Page 32 of The Night Prince 6

“Our mother bled her,” Rhalyf said darkly.

He remembered Minuvae very well. She had been devoted to their mother. Serving her for literally an age. But that hadn’t spared her when their mother discovered her singing. Even though that singing was to their mother’s benefit.

“But why?” Finley’s eyes widened.

“The singing… I think it upset her,” Haera said with another helpless gesture. “Our parents–no one actually–speaks of the before times. We left our old culture behind. All that weakness. All that corruption. But maybe… maybe some good things, too.”

Finley’s eyes went unfocused as he gazed blindly towards the stage. “And now he is playing music again. Odd.” There was a long pause and Rhalyf could almost see Finley’s clever brain working on the problem. Finally, he refocused on them and asked, “Obviously, if he had done so before in your knowledge, you would have said–”

“Oh, yes, and I can assure you that no one–and I mean no one–has ever seen Uncle like this,” Haera assured him with a sharp laugh.

“Everyone has so many beliefs about Vex.” Finley shook his head. “But the more I learn, the more I’m convinced that no one knows him at all.”

“He likes it that way, I’m sure.” Haera shrugged. “The Kindreth have a saying: May your shadow precede you. And his most certainly does.”

“I just can’t believe the two of you never spoke to him…” Finley then bit his lower lip. “But I’m sure you had your reasons.”

Rhalyf expected his sister to eviscerate Finley and he stiffened, ready to come to Finley’s defense. But he was wrong. Again. Instead, she smiled broadly at the young man and ruffled Finley’s hair this time.

“Maybe we aren’t as brave as you are, Finley,” his sister chuckled. “Or maybe Vex simply doesn’t like us as much as he likes you.”

“I wouldn’t presume to say that he likes me.” Finley pursed his lips. “We have some of the same interests, I suppose. One of them being him.”

Rhalyf glared at his sister when she shot him a devilish grin. He knew she thought he was jealous about Finley’s interest in Vex. He wasn’t. Not exactly anyways. Vex was not like other people. It would be like being jealous of Finley’s interest in magic.

Movement at the other end of the table caught his attention.

“It looks like Aquilan could not keep himself from the dance floor,” Rhalyf said with a genuine smile as the Sun King escorted a giggling human woman out into the throng.

“The Sun King… dances?” Haera laughed again, but this time more of a startled chuckle.

“Oh, yes, he loves to dance, to sing, and play instruments. Anything musical is his passion,” Rhalyf said with a fond smile. Then, more grimly, he added, “He is the exact opposite of everything Kindreth I have ever met.”

“Well, perhaps not,” Finley said, squeezing his arm and tilting his head towards Vex.

Rhalyf sighed.

“You know, if the Kindreth nobility saw this, everyone would be taking up musical instruments,” Haera pointed out.

“Yet he has never chosen to play for us,” Rhalyf pointed out.

“He hasn’t, which likely means that this is one of those situations where we’re risking death hearing Uncle play music. If he sings I am making a quick getaway,” she said with a mock shiver.

“It is too late for that,” Rhalyf responded dryly.

After all, he had fled all the way to the Aravae Empire and Vex had found him here. Had, in fact, always known he had been here. And then Vex had come here. Now, he might be here for Declan or Aquilan or simply a vacation, but Rhalyf was certain his own presence here had influenced Vex.

“Oh, my God!” Finley gasped and half rose from his chair. “That’s–that’s–”

“Declan’s on the dance floor!” Gemma pumped a hand in the air.

As Rhalyf watched, Declan claimed the Sun King in front of everyone, including a gaping Rohannan. Elasha had her hands clasped together in front of her and looked to be… crying? But happy tears. Darcassan stared hard as the two beautiful men moved with unparalleled grace over the dance floor.

And then…

“Oh, oh, oh, and they’re kissing!” Gemma fake swooned. “Mom! Dad! We’ve got to go dance too!”

“You just want a closer look at those two,” Michael chuckled.