-4-
The woman who’d welcomed people stood again and the arena went quiet. “That was a beautiful reenactment of the Great Battle. Now let’s feast.”
One by one, the audience members teleported and left the upper-level Hermonites behind. None of them was my age except Solange and the silver-haired guy, who was keeping his distance from me like I had cooties. Father led the way into the dining hall. The tables were laden with platters of food, fruit, drinks, and sweets.
My assigned seat was next to Father and Lord Gabreel.
“I know you don’t remember me, Princess Lilith,” he said, “but I was with you in the battlegrounds before the Archangels appeared. You saved quite a number of us that night, including my wife.”
I frowned, a bit confused. I was a prisoner of the Guardians at the time, yet I’d saved some of my people. I must have hated the Guardians to work against them.
“I wish I remembered that night.”
He smiled, his elongated canines sparkling. “I’m sure you will. You fought with my daughter.” He glanced around. “Her name is Lottius. Maybe you’ve seen her at the Academy.”
“I haven’t started at the Academy yet, Lord Gabreel.”
“Then you two must meet. Ah, here they are.”
The new arrivals were younger, dressed in trendy designer clothes I’d seen in human magazines. I wasn’t sure whose attention Lord Gabreel was trying to get, but the younger generation appeared not to want to share tables with their parents. They sat to our far right and left, and continued with their animated conversations.
I wished I was seated with them.
“You can meet Lottie later. Ah, you’re back, my dear,” Lord Gabreel added with obvious relief.
His wife had disappeared from the hall a few minutes before. There was a bit of blood at the corner of her mouth, which she wiped with a napkin.
“I was telling Lilith about the Great Battle and how she rescued us.”
“Oh, you saved my life, Princess.” She patted my hand, then reached for her glass of wine and sipped. “In fact, quite a number of us in here”—she glanced around the hall—“owe you a debt of gratitude.”
“Could you tell me more about that night?” I asked.
“I don’t know where to begin.” She jerked as though prodded and glanced around. “I mean, I wasn’t there long enough and didn’t see much.” One again, she glanced over my shoulder. “Do eat your soup before it gets cold, dear.”
It was obvious she didn’t want to discuss that day. I glanced over my shoulder to see who she’d glanced at, and my eyes connected with Sir Malax. He was by the doors as though personally guarding them, even though guards were posted around the room.
Had she been looking at him? Could he be the reason she’d lost interest in talking about that night? Maybe I was reading too much into the woman’s behavior. Maybe she’d decided the subject wasn’t right for a dinner conversation.
I couldn’t believe I’d looked forward to this. Dinner was boring. Most people used telepathy to converse. Platters of fruit and food floated to the table without spills, and bottles of wine refilled glasses without making a mess. Even used plates and utensils disappeared as soon as they’d served their purpose. Tired of watching what appeared to be natural to everyone, I studied the others.
Across from me, on Lord Valafar’s right, was Solange. She and Gavyn were having a heated conversation about some club. From the sound of it, it was one of his and he was thinking of expanding within the same sector while she thought he could move to the next one.
I tried to catch his eye with little success, so I studied him. He was determined not to look at me. The few times our gazes connected, he stared blankly at me or scowled. I managed to tap into his feelings. He didn’t like me. In fact, I’d go as far as say he hated me. He probably thought I shouldn’t be here or I was a spy for the Guardians.
Well, he could rot in Tartarus. I was finally home. He and everyone else who hated me had better accept it.
Lady Iyana appeared beside me when we left the dining hall for the arena. With her were two girls around my age. The one with gray eyes, pale skin, and black hair looked just like Lady Iyana. Her lipstick was dark red, almost black, and her makeup dramatic. Her black dress matched the choker around her neck.
The other girl was her opposite—short and curvy with medium-brown hair, and amber eyes. Her makeup was subtle. She was exceptional pretty, with Cupid’s-bow lips and dimples.
“This is my daughter, Lottius,” Lady Iyana said, indicating the pale girl, then she touched the brunette’s arm, “and my niece Katia. Gabreel insisted you meet since you’ll be going to the Academy together. Get to know each other,” she said with a warning look at her daughter. “Lottie, be nice, dear, and show Princess Lilith a good time. Don’t do anything that will disappoint your father, okay?”
Lottius rolled her eyes. “Yes, Mother.”
“That’s my darling.” Lady Iyana patted Lottius’s cheek and walked away, leaving the three of us alone.
