Page 61 of Taken By Shadows

“Where is home?” I smiled, sipping the floral infusion. I fought the need to tug at my pendant and drank more. The token of my home swirled in my mind as I stood before the male who wore his home on his lapel.

“A mining city west of here. Gallen isn’t as large or as grand as Viverna. But we do have better company.” Tymon chuckled. “We’re not all as twisted as you, Kaedian.”

“Speaking of twisted. Where is your lady wife?” Kaed plastered a grin across his face that quickly fell as he stepped a little closer to me.

I nearly choked on the bubbles of my drink.

But Tymon didn’t bat an eye. “Sapphine will be along.” He sounded resigned to the fact.

We each sipped the pale wine, bubbles fizzed on my lips, and they tingled all the way down to my navel.

How had I not tasted something so sinfully delicious until now? Everything I saw since meeting Kaed had been a new experience. Sometimes good. Sometimes horrific. Sometimes divine.

Maybe it was the wine, but I was beginning to feel jubilant and drunk on the night. The soaring beauty and whimsical lights. The people—even if their stares kept snagging on me. The whole event. It was all more than Shadowfall had ever offered in my entire life there. It was intoxicating.

I took another swig of my wine before upending my glass.

“So has your heinous brother made his presence known, or is it just you this time?” Tymon asked.

Kaed’s brow gloomed into a dark curtain, and I looked between the two males.

Tymon’s light-hearted jab faded as his eyes went dark too. “Kaedian, has your brother been given cause to come here?”

Kaed shifted under the weight of Tymon’s question. “If Hart comes here. I won’t let anything befall this city. My brother would have to go through me first. And we know he can’t do that.” His eyes landed heavily on Tymon as his neck strained against something in his words.

There were questions on top of questions piling high like book stacks in my mind.

“Dearest.” A female of slight build, pale skin and auburn hair slid her arm into Tymon’s. He visibly stiffened at the contact. “Might we leave soon? This affair is quite dull. The company they invite is … lacking.” She trailed off as her eyes darted over every inch of me before narrowing.

Kaed went rigid beside me and his hand on my back strained.

“My, aren’t you unexpected.” Her voice was as sharp as talons.

“Sapphine, I presume?” I wasn’t sure whether to curtsy or shake. So I panicked and did neither.

“I don’t believe we’ve had the pleasure?” the petite redhead said, her eyes wide and blinking at me.

“Oh, Sapphine. How I’ve missed your dulcet tones.” Kaed’s voice had never been thicker with venom. “This is my intended, the Lady Imogen.”

Sapphine looked as though she’d been smacked. But she quickly readjusted her features. “Charmed.” She seemed anything but. “Don’t break this one’s heart, Kaedian. We know your history ...” She trailed off as her eyes swept over me and her lips pinched into a sour smirk. “We can’t all mend as quickly as me.” She patted the lapel of Tymon’s jacket, crushing the silvery blooms.

What? He’d been betrothed to this female? How many marriage opportunities had he had? Pearl’s two heirs and now Sapphine too. It wasn’t going to be my fault if no one believed our betrothal then. Clearly, he had a problem making them stick.

“That sounds like a story worth hearing.” I pressed Kaed. It was a little too entertaining to watch him squirm and I felt a little more free in myself as the wine settled into me.

Kaed upended his flute of wine.

“It was decades ago now, really. But it was quite a mess. He is rather good at creating those.” Sapphine looked at her nails, inspecting them for chips as if completely unbothered by the “mess” she alluded to.

Why did it sound like she enjoyed that fact in some way? Like swirling a cocktail of chaotic ingredients was her drink of choice.

“My dear, must we?” Tymon had clearly heard this one before.

“Kaedian here broke my heart when he rejected our marriage proposal. After his father and mine had already signed and delivered the deed. It was the eve of our celebrations, wasn’t it? I can’t recall.”

From her tone, she recalled just fine. And then some.

“Lucky, your brother, Hart, was more forthcoming with his honour,” Sapphine mused.