The Blood Spell (Ravenspire, #4)(73)
Another boat was docking while the black ship from Llorenyae approached. A fancy dark blue craft with brass trimming and the crest of Súndraille’s ruling family on its bow. Blue was surprised to see Kellan, Nessa, and the queen, all dressed in formal afternoon attire, standing at attention in the center of the dock where the blue ship was being tied to several posts. A dozen royal guards surrounded them, keeping onlookers at bay.
Nessa was looking at everything, a huge grin on her face. When her eyes found Blue, she lit up and waved Blue over. Blue hesitated, shaking her head, but the queen noticed and lifted her hand in a regal summoning. Quickly, Blue crossed the dock until she was beside the royal family. She risked one glance at Kellan, found his warm brown eyes on hers, and quickly looked at the queen instead before the telltale racing of her heart could somehow show on her face.
“Blue, I’m glad to see you here, though we can’t talk long. The royals from Súndraille will be disembarking soon as part of their tour of the western kingdoms, and we’ll need to greet them and escort them to the castle.”
“It’s good to see you too, Your Majesty.” Blue curtsied.
The queen smiled. “I wanted to thank you for the headache cream you created for me. It’s worked wonders.”
Blue returned her smile. “I’m so glad. I thought moss glider venom might be the key. I can get more next week and make another batch if you’d like.”
“Moss glider venom?” Kellan’s voice sounded strangled. “You put lethal snake venom in a cream and gave it to my mother?”
Blue frowned at him. “It has numbing properties.”
“It has killing properties.”
She tapped her foot impatiently. “It’s a perfectly safe dosage. I tried it on myself three times to be sure.”
His eyes widened. “You tried it on yourself? You’re nearly half her height!”
“Which is why I knew if it didn’t kill me, it wouldn’t kill her.”
“And you call me reckless.” He glared at her, but she could see the worry and care in his eyes.
Praying his mother couldn’t read his face as easily as she could, she said quietly, “I’m fine. And your mother’s headaches are better. Everyone’s happy.”
He didn’t look happy. He looked miserable. She understood the feeling perfectly. It was awful to stand next to him and be aware of every bit of space between them. Awful to long for him and make herself turn away.
The slap of a gangplank hitting the dock brought Blue to her senses. Tearing her gaze away from Kellan’s, she turned to see a young man who looked around Kellan’s age and a girl with long, sun-streaked brown hair and a wide, easy smile walking toward them. Quickly, Blue moved out of the way so the royal families could greet each other. Nessa caught her eye, her hands discreetly signing.
Why is Kellan mad at you?
Because he thought she’d risked both herself and her mother. Because he had to greet royals and go choose a bride instead of spending time with Blue.
Because her emotions had been too easy to read, and he knew she longed for him too.
She gave Nessa a little smile and signed, He was just worried.
He worries about you a lot.
Blue didn’t know what to say to that. The pair from Súndraille reached the royal family, and Nessa turned her attention to them.
A page raised his voice and said, “Your Majesties Queen Adelene, Prince Kellan, and Princess Vanessa of Balavata, may I present Their Royal Highnesses Thaddeus and Arianna Glavan of Súndraille.”
While the families greeted each other, Blue turned to find the black Llorenyae ship docked and its passengers disembarking. There were a few merchants, a handful of children dancing around a harried-looking woman, and some small loads of crates coming down the gangplank on carts, but Blue’s eyes were drawn to the twin bounty hunters who stood on the deck, legs braced as if they were still at sea, their dark auburn hair glowing in the sun like halos of fire. Behind them, a train of wagon beds were being loaded with cages and crates full of creatures who howled, hissed, growled, and screamed in unearthly tones that sent a wave of stunned silence over the crowded dock.
Near Blue, the princess of Súndraille sighed dramatically and said, “Hansel and Gretel always bring the most terrifying creatures with them when they travel. I could never strand myself on board a ship with those monsters. I need a slice of pie just thinking about it.”
Her brother laughed. “I’m not sure pie would do you any good if one of their creatures got loose.”
The princess snorted. “I think you’re seriously underestimating the value of dying while doing something you enjoy.”
Kellan laughed. “I have to agree with Princess Arianna. Seizing the moment is never a bad decision.”
“It’s Ari, please,” the girl said, “and you sound like a wise prince.”
Blue laughed, choked when all five members of both royal families turned her way, and then laughed again at the smirk on Kellan’s face.
“You don’t think I’m wise, Blue?” he called, daring her to join the conversation. To tease him. To act like they were alone in her storeroom instead of standing on a dock in front of the city and worse, his mother.
“I . . . really couldn’t say.”
“Ooh, that means you must have some very interesting stories to tell,” said a bold, bright voice behind her. She whirled and found herself face-to-face with the bounty hunter Hansel, his blue eyes dancing with glee. There were dark runes inked into his arms and iron charms tied in his shoulder-length hair. A single white streak of hair grew from his left temple.