“When are you starting at the Academy, Princess Lilith?” Katia whispered, amber eyes sparkling with excitement.
“I don’t know. Please, call me Lil…” I faltered and frowned. “Lilith.”
Katia stared at me with round eyes, then she glanced at Lottius, and then back at me. “Uh, I don’t think we can do that. You are the princess and we are…we just can’t.” She glanced at Lottius again. “Right?”
“She said we can,” Lottius said impatiently.
Katia still didn’t look convinced. “There are laws, and your sister always says—”
“I’m not Solange. I want us to be friends, so please treat me like you’d treat one of your friends.”
“She smothers them and drives them crazy with her incessant chatter and do-good projects,” Lottius said in a bored voice.
“Shut up, Lottie.” Katia focused on me, her expression hopeful. “Are you sure, Princess? Because once given, you can’t take it back.”
She was funny and sweet. “Yes. I’d really like for us to be friends.”
“You’ll want to take that back before the night is through,” Lottius warned.
Katia ignored her. “Then it’s an honor to be friends with you, Prin… Lilith.” She pressed her hands together and giggled. “Oh, we’re going to have so much fun together. I’ll let you in on a little secret, Lilith. Everyone is dying to meet you.”
“Don’t you mean all the boys are dying to suck up to her to get in good graces with Lord Valafar?” Lottius asked. “Boys are such idiots. Everyone knows the king will choose your mate when you turn eighteen, and it’s not going to be some wide-eyed young teenager with acne.”
“No, that’s not what I mean and you know it, Ms. Glass Half-Empty,” Katia snapped, and scrunched her face. “I apologize for my cousin. She tends to be difficult.”
“What do you mean, choose my mate?” I asked.
Katia glared at her cousin. “She has no idea what she’s talking about. You should never repeat rumors, Lottie. It is so improper.”
“Improper?” Lottie asked, and laughed.
“Rumors?” I repeated at the same time.
Katia ignored Lottie. “Yes, rumors. No one will force you to marry some old lord. Your father is not Queen Coronis. If you fall in love—”
“I’m gagging on your sweetness already, Katia, and it’s only nine o’clock,” Lottius said, making a face. She glanced at me, her expression hard. “Princess, I tell it as it is. One, I hate being told what to do. Two, bowing to royalty is a major pet peeve of mine. Three, if my bluntness is a problem, the same goes. I’ll leave. If not, I’ll help you escape this nightmare of a celebration.”
“Great! Let’s go,” I said.
She glanced at Katia and sighed. “Oh, and your arranged marriage is just a rumor.”
But rumors had to start from somewhere. I planned to find out where. “Where are we going?”
“The rides,” Katia said. “The entire castle grounds and the park near the waterfalls are packed with gaming booths.”
I nodded. “Sounds good.”
“No, we’re going to Lord Zhane’s club at the mall,” Lottius corrected.
“There’s a mall on the island?” I asked.
Lottius made a face. “Sort of.”
“Sort of? It’s a strip mall of shops, clubs, and restaurants that circles the island from the west, up the north shores, to the east,” Katia explained. “It has everything you could possibly need—fashion, electronic gadgets, foods from around the world, candy shops, cafes, gaming stores…”
“The best part is you can’t see the shops from the castle and the castle can’t see you,” Lottius piped in. “I hate the idea of being watched all the time.”
I frowned. “We are?”
“Oh, yes. The top floor of the castle is Sir Malax’s spy glass.” Lottius shuddered.
“Security and surveillance crystals,” Katia corrected.
“Spy glass,” Lottius retorted. “Even humans have more freedom than us.”
“But we are safer,” Katia cut in.
Lottie made a face. “We defeated the Guardians and the Archangels. We shouldn’t be watching over our shoulders 24/7.”
“We are not having this argument here,” Katia said. “And I don’t think Lilith can leave until the celebrations are over. We can play games on the grounds or go on rides.”
“The games are childish and the rides boring,” Lottius retorted.
“Get out of your funk, Lottie.” She wrapped a hand around Lottius’s arm and the other around mine. “You are making us look bad in front of Lilith. Besides, she’s okay with going on the rides.”
Lottius glowered.
Katia smiled sweetly back at her.
“Fine,” Lottius said. “But keep the children away from me.”
“Lottie pretends she’s all tough, but she’s a total softy on the inside,” Katia whispered, but I was sure Lottius heard. “She can’t stand to see anyone suffer. Do you need to ask Sir Malax’s permission before we leave?”
