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"Is that supposed to mean something to me?" I tossed over my shoulder. "I told you I'm not leaving before I find him."
Castle gossip would serve me well this dawn. I'd overheard the maydins saying they spotted the dust licking prince at some depraved tavern called The Crowned Bastard. I blushed at the name. It was crass and inappropriate. All I had to do was leave the castle through the gardens, slip into a side street paved with lavender stones, and fly until I reached the gilded doors. Then, I needed to say the magic words, and I'd be allowed in. I stomped on, determined to find the karraba eating prince and give him a piece of my mind.
"This is dangerous," Kianga said. "You heard the maydins. He's more pirate than prince. You don't know how he'll react. What if you don't survive the encounter?"
I said nothing. I'd thought about it. But nothing could match my fury at his utter disregard. His lack of appearance wasn't just dishonorable to me. He'd disgraced our entire kingdom. He was the crowned heir of Avari, and by choosing not to be present, he effectively said Azizi could kiss his rhèr because we weren't worth his time.
I flared with indignation. That good-for-nothing balls for brains was about to learn something new this dawn.
We scurried out of the side door that led to one of the gardens. I prayed it would take me to the side street leading to The Crowned Bastard. When I stepped outside, Avarien air rammed into me like a heated hammer. Searot. It was blazing hot! I fanned my face, growing even more irritable, as my scales grew hot as fire. I noticed Kianga struggling with the heat, too. How the Avariens managed this hellish existence each dawn was beyond either of us. I took another step and ran into my retinue of Seaveillers.
"Rot," I grumbled.
"We can't let you leave, Princess Raeshelle."
Getting past Terfitti was going to be a special kind of hells. My Seaveillers stood behind her, hands on their tridents as if prepared for battle. I bit my lip. I had to get to that tavern.
"Terfitti, step aside. I am going."
Terfitti squared her jaw, spreading her stance. The stubborn headed shell eater.
"We have strict orders from King Au'Pearl?—"
"Payè wouldn't have agreed to you shackling me like some Condemned," I snapped. "Terfitti, move."
Kianga whistled low. "I told you to leave this to me, but you never listen."
Terfitti snarled, lifting her chin.
"Enough," I stomped a foot. "Get out of my way. Stop me and your heads will be on tridents when we get home."
Scurrying past them as they stood in the gardens with their jaws hanging, I stumbled out onto a side street and turned down the walkway with lavender stones. I trailed them until I found the gilded door. I knocked twice.
"Password."
"I am a bastard."
A grunt and shuffle sounded, then the door swung wide. A burly angel filled the doorway with a petite angel hanging on his arm. I flushed, guessing what they'd been up to.
"So the sea princess wants some Avarien fun, huh?"
I knew enough to not give my identity away lest I draw too much attention.
"If you think I'm the princess, you're as daft as you look." I lifted my chin, eyes burning into his. His smile wavered. "I am an Ayella-in-waiting, an attendant of our princess. Surely you know more of Azizi than this?"
He blinked. Before I could be caught on my bluff, I spoke again.
"Will you let me in or not?"
"Come in, seastress."
The angel grinned, but I ignored him and the heat flaming my cheeks at the scandalous title. I brushed past him and looked around. The Crowned Bastard was larger than I expected. The foyer bled into side rooms while a wide ramp led upstairs.
"Where is the prince? Yakobba, to be clear. Not Ishaèli."
"Almost every pretty little thing like you comes for the unwanted prince whose shaved rhèr sits wrongfully on our throne. Few have the gall to come for the bastard one." He wriggled his brows. "Follow the columns to the back and you'll find him." He paused. "Hopefully alone. That one is a rascal who likes his fun."
The burly angel winked and turned back to the angel still clinging to him. The moment the sucking sounds began, I took off. Toward the very back of the tavern, I found a spacious booth that was looked empty. Except... I could feel there were angels here. I'd seen this before. An invisibility cloud. It stifled out sight and sound, keeping others from being able to eavesdrop or spy.
