music no longer seemed so potent. It didn’t make her want to dance the way it had when Verden had held her hand. She glanced around to try and catch sight of Verden, but he’d vanished.
Others offered their hand and tried to get her to dance, but she shook her head and moved away from the dance floor. There was no way she was going to get dragged into that pit of trouble without a guide; there would be etiquette and unspoken rules that she could only guess at. That and it wasn’t really her kind of music. She much preferred human rock music. Concerts were the best, standing right at the front with everyone, stamping and singing. She missed her life, even though she’d only been pretending to be human. Here, she was pretending to be fairy, and they were all waiting for her to fall over so they could laugh.
“Taryn.” A hand landed on her arm.
Taryn glanced up from the long nails delicately tipped with blue gems and into eyes that were almost white except for the palest tint of pink. The woman had white-blond hair elaborately pinned and braided. Here she was probably considered beautiful—to Taryn she looked freaky, like Halloween meets prom night.
“Can I help you?”
“I knew your mother when she sat at the table.” The woman smiled but didn’t ease her grip.
So did half the Court probably.
“Let us walk and talk,” said the ice blond.
Well, that would be lovely except this woman could be anyone and just being seen with her could ruin the small chance Taryn had of getting her parents home. “I’m sorry, I’m not sure we’ve met. You are?”
The woman laughed. “Did you not see me with the Queen? I am one of her Ladies.”
There were a lot of Ladies around the Queen, and a lot of men—but just because they fawned for attention didn’t mean they liked her or supported her. It could just mean that the Queen had something on them or they wanted a favor only she could grant. Where did the freaky blond fit?
“You need to be seen with me by the Queen or she might think you are interested in her husband and that will not go well for you. At least appear to be aligning yourself with anyone with power. If the King chooses to shower you with attention, then it will at least look like you weren’t seeking it.” The woman began walking, her arm looped through Taryn’s so Taryn had no choice but to follow unless she wanted to make scene. She should have left the Hall of Flowers with Verden. That gossip she could live with.
However, the woman might have a point. She couldn’t afford to piss off the Queen.
“How is your mother?”
“She is well.” As she can be given the situation.
“And your father?” The woman nodded and smiled at a few people as she walked past.
Taryn bit her lip. Her father wanted her mother to return and not risk being caught on the wrong side of the veil, but she wasn’t going to reveal anything of importance to this woman. “My father wishes the best for my mother.”
“She was always stubborn. How stubborn are you, Taryn? I know why you are here, and I know who invited you. What I don’t know is what you are going to do or how far you are willing to go to see your parents reinstated—or at least returned.” The woman stopped and faced her. “Do you have even half your mother’s courage and brains?”
Taryn met the woman’s pale stare even though it chilled her to the core. Fairies could be creepy without even trying hard. “Will half be enough?”
The woman laughed as if Taryn had shared the funniest joke. Others looked over and noticed the exchange. Was that a good thing or a bad thing?
“Come find me tomorrow, and I shall help you with your wardrobe. I owe your mother a favor, and I shall consider it paid if I make you more presentable.”
“And who shall I ask for?”
“Sulia. I hope your mother mentioned me.”
Was that an invitation to pry? What choice did she have? She needed to know whose side Sulia was on and if she could trust her. So she
Others offered their hand and tried to get her to dance, but she shook her head and moved away from the dance floor. There was no way she was going to get dragged into that pit of trouble without a guide; there would be etiquette and unspoken rules that she could only guess at. That and it wasn’t really her kind of music. She much preferred human rock music. Concerts were the best, standing right at the front with everyone, stamping and singing. She missed her life, even though she’d only been pretending to be human. Here, she was pretending to be fairy, and they were all waiting for her to fall over so they could laugh.
“Taryn.” A hand landed on her arm.
Taryn glanced up from the long nails delicately tipped with blue gems and into eyes that were almost white except for the palest tint of pink. The woman had white-blond hair elaborately pinned and braided. Here she was probably considered beautiful—to Taryn she looked freaky, like Halloween meets prom night.
“Can I help you?”
“I knew your mother when she sat at the table.” The woman smiled but didn’t ease her grip.
So did half the Court probably.
“Let us walk and talk,” said the ice blond.
Well, that would be lovely except this woman could be anyone and just being seen with her could ruin the small chance Taryn had of getting her parents home. “I’m sorry, I’m not sure we’ve met. You are?”
The woman laughed. “Did you not see me with the Queen? I am one of her Ladies.”
There were a lot of Ladies around the Queen, and a lot of men—but just because they fawned for attention didn’t mean they liked her or supported her. It could just mean that the Queen had something on them or they wanted a favor only she could grant. Where did the freaky blond fit?
“You need to be seen with me by the Queen or she might think you are interested in her husband and that will not go well for you. At least appear to be aligning yourself with anyone with power. If the King chooses to shower you with attention, then it will at least look like you weren’t seeking it.” The woman began walking, her arm looped through Taryn’s so Taryn had no choice but to follow unless she wanted to make scene. She should have left the Hall of Flowers with Verden. That gossip she could live with.
However, the woman might have a point. She couldn’t afford to piss off the Queen.
“How is your mother?”
“She is well.” As she can be given the situation.
“And your father?” The woman nodded and smiled at a few people as she walked past.
Taryn bit her lip. Her father wanted her mother to return and not risk being caught on the wrong side of the veil, but she wasn’t going to reveal anything of importance to this woman. “My father wishes the best for my mother.”
“She was always stubborn. How stubborn are you, Taryn? I know why you are here, and I know who invited you. What I don’t know is what you are going to do or how far you are willing to go to see your parents reinstated—or at least returned.” The woman stopped and faced her. “Do you have even half your mother’s courage and brains?”
Taryn met the woman’s pale stare even though it chilled her to the core. Fairies could be creepy without even trying hard. “Will half be enough?”
The woman laughed as if Taryn had shared the funniest joke. Others looked over and noticed the exchange. Was that a good thing or a bad thing?
“Come find me tomorrow, and I shall help you with your wardrobe. I owe your mother a favor, and I shall consider it paid if I make you more presentable.”
“And who shall I ask for?”
“Sulia. I hope your mother mentioned me.”
Was that an invitation to pry? What choice did she have? She needed to know whose side Sulia was on and if she could trust her. So she
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