Lottius groaned. “Why should she? She’s the princess. She can do whatever she wants.”
Unfortunately, Sir Malax was watching us with narrowed eyes. Beside him stood Lady Nemea. She’d been seated behind my chair during the first half of the entertainment and kept an eye on me from her table during dinner.
Father was having a serious telepathic conversation with some lord in the middle of the room, but he looked up and found us. He studied Lottius and Katia intently, as though trying to remember who they were, then smiled and nodded as though giving his approval. I smiled back. Solange was with her two friends and a bunch of guys who kept glancing our way.
“You see that woman by the door?” I indicated with my head.
“Lady Sour Face?” Lottius asked. “She gives me the willies.”
“Everyone gives you the willies,” Katia said. “Yes, we know who she is. Lady Nemea. She is very close to Lord…I mean, your father. She used to be his nanny.”
I laughed. “Really? She looks younger than him.”
“She’s much older,” Katia said. “She’s nice.”
“Everyone is nice to you. They don’t know how manipulative you are,” Lottius added with a mocking grin. “Just because you do it with a smile doesn’t make you any less…annoying. Are we going or what?”
“First, let Princess…I mean, let Lilith speak. She was about to tell us something about Lady Nemea,” Katia said firmly, then flashed a smile my way.
I liked these two. They were different, yet complemented each other. “Can we lose her?”
Lottius chuckled. “Now you’re speaking my language.”
Katia frowned. “Are you sure, Lilith? We don’t want you getting in trouble.”
“Live a little, Katia,” Lottius snapped.
We walked across the room, skirting around men and women who bowed and quickly stepped out of our way. Being a princess had its perks. They weren’t so accommodating to Lady Nemea. We reached the outside, where rows of tables were packed with food and drinks. People were everywhere, eating, talking, and laughing. The ones who noticed us stopped and stared, then switched to telepathy, but I heard them anyway. Maybe I shouldn’t leave the castle grounds if people were this scared of me.
The gazebo, a familiar voice whispered in my head. Green Eyes. I’d recognize his voice anywhere.
Thanks. “Let’s go to the gazebo,” I said.
“Great! We can teleport to the gaming tents from there,” Lottius said.
“I thought you said the games were childish,” Katia reminded her.
“That was to shut you up.” Lottius didn’t even crack a smile.
I glanced over my shoulder to see Lady Nemea and several guards burst through the castle entrance. She searched around frantically. Forget about the people and their attitude; this was the most fun I’d had since I regained consciousness.
“Let’s go,” I whispered.
Lottius followed my glance and grinned. It was obvious she thrived on breaking rules, while the more level-headed Katia tried to keep her in check.
We teleported and reappeared behind the gazebo, bumping against each other, laughing and giggling.
“Next time, we teleport one at a time or hold hands,” Lottius whispered.
“It’s going to be fun having you around,” Katia said, squeezing my arm. “I can’t wait for you to start at the Academy.”
“Ah, ladies. She’s coming this way,” a voice said from above us and we looked up. It was Green Eyes.
“Thank you,” I said.
He bowed, his eyes twinkling, dimples flashing on both of his cheeks this time. “Any time, my princess.”
Was he mocking me or flirting?
“Hold hands,” Lottie ordered. She grabbed my hand and Katia’s. “I’ll choose our destination.”
We teleported and reappeared behind a secluded tent at the edge of the field. Behind us, the base of a mountain ridge rose sharply. To the right were terraces with swimming pools, slides, and tubes. In front of us were tents and booths. To our left were giant rides with more screaming thrill-seekers. Crystals on poles lit up the night, and voices, not telepathic ones, real voices filled the air with laughter and squeals of delight.
“You need to cover your hair or everyone will recognize you,” Katia said.
“No, we need everyone to recognize her,” Lottius protested. “No one will expect us to wait in line when they do.”
“Rules, Lottie. Everyone follows them.” Katia glanced at me. “Unless, of course, you don’t mind passing all the kids and mothers who are waiting their turn.”
I laughed. “I mind, thank you very much.” I grabbed the hood of my cloak and covered my head.
Katia laughed. “They’ll still recognize you. Let’s change the color. Blue?”
“Green. Emerald green,” I said.
Katia touched the bodice of my gown and green-inked it, completely replacing the white. She tucked my hair out of the way, adjusted the cloak to hide my necklace, and rearranged the hood.
