Ebry was carrying a tray with a pitcher of wine and two cups when Edmon opened the door for Zandrue and let her into the salon. Ebry gave a low curtsy while not sloshing any of the wine. Zandrue was impressed. She wasn’t sure she’d be able to do that even if she were sober.


    Ebry curtsied again.


    After the concert in the afternoon, she had gone with Annai, Tianna, and La?nne back to Annai’s apartments, where they had sung The Princess and the Squirrel together, as well as numerous other even more risqué songs—and they’d drunk quite a bit of wine. It had been a great opportunity to loosen up. Even Tianna had loosened up a little.


    Unfortunately, that loosening up was not good for climbing narrow, winding stairs with trays full of wine. Every step she took caused the wine to slosh over the edge of the pitcher. The tray ended up with a significant puddle of wine on it. She hoped his Grace wasn’t offended—or maybe she hoped he was offended. That might even be funny.


    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    He was good. Though why did he suspect it? Shit, did he know she wasn’t human? Fuck, that would be bad. What could she do to put him off the scent? Oh, scent. She didn’t have his scent yet. Maybe she should get that. Damn, the wine was taking over again.


    You do suspect, don’t you, you old dog? Well, she wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of being proved right. “Do you think it might have been Dyle or other Darkers he might have with him?”


    “He is?” Shit, she shouldn’t have said that. Gods, Ardon was going to be a problem. He’d planned this meeting knowing full well she would have been drinking.