Protect the Prince (Crown of Shards #2)(96)

She shrugged. “Nice is nice, isn’t it?”

I sighed. Sometimes, I thought my friend was a little too matter-of-fact.

Paloma grinned, as did the ogre on her neck, but the expression slowly evaporated from both their faces. “Are you ready for this?”

She was talking about far more than the ball. Hopefully, tonight we would catch Helene in the act of conspiring against the Ripleys and end the threat to Heinrich and Dominic.

“I thought you were going to stop asking me that,” I teased, trying to lighten the mood.

She arched an eyebrow. “Maybe I will, when you finally quit doing such new, grand, and important things.”

I rolled my eyes, but I was grinning too.

I thanked Calandre and her sisters again and headed out into the hallway, where several Bellonan guards were waiting. Paloma stepped up beside me, and we strolled through the palace, with Calandre and her sisters trailing us, along with the guards. It didn’t take us long to reach the hallway that led to the throne room.

The doors were wide open, and scores of nobles were already inside, talking, laughing, eating, and drinking, while servants moved all around them. The royal ball was already well under way.

I sent Calandre and her sisters on ahead, along with the guards, and told them all to have a good time. Then I walked over to a small alcove where Cho, Serilda, and Xenia were waiting.

Calandre and her sisters had also worked their magic on my other friends. Cho was wearing his usual red jacket and ruffled white shirt, although these were made of fine material, and his jacket featured gold buttons stamped with dragon heads.

Serilda looked beautiful in a white ball gown patterned with her swan crest. Each small swan was done in black thread, with tiny blue tearstones for its eye and beak, just like the pendant hanging from her neck. A black velvet belt studded with thin silver knives was cinched around her waist. I wasn’t the only one who’d wanted to have a weapon handy tonight.

Xenia also looked lovely in a dark green gown trimmed with silver thread. She was clutching her silver ogre cane like usual, which was the only weapon she needed.

“Is everything ready?” I asked.

Xenia nodded. “Halvar and Bjarni are already inside. Halvar will shadow Dominic, while Bjarni will do the same to Heinrich. If anyone tries to harm the prince or the king, then Halvar and Bjarni will stop them.”

“Paloma and I will watch Helene,” Cho added. “And see who she talks to.”

“And I’ll watch Evie’s back,” Serilda chimed in.

I nodded. “Good luck.”

Cho, Xenia, and Paloma headed toward the ballroom, but Serilda stayed behind in the alcove.

She looked me up and down. “I had my doubts about Calandre being your thread master, but she did an outstanding job. You look beautiful, Evie.”

I gestured at her gown. “As do you. It seems as though we’re both black swans tonight.”

Serilda smiled at my joke, then stared into the throne room. Her blue gaze grew soft and dreamy, as though she was looking at something very far away, and the hard, sharp scent of her magic, like coldiron mixed with blood, filled the air.

“What possibilities are you seeing?” I asked. “Will we catch the traitor tonight?”

Serilda shook her head. “It’s too early to tell. My magic isn’t . . . exact. Every choice a person makes ends a dozen possibilities and opens up a dozen more. I’m sorry, Evie. I know that’s not what you wanted to hear.”

No, it wasn’t, but I nodded in understanding. Serilda squeezed my hand, then headed into the ball.

That left me standing alone in the alcove. I drew in a breath, then slowly let it out, pushing away my fear, worry, and dread along with it. Then, when I was ready, I walked down the hall and through the open doors.

On a normal day, the throne room was impressive enough, but Heinrich had really had the servants go all out for the ball. The floor and walls had been polished to such a high gloss that they seemed as smooth as glass, while the gray and white diamonds in the jet chandeliers cast out radiant sprays of light.

Strings of tiny gray and white fluorestones had been wrapped around the columns, along with the second-floor balcony railing. The fluorestones’ soft, muted glows highlighted the snarling gargoyles embedded in the stone columns and made their silver faces and jeweled eyes flicker and flash like fire. The gargoyles seemed as lifelike as the gladiators in the tearstone columns at Seven Spire, and I half expected one of the creatures to swipe out at me with its paw.

Nobles wearing formal jackets and ball gowns were clustered in groups, still talking, laughing, eating, and drinking. Servants carrying trays of food and drinks moved from the refreshment tables along the walls, through the crowd, and back again. Guards also lined the walls, making sure that everything was proceeding as planned. Over in the back corner, close to the raised dais, more than a dozen musicians played various instruments. Soft trills of music floated through the air, although no one was dancing yet.

But perhaps the most eye-catching things were the two enormous banners hanging on the wall on either side of the throne. One of the banners boasted the Ripley snarling-gargoyle crest done in glittering silver thread on a black background, while the other banner featured my crown-of-shards crest, also done in silver thread, but on a midnight-blue background.

The banners reminded me yet again that tonight would probably determine not only my and Dominic’s fates but the fates of our kingdoms as well. My stomach twisted at the thought, but I fixed my usual bland, benign smile on my face.