Lottius watched us with obvious annoyance. “Seriously?”
“Hold your horses, Lottie.” Katia adjusted the sleeves to cover my bracelet. “There. Everything is hidden.”
We left our hiding spot and joined the throng of people enjoying treats. Everything was free. We picked up cotton candy from a stall and waited in line to win trinkets, stuffed animals, treats. The scene was familiar, yet I couldn’t recall where I’d attended a fair before.
Little kids’ games were simple—toy baby ducks floating in the air, toy frogs in a row opening and closing their mouths, bobbing hoops, and darts for popping water-filled balloons. Grownup games were more complicated. Most tried to use their powers to win, but the people manning the tents were using powers too, which made the games fun to watch.
The back of my head prickled, telling me I was being watched. I turned and saw Green Eyes. He was alone, an ice-cream cone in his hand. He raised it in a toast. He was dressed in black and had a black cloak. Something about him was familiar, and it had nothing to do with the fact that I’d seen him in the kitchen. Maybe it was his smile or his cockiness. Katia followed my gaze and her eyes narrowed.
“That’s the guy from the gazebo,” she said.
“You want to call security?” Lottie asked, and nudged Katia.
Katia made a face. “Over a minion? Please. He’s harmless. They have no powers,” she added for my benefit.
Harmless was hardly a word I’d use to describe the guy.
“He’s kind of hot,” Lottius said.
Katia’s eyes narrowed. “You wouldn’t dare.”
“Would too.” She laughed when Katia’s jaw dropped. “Tartarus pit! You’re such a prude.”
“Wouldn’t dare what?” I asked.
Lottius just grinned, her canines elongating.
“Ask her parents to hire him, so she can have a little fun with him. They are not toys, Lottie. They have feelings and their situation is so sad. Besides, you are mated.”
“But minions are fun. They’re usually so eager to please.”
I glanced at where the guy was, but he’d disappeared. The idea of Lottius toying with one of them bugged me. Or maybe it was the thought of her with him.
A little girl won a small stuffed Pegasus and in her excitement, tripped and fell right by my feet. She whimpered. I bent down to help her up.
“Are you okay?” I asked. She didn’t respond, just stared at me with big eyes. Then I saw her knee. She had a nasty bruise. “You’re bleeding.” I brushed off the dirt near the wound.
A tingling warmth shot up my spine and then down my arm. Then everything happened fast. Strange markings appeared on my skin. Before I could react, my hand glowed briefly and then dimmed.
“Look, Mommy,” the little girl called out. “The nice lady healed my knee.”
I stared at her knee and was surprised to see that the wound was healed. Stares and whispers followed. Those nearby moved away.
What? I wasn’t supposed to heal her? I didn’t know how I had done it, but I didn’t regret it. Lottius and Katia didn’t say anything either, but they couldn’t hide their shock. I stepped forward and smiled at the woman running the game.
“You don’t have to play to win,” she said. “Choose any stuffed animal and it’s yours.”
“But I, uh, want to play,” I said.
“Of course.” She eagerly gave me five darts.
Ignoring the crowd that had gathered, I aimed and threw them one dart after another, and missed the target. I shrugged. “Thank you.”
She held a huge teddy bear. “Please, take it.”
I shook my head. “I didn’t win it.”
“You don’t understand,” she whispered. “That was a minion child you healed, Princess Lilith.”
I blinked, surprised she recognized me. “That’s okay. I didn’t mind.”
“You’re not supposed to heal them, Princess. They have their own healers. Some people believe they’re cursed. Not worthy. And that’s why they have no special powers.”
What a stupid, senseless logic. None of the clairvoyant crystals I’d watched mentioned such weird beliefs. From the woman’s tone, she didn’t buy it, either. I turned and looked at the child, who was clinging to her mother and holding on to her puny Pegasus like it was the most precious thing in the world. Both looked scared.
“She’s a child. Harmless. I’ll take that, please.” I pointed at the largest stuffed Pegasus. I took it to the little girl. “What’s your name?”
The child stuck her thumb in her mouth and burrowed in the crook of her mother’s neck.
“Seraph,” the mother whispered. “I’m so sorry she bothered you, Princess Lilith. She didn’t know who you are. We didn’t know.”
“She didn’t bother me, and I’m happy to meet you, Seraph.” I touched her arm and she cringed. My hand dropped to my side. “She didn’t bother me, and if anyone says you did, ask your mommy to bring you to the castle and tell me about it. Do you know why, Seraph?”
