Sign of the Throne: Book One in the Solas Beir Trilogy by Melissa Eskue Ousley

exactly,” Abby said, staring at her slippers as she shifted her feet. “Not a date date, you know, but more of an I-want-to-go-but-I’m-terrified-to-go-alone-and-I-need-my-best-friend kind of date.”
    “Hmmmm,” Jon feigned disappointment. “Well, when you put it that way, it’s just soooo appealing. I guess I’ll have to check my calendar and see if I have any prior engagements…”
    She looked up at him. “ Jon .”
    Truth be told, he was a little disappointed—he wouldn’t have minded a real date, but he hid his feelings with a grin. “Kidding. I’d be honored to escort you, m’lady. What do I have to wear?”
    “It’s black tie, so you’d have to rent a tux,” Abby said. “I’d be happy to pay for it though, since I’m the one asking you to come.”
    “Eh—no worries. I think I can cover it,” Jon said. “My job pays really well.”
    Abby laughed. There was a hole in the hem of his T-shirt. She stuck her finger through the hole and tugged on the fabric. “Oh yes, you are just rolling in dough, aren’t you?”
    Jon shoved her hand away. “Hey—no messing with my shirt. It’s vintage.”
    “That’s one way to describe it,” Abby teased. “Anyway, Cassandra said they’re hiring a car and will come pick us up. It’s not that far away, but in heels…oh, and also they needed to rent a nicer car because Aunt Moira is coming. Apparently Riordan’s car isn’t quite up to her standards.”
    “What a lovely woman,” Jon said. “How do you feel about her coming?”
    Abby shrugged. “Awkward, but we don’t see each other too much. I think she’s moved from hating me to pretending I don’t exist.”
    Jon frowned. “I don’t get it—what’s her problem?”
    “I have no idea,” Abby said. “I thought I was a pretty charming person. Even more so, considering how her face twists up with disgust every time she sees me.”
    “Obviously the fault lies with her—you are nothing if not charming,” Jon said, taking Abby’s hand.
    “Thanks,” she said, squeezing his hand.
    Jon smiled. “I say we turn the tables and ignore her . We’ll have a good time just to spite her.”
    Abby nodded in agreement.
    Jon looked at Abby. It bothered him that Moira was rude to her. He hadn’t met the woman, but he hoped she would be nice to Abby at the Autumn Ball. Abby was a sweet girl, and she deserved to have fun. Jon was going to have to set Moira straight if the woman had anything rude to say to Abby when he was around.
    He was glad Abby had asked him to go, and not just because he wanted to protect her from a cranky old lady. He looked forward to what promised to be an amazing night with his best friend, even if it wasn’t a real date. But there was another reason he was excited to attend the ball. It was the reason he’d woken Abby up and asked her to sneak out with him. But now that she was sitting beside him, he was a little unsure about how to approach the topic. What if he hurt her feelings? He sat beside her in silence for a few minutes. She was looking up at the night sky, watching the stars. Finally he decided to go for it.
    “Abby?” Jon asked.
    “Yeah?” She turned to look at him.
    “Do you think Marisol will be at the Autumn Ball?”
    Abby stared at Jon. “Probably. Why do you ask?”
    “Oh, just…something interesting happened today,” he said.
    Abby raised her eyebrows and let go of his hand. “Define interesting .”
    “Well, you were gone, and I don’t know where Michal and Monroe were, but my shift was over and I was getting ready to leave, and…”
    “And?” Abby asked impatiently.
    Jon grinned mischievously. He could tell by Abby’s tone of voice that the suspense was killing her. “And Marisol came up and we just started talking,” Jon said. “It was nice. She’s kind of different when her friends aren’t around.”
    Abby smiled. “I thought maybe she liked you. So, what did you talk about?”
    “Oh, I don’t know,” Jon said, relieved that Abby