Page 46 of Royal Hunt
Gregory was being incredibly stubborn, and I wasn’t sure whether to praise him for his efforts or hiss at him to go away. Once it was clear Ellis was preoccupied with Viana, Gregory shadowed me like an errant toddler. It was tempting to give me a piece of my mind, but he made an honorable attempt at talking with some of the heirs, asking tactical questions and even inquiring into some of their history. Once in a while, a small light burned behind his eyes. I knew my childhood friend was curious by nature. If he could overcome his bigotry, he might find he had a lot in common with a few of them. My bet was on the triplets.
While I wanted nothing more than to chase him back toward the other nobles before bed, I didn’t have the heart. So, when Gregory stubbornly threw his two furs down next to mine, I didn’t complain or throw a fit. I simply laid down and huddled against my corner of the wall. He didn’t try to reach for me in any way, and sleep quickly claimed both of us.
* * *
“Hey! Sleeping Beauty!”
My furs were unceremoniously ripped off me, the cold air waking me far more effectively than any words or fists could. Gregory snorted into awareness next to me, thrashing and flailing his arms uselessly. Viana sneered down at him, one boot on his chest pinning him firmly in place.
“I’m not talking to you.” Her silver eyes flashed to me, a slightly worried emotion flitting through them. I sat up immediately.
“Come with me.”
It was still pitch dark, and I wondered if I’d been asleep for hours or simply minutes. Viana led me over to her patch of furs and wordlessly gestured to the twitching lump in front of us. I sucked in a panicked breath.
Viana slumped down next to him, running her hands through her hair. “He’s been like this all night. I’m out of ideas, and he seems to listen to you.”
I wrung my hands, all previous thoughts of jealousy flying out the window. Ellis looked awful. Sweat clung to his brow despite the cold air, and he was clearly deep in the throes of a nightmare.
“I can’t wake him. I can’t do anything.” Viana hissed, her frustration and anxiety clear.
I pointed at her belt. “What about that medicine you were giving him?”
Viana laughed dryly, a dark, maniac sound that made my blood run cold. “Medicine? You think what I have is medicine? It’s—” She stopped, and visibly composed herself. “Never mind. Just … try something.Anything.”
I didn’t see why I’d be able to help where she couldn’t, but I was determined to try. I brushed the damp strands of hair out of his eyes and entwined my fingers into his right hand. He gripped back with a fierceness that wrenched a quiet gasp from me.
“Ellis. Wake up. You’re having a nightmare.”
I could see his eyes moving wildly from behind his eyelids. He’d alluded to nightmares on the night I met him, but what could a pampered prince possibly have nightmares about? Breaking a nail? Running out of mead?
“You’re not real. They’re lying.…”
I bent down, placing my ear as close to his lips as I dared. “What is it? Tell me,” I pleaded with him.
“I’m not worth protecting.…” The words ghosted out of his lips, nothing more than a faint puff of warm air against my jaw. My thumb brushed a calming pattern on the back of his wrist, the same as he’d done to me when the fae had barged in and turned our lives upside down.
His thrashing quieted, and he descended into what I hoped was normal sleep.
“What did he say?” Viana asked, trying to sound casual. The glint in her eyes suggested otherwise. My grip on Ellis’s hand tightened.
“Tell me what’s wrong with him, and I’ll tell you what he said.”
We sized each other up for a moment, neither of us wanting to yield. Her eyes narrowed, then she snorted. “What’s he told you about me?”
I tried to appear nonchalant. Unaffected. It was hard when I was clutching his hand, hovering over him like he was on his deathbed. “Not much. He mentioned he grew up vacationing with you. He said you’re a great fighter … could put him on his ass. We didn’t exactly have much time to chit-chat.”
Her eyes lit happily at this, and I swallowed. “He cares for you,” I admitted. There, I’d said it.
Her eyes rolled. “Obviously. We are best friends. Of a sort. Before this lovely … reunion, I hadn’t seen him in years, though.”
Tense silence descended. Her head tilted to the side. “Ask me already before you explode.”
My mouth opened, and I reconsidered. Then I plunged ahead. It was best to get everything out in the open after all, wasn’t it? “Are you betrothed? Like Ildris and Mellan?”
Viana blanched for a moment, her hand coming up to cover her mouth in horror. Seeing the look on my face, she took a deep breath and schooled herself.
“No. We aren’t betrothed. Not for his lack of trying, though.”
