!" I cried out as the first clump of hair snagged on the brush.
"Sorry, sorry! I'm trying to be gentle," Isla said.
"Here." Riv handed me a warm cloth, and I started wiping away the remnants of last night's poor decisions.
Five minutes of torture later, my hair was brushed and styled, along with my face cleaned and lightly powdered. Kael sat at our table while Riv and Isla helped me get dressed behind the room divider. He'd chosen a gold dress with an empire waistline that was so much more comfortable than the contraption I'd been forced to endure last night.
"So," he began, feigning innocence but failing horribly. "What are our thoughts on the events of last night? How do we feel about the strapping young royals? Did any feelings...stir?"
We all broke out into laughter. "You do have a way with words," Riv said as she tied up the back of my gown.
"I'm merely curious. Isla? I saw you dancing with both Ekpen brothers and Evander Volos?"
"They danced with a lot of women, Kael. It doesn't mean anything... I wouldn't read much into it. There, Evie, you're good to go."
The three of us returned to the shared space and began putting our shoes on. "Actually, I don't think that Mosi danced with many women. I even heard some chatter near the bar that some women were speculating that he must've already made his mind up."
Isla sighed. "Exactly. See? It was probably a pity dance."
Kael stood abruptly. "I'll have none of that from you, Miss Isla."
Riv and I glanced at each other as Kael walked over to Isla, wrapping his arms around her tiny frame. She all but disappeared next to his bulk. "Any one of those fools would be lucky to get any of you three, you hear me? And Isla, the conversation I overheard was after I saw you dancing with him."
"Oh," she squeaked.
"Exactly. So, chin up. You never know," Kael said, releasing her and turning his focus to Rivka. "And did you dance with any of them? I don't think I saw if you did."
Riv tossed her head back and laughed maniacally. "Oh, did I ever. I nearly forgot! The Faolan heir, what's his name?"
"You mean Ciar?"
"Ah, yeah, sure. Sounds right. Anyway, during our most unpleasant dance, he said he wanted to remove his shirt and reached for a button. I told him that if he so much as touched that button, I'd chop his thumbs off so he'd stop subjecting people to his nudity."
I gasped. "Riv!"
Kael held his side, bent over and wheezing. "That is gold. GOLD! What did the little exhibitionist have to say about that?"
Riv frowned. "He said I was a she-wolf, and then he howled. Drunk off his arse, he was. I told him that Iama fucking she-wolf, and I'd eat him alive if he ever howled in my general vicinity again."
That did it for me. I collapsed on my bed and laughed, picturing the scenario Riv had just painted in my mind. "I- I can't breathe," I forced out between laughs. Kael was wiping his eyes, and perhaps the funniest part of all was the way Isla looked so scandalized.
