Royal Decoy (Fate of Eyrinthia Book 1) by Heather Frost

Author:Heather Frost [Frost, Heather]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Published: 2020-06-18T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter 22

Eliot

The Thorn was packed tonight. People swarmed the common room, voices booming, and music poured from the musicians in the corner. There were no empty tables, so Eliot stood against the back wall. With the King’s Ball set for tomorrow night, the whole city was in a festive mood.

Eliot couldn’t fight his scowl as Michael, his best friend, went to grab them drinks at the crowded bar. He’d been scowling since he’d received the letter from Clare, each word pounding inside his skull. Snatches of it repeated constantly. I’m doing well. The princess’s bodyguards have my confidence.

Eliot didn’t trust anyone to keep Clare safe in that den of vipers—certainly not the princess’s lead bodyguard, Markam.

Don’t worry. I’m safe.

She wasn’t safe. Eliot knew the danger anyone close to the princess faced. Fates, the same day Clare had left to live at the castle, Eliot had learned about an attack on a royal carriage. He’d known it was the carriage that had taken her away. He’d quizzed his captain in the city guard until he’d learned that a castle maid had been involved in the attack, but that she had escaped with her life.

Eliot hadn’t had a good night’s sleep since.

“Are you going to tell me what’s bothering you?” Michael asked, his voice rising over the din.

Eliot straightened and accepted the offered tankard. He’d been so distracted by his thoughts he hadn’t noticed Michael’s return. “Nothing. I’m fine.”

Michael was a head taller than Eliot and his accent was slightly rounded from growing up near Mortise. He had a thicker build and lighter skin, but they were brothers in all but blood. His brown hair curled over his brow, nearly shielding his green eyes. He usually wore a grin, but at the moment his square face was pulled into a frown. Eliot hated lying to him, but he didn’t want Michael to know about Clare’s new position in the castle.

When Michael continued to eye him, Eliot snorted. “It’s nothing. One of my moods. You know me.”

“I do, which is why I’m worried.” Michael shifted, thumbing the mug’s worn handle. “You’ve been moody for weeks. If the concern is more coin for your family, I’ve always said you can take some of my wages.”

Eliot took a sip of the biting drink. Temptation licked at him, but he knew Clare wouldn’t reconsider, even if he could give her more coin. She was too stubborn. “No, thank you.”

Michael’s brow furrowed, but he didn’t press. Eliot took another swallow and the ale warmed through him, bringing him muted peace like a good drink always did.

Men shifted around them, laughing and bellowing at each other, elbows and shoulders knocking. Eliot shielded his drink from a red-faced man who staggered close, and by the time he passed, Geflin and Paven were standing before them, gripping drinks of their own.

Eliot straightened. The ale he’d drunk settled in his empty stomach and exacerbated the hollowness that had been there since he’d read Clare’s letter, but he needed to put that from his mind and focus on the issue at hand—because certainly, there was an issue.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.