you.”
Isolde swaggered up to him. “Not if they know what’s good for—”
I slapped my hand over her mouth and dragged her stumbling. “We’ll leave you to your work.”
Vicious brat that she was, Isolde bit my middle finger once the guard was out of sight.
“What did you do that for?” She spit. “He was being an arse.”
“You were being obnoxious.” I thumped her on the head. “You could have gotten us killed.”
“You’re the maven’s only daughter.” Her eyes sparkled. “Your father would cut him to bits.”
Sudden pain lanced my heart. “He is not a topic for discussion.”
“Fine.” She danced ahead of me. “If he were my father, I would discuss him all the time.”
“ Huh.” I shot her a sour look. “You mean like you do now?”
“He’s a famous swordsman.” Her voice lowered. “I heard he eats the hearts of his enemies.”
I wrinkled my nose. “He isn’t Mimetidae.”
“Can you imagine if he was?” She twirled, sword in hand. “Then he would be a cannibal.”
“You are insane.” I ducked when I got too close to her. “Put that away before you cut yourself.”
“You are the opposite of fun.” She lowered her weapon. “How is it we’re even friends?”
I rolled my eyes. “We are friends because you need a keeper.”
She elbowed me in the side. “I do not.”
“ What would you do without me?” I jabbed her back. “Besides run wild and gamble?”
“Bah.” She darted aside. “Everyone needs to run wild once in a while.”
I lunged for her. “What about gambling?”
“No.” She spun out of my grasp. “Only fools gamble when the outcome is unknown.”
Her meaning dawned on me. “You cheat?”
“No. Not exactly.” She bit her lip. “Well, yes.”
“Well , that explains it then,” a graveled voice boomed down the tunnel.
We froze at the sound.
Isolde ran to my side and drew the sword, aiming it at the shadow approaching us.
“State your business,” she barked.
“I heard two silly girls giggling in the hall and came to escort them back to their playroom.”
Heat ignited in my cheeks. “We came to return this sword to its rightful owner.”
“That would be me.” He sounded amused. “As I’m sure your friend will attest to.”
“That’s him all right,” Isolde groused. “Here. Have your sticker.”
I shut my eyes when she flung it at him.
“Gods’ web,” he cursed. “It’s not a sticker, it’s a fencing sword.”
He sounded…not skewered…so I peeked out at him.
The guard wore his hair cropped so close I was unsure of its color. The minimal style was harsh by Araneidae standards, but it suited his rugged features. His nose was sharp, his chin square, and his cheeks were too high. He was not the most attractive male I had ever seen, but his eyes reminded me of the rich chocolates Isolde had so brashly suggested we taste. There was a hint of wildness in them.
He caught me staring and returned my frank assessment. “You’re the maven’s daughter.”
“Her name is Reine,” Isolde growled. “She is more than a placeholder for a title.”
“Excuse me, Reine.” He bowed at the waist. “I should have said, ‘You are the loveliest female I have had the pleasure of insulting since my arrival, and you bear a stark resemblance to the maven.’”
“Then I might have said, ‘Thank you. The maven is indeed my mother, and my name is Reine.’”
“Then I might have returned—” He laughed. “I mean to say, it is a pleasure to meet you.”
Isolde tapped a finger against her lips. “You’re new to Erania, then?”
He nodded. “Just arrived.”
“Huh.” She cut her eyes at me. “Then Reine should give you a tour.”
“Isolde,” I gritted from between clenched teeth.
“It’s quite all right.” He raked his thumbnail across the deep grooves etched in the rapier’s hilt. “I’m sure Uncle will show me around the city in time. He keeps very busy, but he must eventually.”
I couldn’t believe what
Isolde swaggered up to him. “Not if they know what’s good for—”
I slapped my hand over her mouth and dragged her stumbling. “We’ll leave you to your work.”
Vicious brat that she was, Isolde bit my middle finger once the guard was out of sight.
“What did you do that for?” She spit. “He was being an arse.”
“You were being obnoxious.” I thumped her on the head. “You could have gotten us killed.”
“You’re the maven’s only daughter.” Her eyes sparkled. “Your father would cut him to bits.”
Sudden pain lanced my heart. “He is not a topic for discussion.”
“Fine.” She danced ahead of me. “If he were my father, I would discuss him all the time.”
“ Huh.” I shot her a sour look. “You mean like you do now?”
“He’s a famous swordsman.” Her voice lowered. “I heard he eats the hearts of his enemies.”
I wrinkled my nose. “He isn’t Mimetidae.”
“Can you imagine if he was?” She twirled, sword in hand. “Then he would be a cannibal.”
“You are insane.” I ducked when I got too close to her. “Put that away before you cut yourself.”
“You are the opposite of fun.” She lowered her weapon. “How is it we’re even friends?”
I rolled my eyes. “We are friends because you need a keeper.”
She elbowed me in the side. “I do not.”
“ What would you do without me?” I jabbed her back. “Besides run wild and gamble?”
“Bah.” She darted aside. “Everyone needs to run wild once in a while.”
I lunged for her. “What about gambling?”
“No.” She spun out of my grasp. “Only fools gamble when the outcome is unknown.”
Her meaning dawned on me. “You cheat?”
“No. Not exactly.” She bit her lip. “Well, yes.”
“Well , that explains it then,” a graveled voice boomed down the tunnel.
We froze at the sound.
Isolde ran to my side and drew the sword, aiming it at the shadow approaching us.
“State your business,” she barked.
“I heard two silly girls giggling in the hall and came to escort them back to their playroom.”
Heat ignited in my cheeks. “We came to return this sword to its rightful owner.”
“That would be me.” He sounded amused. “As I’m sure your friend will attest to.”
“That’s him all right,” Isolde groused. “Here. Have your sticker.”
I shut my eyes when she flung it at him.
“Gods’ web,” he cursed. “It’s not a sticker, it’s a fencing sword.”
He sounded…not skewered…so I peeked out at him.
The guard wore his hair cropped so close I was unsure of its color. The minimal style was harsh by Araneidae standards, but it suited his rugged features. His nose was sharp, his chin square, and his cheeks were too high. He was not the most attractive male I had ever seen, but his eyes reminded me of the rich chocolates Isolde had so brashly suggested we taste. There was a hint of wildness in them.
He caught me staring and returned my frank assessment. “You’re the maven’s daughter.”
“Her name is Reine,” Isolde growled. “She is more than a placeholder for a title.”
“Excuse me, Reine.” He bowed at the waist. “I should have said, ‘You are the loveliest female I have had the pleasure of insulting since my arrival, and you bear a stark resemblance to the maven.’”
“Then I might have said, ‘Thank you. The maven is indeed my mother, and my name is Reine.’”
“Then I might have returned—” He laughed. “I mean to say, it is a pleasure to meet you.”
Isolde tapped a finger against her lips. “You’re new to Erania, then?”
He nodded. “Just arrived.”
“Huh.” She cut her eyes at me. “Then Reine should give you a tour.”
“Isolde,” I gritted from between clenched teeth.
“It’s quite all right.” He raked his thumbnail across the deep grooves etched in the rapier’s hilt. “I’m sure Uncle will show me around the city in time. He keeps very busy, but he must eventually.”
I couldn’t believe what
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