The little girl shook her head, her eyes wide.
“Because you are my friend and friends look out for each other. This is for you.” I gave her the stuffed animal. At first, she was reluctant to take it. When she did, I turned and smiled at the crowd that had gathered. Some of them wore security uniforms. They all stared at me as though I had grown two heads. Their telepathic conversations said just as much, so I tuned them out. I couldn’t explain how I did it. Must be instinctive or something.
I looked up and my gaze met Green Eyes’s. He smiled with approval and heat crawled up my face. I turned to Lottius and Katia. “Let’s go.”
Katia took my arm and giggled. “Oh, you are going to cause waves across this island. No, across the entire Hermonite Nation. I’ll be honored to work with you, be your right hand woman”—she punched the air—“the enforcer of your will.”
“She’s going to cause nothing but trouble,” Lottius said.
“With who? The king? Everyone knows she’s his favorite.” Katia looked at me and winced. “I heard he searched for you all over the world and never gave up.”
I didn’t want to discuss my father. “Come on, let’s go have some fun.”
But news spread fast. Minion children and their parents started to follow us wherever we went. When I smiled at them, the bold ones showed me their cuts, which I healed, and scars, which I couldn’t. More and more joined us. One gave me flowers. I plucked one and tucked it in my hair. More arrived with flowers. By the time we reached the end of the gaming tents, Katia and I had our arms full of flowers and nearly two dozen children with their parents trailed us.
Lottius turned and raised her hands. “Okay, enough. Princess Lilith is here to have fun too, so leave her alone.”
“Diplomatic, isn’t she?” Katia asked. “I’ll take care of this.” She turned and faced the kids. “Lady Lottius meant to say the princess is happy to meet you, but right now, she needs to go on the rides.” She pointed at the trolleys hurtling past us so fast they were a blur.
I squatted so I was at the children’s eye level, then reached out and touched a cheek here and an arm there. “I will come and visit you as soon as I can, okay?”
Nods followed.
“Good. Now go to your mommies and daddies.” I stood and waved to the parents. A few took their children and left. Others stayed and watched us walk away.
“You don’t want to visit their homes,” Lottius said, throwing me a sideways glance.
“Why?” I asked.
“Yeah, Lottie. Why?” Katia jumped in. “Doesn’t she deserve to know that some of our people live in burrows? That they’re illiterate and stuck here because they’re scared of living among humans? The power-that-is doesn’t care—” Then her eyes widened and she covered her mouth. “I, uh, I’m so sorry, Lilith. I didn’t mean to imply that your father is a mean or a bad ruler—”
“It’s okay.” Minions were stuck here? The way my father and Lady Nemea talked and from what I’d watched on the CCs, I thought this place was paradise for our people.
“Would you like to see where they live?” Katia asked.
I didn’t know if that was a good idea. What could I do to change their lives? I’d barely woken up from a coma and I didn’t know what lines to cross or if I should even cross them. Besides, the minions in the castle didn’t seem unhappy.
“Okay,” I said weakly.
“Good. Now I want to go on a ride,” Katia said, and ran ahead to get in line, the conversation we were having seconds ago forgotten.
“You don’t have to visit the minions, Lilith. There’s not much you can do for them. The caste system was set by Queen Coronis thousands of years ago. Each Hermonite plays his and her role, the hierarchy never changing. You have the dukes, the lords, the knights, the guards, and the workers. Katia has a good heart, but she is too impulsive. She thinks we can change the system. It takes decades for changes to occur, and even if they happen, they are usually small and insignificant.”
I didn’t know how to respond, so I just shrugged. We moved from ride to ride. We were leaving one when I saw Lord Gavyn with two men standing behind him like bodyguards. My heart skipped and started to pound.
He flashed a smile and walked toward us. Wariness washed over me. Was he here for me?
“Katia,” he said softly, taking her hand and bringing it to his lips.
“Why can’t you just leave her alone?” Lottius snapped through clenched teeth.
“Nice to see you again, Lottie.” The smile Gavyn gave her was stiff. He glanced at me and bowed. “Princess.” His focus shifted to Katia, and he offered her his arm. “Want to join me on the next ride?”
Katia threw Lottius a beseeching look and took his arm. They walked ahead of us, Katia’s cheeks rosy. It was obvious she liked him. The expression on Lottius’s face was thunderous.
