Page 73 of Death of a Mortal

“I would like you to have dinner with me tonight. With me, my father, and the queen.”

I stopped walking, forcing him to stop too.

My heart stopped after he did. Dine with the king? Was he serious? There was no way this was a good idea.

“You seem surprised by the request.”

“Uh, yeah. Does the king dine with mortals?” It was one thing for Varyn and me to have dinner together, but the notoriously evil, mortal-hating king was entirely different.

“He will because I’ve asked him to.”

“And why did you ask him to have dinner with me?”

His face became unreadable for a moment. What was I seeing behind the mask?

He hesitated, but then said, “Because I’d like him to meet you.”

“But why?”

“Well, it is common to meet one’s parents when you like someone.”

My jaw might have been on the floor. I really wasn’t sure.

He said he liked me. The affirmation of his feelings felt so good, and so delightfully dangerous.

I cleared my throat, trying to recover from my utter shock. “Well, as I said, I don’t think it wise to say no to the prince, so it seems I have no choice but to accept.” Gods, I hoped I didn’t regret it. But how could I say no? I trusted Varyn and believed that he wouldn’t put me in danger, even if this was terrifying.

He smiled once more, stopping at the door to the laundry room. “Most excellent. I’ll be right here to pick you up at six. And I won’t be late,” he added with a wink, making my lower muscles clench with the memory of his apology.

“I look forward to it, Varyn.”

He stiffened slightly when I said his name, but recovered quickly, and with a bow of his head, he turned to leave. What was that about? I was already so nervous I couldn’t second-guess him now.

When I got to our folding station in the laundry room, Nella already had a smile on her face. “What did the prince want?”

“To ask me to dinner.”

Her face lit up.

“With the king and queen.”

Her smile dropped. She was as scared as I was.

“Well, that explains the new dress on your bed.”

She followed me into our room so I could see for myself. “Is this a good idea?”

“I honestly don’t know, but I don’t think I really have a choice. He was adamant, and I’ve already said yes. And I…I trust him, and I trust the feelings he says he has for me.”

She gave me a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Oh, Naci, just be careful.” She wrapped her little arms around me and squeezed.

“Always am, little lamb. Now help me get cleaned up. I have a date with the royals.”

I just hoped that date didn’t end up being my execution.

* * *

The dress Varynhad left for me to wear was exquisite and far more elegant than the first. It also had a structured bodice built in, eliminating the need for a slip, seeing how he’d ripped the last one.