Page 58 of Deadly Little Games
I looked up into the buck’s glassy dark eye. I was a lot more comfortable, but that didn’t mean I was any better at climbing on top of them. Before I could request a boost from Elena—I couldn’t imagine Sebastian letting me step into his palm—Sebastian had his hands around my hips, propelling me upward.
I let out an embarrassingyipof surprise, landed across the buck’s back on my stomach, then had to wiggle one leg over before I could sit upright. I blew my hair out of my face, then glared down at Sebastian.
“Really, you’d think you would be better at this by now.”
My glare deepened. “Careful, or I’m going to ride this buck away from you and you can walk.”
With a smirk, he used a low stump to vault up behind me, settling in far too close as he whispered, “Such animals don’t obey terrified masters.”
“I’m not terrified,” I grumbled, then gripped his arm around me as the animal lurched into motion.
Elena’s buck galloped beside us—did buck’s gallop, or was that just horses?—then took the lead. Even at the high-speed, it would take a little while to get to the palace, so I settled in as comfortably as I could. But despite my best efforts I knew my butt was going to be bruised, and I was far too aware of Sebastian right behind me. My magic wasn’t being called out, not yet, but it was still there just beneath the surface. His armaround me felt oddly intimate, and for some reason, I kept remembering him carrying me away from the fae he’d killed to save me.
A fae who was most certainly not what he seemed.
Crispin metus as we arrived at the stable outside the palace. He looked fresh and rested in his crisp white button up, the top few buttons undone. Houndstooth slacks fit him perfectly, and his open waistcoat looked just right with the cobblestones and idyllic greenery. He jogged up beside our mount, plucking me from my place atop its back, then steadying me on the cobblestones.
I winced at the fresh pain in my backside. Elena must have buns of steel to ride around like this all the time.
Crispin looked at Elena as she dismounted, then over at Sebastian, then down at me. “Well? Is somebody going to tell me what happened? Did your giant goblin friend survive?”
“He’s fine.” I stepped away from him. We didn’t think Crispin had lied to us either, but we couldn’t be sure, not until we could confront the king.
It seemed a little foolish now, confronting him in his own palace, but Sebastian seemed confident we would survive.
“Then why do we all look so glum?”
Elena hurried past us, looking more green than glum. “Take them to see my father. I’m going to be sick.”
Crispin watched her retreat around the corner with an eyebrow raised. “I did tell her all those beers would affect her differently than her father’s honeysuckle wine.”
I smiled. If I weren’t so nervous, I might have enjoyed seeing Elena at her worst. Not that I wanted her to suffer,but she seemed so formidable in every other aspect. Seeing her hungover made her more relatable.
Sebastian pressed a hand against the small of my back. “Shall we?”
Crispin bowed his head. “Of course. Though I don’t know what you hope to learn. King Francis is a kind and honest man. Even if he knew of the—” he glanced around, then even though we were alone, finished, “thing, he surely had a good reason for keeping it to himself.”
“We shall be the judge of that,” Sebastian said tersely.
With a hesitant nod, Crispin gestured for us to walk through the nearest door.
As we walked down the long, sunny interior hall with greenery blooming brightly outside every window, my nerves kicked up another notch. Crispin glanced at me, almost as if he could sense it, but he didn’t comment.
We found the king where we had expected, playing chess with his cranky friend Zenith. The king smiled at us, smoothing his hands down his blue embroidered coat. He looked a little older today, more tired, and I wondered if it was just worry over his daughter, or something more. We were about to find out.
Sebastian bowed slightly. “King Francis, I appreciate you allowing me into your lands.”
The king’s red brows rose. “Do not thank me yet. I hope you have a fine excuse for returning my daughter to me in such a condition.”
I glanced back, realizing Crispin had remained by the door, clearly not part of the conversation. I watched him for a heartbeat longer, but he didn’t meet my eyes.
“As you well know,” Sebastian was saying, “Princess Millelena makes her own decisions.”
The king chuckled, breaking some of the tension, and that only seemed to make his buddy Zenith crankier. He glared at me from beneath heavy blond brows, as if I were the true problem.
“May we speak in private?” Sebastian asked.
Zenith seethed at his words, but when the king gestured for him to step outside, he did so without complaint.