“You don’t like him,” I whispered, conscious of Gavyn’s guards behind us.
“No. He singled her out during the first conference after the Great Battle and has been pursuing her, buying her things and meeting with her every time he’s on the island.”
“And what’s wrong with that?”
“I think he’s up to something.”
“Like what?”
“I don’t know, but I plan to find out,” Lottius vowed.
I frowned, studying Katia and Gavyn, who were ahead of us. Gavyn seemed attentive, his head angled to catch whatever Katia was saying. I didn’t get any negative vibes from him now, not like earlier. He seemed genuinely happy to be with her.
“What do you know about him?” I asked.
“He’s the youngest lord, rich, and the king’s favorite. I tried asking my parents why Lord Valafar favors him and they warned me to stay away from him. They warned Katia, too.”
Which was like waving a red flag at a bull. “Maybe we should let them take this ride alone.”
“Oh, no, we’re not.” Lottius gripped my hand. “Wherever they go, we go. Excuse us,” Lottius told the people ahead of us, “Princess Lilith coming through. We’re with Lord Gavyn.”
My face grew hot as the people stepped aside to let us pass until we were behind Gavyn and Katia. He glanced at us, his glance lingering on me. A mocking smile lifted the corner of his mouth. I frowned. There was something oddly familiar about that smile.
We piled into a tram for six, Gavyn and Katia in front, Lottius and me in the middle, and the two bodyguards in the rear, carrying our flowers. The ride rose smoothly like a well-oiled engine, taking us higher and higher. At the top, a cover slipped over our tram, completely covering us and leaving us in total darkness. Sizzling energy balls appeared around us like stars. They looked so real.
As we started a slow descent, they moved toward us. The faster we went, the faster and closer they appeared. Lottius forgot about Gavyn and screamed, gripping my hand. We were laughing hard when the ride came to a stop.
“That was awesome,” I said.
“Let’s do it again,” Lottius said, hurrying after Katia and Gavyn, but I noticed Lady Nemea with half a dozen guards waiting for us.
Something snagged my foot and I lost my balance.
“Pardon me, Princess Lilith,” one of Gavyn’s guards said, gripping my arm and saving me from a humiliating fall. “Are you okay?”
“Yes, thank you.”
“Take this.” He pressed something smooth in my hand. I lowered my head to look, but he added, “Don’t look down. It’s a clairvoyant crystal with a message from Lord Gavyn. Watch it when you’re completely alone, then destroy it. Your bodyguards are here, so please take my arm and pretend you tripped because you are exhausted.”
I wasn’t sure how to react, so I played along. Lady Nemea and the guards stepped into our path.
“We’ll take it from here,” she told Lord Gavyn’s man with a broad smile, but my empathic sensors were on full alert and picked up on her anger.
The guard let go of my arm, bowed, and joined his partner, who stood by Gavyn, Katia, and Lottius. We were drawing attention. My cheeks warmed.
“Do you still want to go on more rides, Princess?” Lady Nemea asked.
“No.” She’d spoiled my fun. I brushed past her and went to my new friends. Ignoring Gavyn, I hugged Lottius. “Thanks for tonight.”
I turned to Katia. She was worried. “I’ll be fine.”
“I hope so.” She glanced at Lady Nemea, then hugged me.
“See you at the Academy,” I whispered. “Or come to the castle tomorrow and visit.” I hugged Lottie again. “Promise me you’ll come and visit.”
“Or you could visit us at the Academy,” Lottie said defiantly and aloud, her eyes drifting to Lady Nemea. From the older woman’s expression, I doubted that was ever going to happen.
“Sure. Why not?” Then I remembered something my father had said. “Don’t your parents stay in the castle when they visit? I was told High Council members do.”
Lottius shook her head. “Most do. Because of the sun, mine have a penthouse in the city. It’s perfect for private parties,” she added with a wink.
“Princess, your dress,” Lady Nemea said when I joined her and the guards.
“I love the color,” I said.
“Your father—”
“…will not approve.” I was tempted to defy her, but I’d rebelled enough for one day. I started to turn toward Katia to ask her to change the color of my dress and froze. The emerald green was already leaching away from my dress. I glanced at Katia. “Thanks.”
Katia shook her head. “I didn’t do it.”
“Of course you didn’t,” Lady Nemea said imperiously, moving to my side. She took my arm. “Princess Lilith did. She is an Earth Prime, too.”
I was?