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Kato grumbled, “Why does everything always have to be about the women in the room? Couldn’t we, I don’t know, maybe just talk about us men for one solitary moment?”

“You’ve been talking about Eula for the last 20 minutes,” Skye pointed out.

“And we could all be in very real danger right now,” Aiden explained. “This doesn’t happen. Them—talking to each other. No one’s screaming, nothing is being thrown… Seriously, should one of us go check? My sister is really good at glamours. They might not even still be in the room.”

“Something’s weird with you,” Kato said, staring at Skye through bleary eyes. “You smell, how should I put this delicately… morefrustratedthan usual.”

Hewasfrustrated. It had been too long since he’d had sex. Eighteen months—no, nineteen? Shit. When was the last time? The winter ball in Misthaven, maybe? With a dark-eyed redhead also looking for an excuse to duck out on the festivities. She’d mounted him on a garden bench. Quick, dirty, done.

He was out of practice. And now with every moment that passed, Aimee was over there convincing Taly that he would never be able to satisfy her when really all he needed was a chance to warm up first.

The corset wasn’t helping. The corset might actually kill him before the end of the night. Too much blood flowing below the waist rather than above it.

Aiden said, “Their lips are moving.” Skye sat up. “They’re talking about… shoes? Does Taly like shoes.”

“She wears them,” Skye said. “Holy shit, they’re laughing.”

Aiden shook his head. “One of them is definitely dead.”

“Or just really drunk.” Kato pointed to the end of the bar. “That group has bought them four rounds now.”

“Oh my Shards.” Taly whirled and put her back to the bar.

“Subtle,” Aimee said. “That, what you did there, totally natural.”

“Shut up,” Taly hissed, but Aimee giggled into her glass.

“Is that really him?”

Taly risked a peek over her shoulder. “Yup. That’s him.”

The group that had been sending them drinks all night—she’d finally figured out why.

“I’m going to call them over.”

“Don’t you dare.”

But Aimee ignored her, waving, then laughing at Taly’s panicked expression when two men peeled away from the group to make their way over.

Taly slapped her hand down. “What are you doing?”

“Getting you laid,” Aimee whispered gleefully. “Here.” She undid another of the buttons on Taly’s blouse.

“Stop it.”

“And then just a little adjustment there…” Blue glowed around Aimee’s fingers.

“Seriously, did you just make my breasts bigger?” Taly batted her hands away.

The two men approached. They were handsome in that way that all Fey were handsome. Lowborn, but their fine clothing indicated wealth.

“Swift,” the older of the two said, holding out a hand to Taly, who took it gingerly while Aimee grinned in the background. He was tall, with broad shoulders, black hair, and laughingviolet eyes. “And this,” he said, gesturing to his golden-haired companion…

“Ren,” Taly said, and it wasn’t as hard as she’d been expecting to force a smile. It came naturally, and she immediately found herself pulled into the arms of a man she hadn’t seen since the day she ran away from him covered in blood.

He twirled her around, lifting her off her feet. Taly was laughing, breathless, when he set her down.

“I was afraid you wouldn’t remember,” he said, grinning broadly.