Page 52

Quin’s gaze flickers with amusement and something else entirely—something full of suppressed energy, something that has my breath hitching. “And what kind of person is Calix Solin?”

My mind flashes to Maskios, the moment his arrow pierced my sleeve, and I stir sharply.

“Please excuse me. My friend seems to be engaged in some kind of commotion with that peacock. I should—”

Quin calls to the scarred aklo behind the curtain, and footsteps recede. “He’ll bring your friend to join us.”

No!I smile with as much politeness as I can muster. “I surely can’t impose on your—”

“You’re my guest of honour.”

I dart my eyes around for another excuse. Nothing to offend. I wouldn’t want him tossing me out and affecting the judgement of others. I need to get back to friendship forging.

I raise my fingers to my forehead and feign a wince when Quin looks over at me. “Warm,” I say croakily. “Might be coming down with fever.”

“Oh dear,” he says. “Let me guess, you want to magic it away yourself, but you’ve indulged in too much wine?”

I cough in surprise. Has he caught on, or is this true sympathy? I hope for the best and nod. “I shouldhateyou to catch anything.”

“And I shouldhateyou walking to your accommodations in this cold.” His smile gleams. “Stay here. I’ll have a vitalian tend—”

I hold up a hand, silently begging the heavens for him to stop. “False alarm. Must’ve been the excitement.”

Quin’s lips twist and he raises his glass. “In that case, here’s to an evening getting to know you,Calix Solin.”

A slinky nervous shiver steals down my middle.

Akilah comes flying through the curtains, catching herself on the table. She quickly takes in her surroundings. “Calix,” she says a little woodenly. “There you are!” Her eyes swing between Quin and me, and she continues, “That popinjay told me I was highly improper for a gentleman. Gosh, what would he say if—”

I elbow her and she oofs. “Right. Yes. This aklo told me you were invited up here for drinks.” For the first time all evening, she’s wary as she eyes Quin.

He lounges in his chair, watching us, the rim of his cup delicately balanced between two fingers. His brow lifts, and I introduce ‘Ilios’, who he acknowledges barely, his gaze rooting on me.

Akilah sends a look my way and I shake my head minutely.

Quin eyes our silent exchange and then smiles at ‘Ilios’. “Another drink?”

Another and she’ll be done for. I have her wrist under the table; already her pulse is sluggish with drunken fatigue.

Akilah sees wine as a silver lining of this predicament and greedily accepts the cup. If she does pass out... maybe I should join her. That at least would be a way out of this.

I hold my cup out for a refill. Quin eyes it calculatingly and smiles as he pours. A meagre slosh only. I stare at the disappointing volume.

“Tell me more about where you come from, Calix.”

The closer I keep to truth, the better. Maskios and I didn’t talk much about his background, now that I think about it. I bring up every detail he ever gave me about Hinsard, but I’m just firing the same frustratingly short answers that he gave me when I asked.

“I’m also familiar with Hinsard,” Quin says, and my heartrate spikes. I squeeze my cup and remind myself it doesn’t all have to be lies. I visited Hinsard as a child; I can use my own memories.

“The rivers, the woods,” I murmur. “There’s even violet oak.”

Quin’s stare lingers, and he sinks back. “There’s a particular festival there. You must know it.”

I swallow.

Quin clicks his fingers searchingly—“What’s the name of it? Remind me?”

There’s a dark twinkle in his eye, and my heart rams in my chest. “Hinsard is a wonder of the kingdom,” I hedge. “Just about everything is famous. Like, the lovelight festival.” The entire kingdom celebrates that—it’s not the particular festival he’s fishing for, but as long as it moves the conversation on. “It’s second only to our capital. Have you given your lovelight?”