Chapter Twenty-Four

Pinning up the last coiled braid in my hair, I fastened a decorative comb in place. The fabric of my silver, white, and blue gown swished against my legs as I slid my feet into a pair of embroidered blue satin slippers.

With one last glance in the mirror, I strode across the room and headed downstairs. When I entered the Great Hall, I stopped in place, jaw tightening.

The cook’s daughter stood next to Pudge, her hand on his shoulder, laughing. I reminded myself that he had a part to play, too. I might not particularly like the cook’s daughter being so close to him, but I knew I was doing the same thing with Frederik. It just felt like it was taking forever to find Dorian. He’d been held captive far too long, likely enduring Hag knew what tortures. There was also the possibility that he might already be dead. No. I couldn’t think like that. I wouldn’t have been marked for a Mission if there was no chance of getting Dorian back. Right?

As if sensing me, Pudge turned, eyes trailing over my gown. He leaped to his feet.

“Ivy, wait up,” he called after me. A moment later, he caught my arm. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. Just worried about Dorian and not enjoying the fact that I have to pretend to like Lord Frederik in order to find out if he’s the one who took him.”

“Lord Frederik is a dragon arse, and I don’t like that you have to go to the ball with him.” Pudge’s mouth was drawn down. “Just thinking about you dancing in his arms makes me want to vomit.”

“You have no idea how much I wish it was you going with me.” I stood toe to toe with Pudge, wanting nothing more than to fall into his arms and let him take me away from here.

Pudge took a step back. “Me, too. But that’s not going to happen.” He ambled off.

I closed my eyes, letting a sigh escape. What was I even doing? Would I be able to pull off the doting lady to entice information from Frederik? What if I gave myself away or wasn’t strong enough to keep my glamour in place?

“There you are,” Margaret said. “I’ve been looking all over for you.” She held up a sapphire-and-diamond necklace and a matching ring. “These were your mother’s. I thought you might want them.”

My throat tightened as my fingers trailed over the cool stones. I was never one for jewelry, but these pieces were beautiful. And knowing my mother wore them at some point made me want to wear them even more. “Thank you.”

“Here, let me help you put the necklace on.” She draped the jewels around my neck, then fastened them in place. “You’re a sight to behold.”

Once ready, we moved out to the carriage and headed for Hamden Castle. Darkness had set in by the time we reached the estate. Torches flickered along the walkway and halls leading into a large room, where musicians were seated and guests chatted eagerly.

Candles winked in their sconces, but even they were outshined by the brightly dressed noblemen and women who filled the room like a flock of exotic birds. I tilted my head, trying to listen to the gossip, hoping I’d catch a murmur of my brother.

“Lady Ivy, you’re more beautiful than any woman in the kingdom.” Lord Frederik appeared at my side, like he’d been launched from a dragon’s back.

I curtsied. “Lord Frederik, it’s a pleasure to see you again.”

He latched on to my arm, guiding me toward the center of the room, where couples were already pairing off. Moments later, the music filled the air, the sounds of the harp and flutes and drums echoing and swelling.

Frederik pulled me close, one hand resting on my waist, the other clasping my hand. He swept us across the floor with great precision, each movement calculated and expert. He glided with ease.

“You’re a splendid dancer.” I shifted my gaze to stare at the other people.

“I take pride in practicing.” He grinned. “I want the woman I’m with to feel comfortable in my arms. And to know how lucky she is.”

I fought the urge to roll my eyes. I’d drown in his arrogance before the end of the night, and then my poor brother wouldn’t be rescued. Perhaps Pudge should’ve glamoured himself into a woman so he could take my place.

“So, what did you do to keep busy all day?” I asked.

He spun me around, dipping his head so he could whisper in my ear.

“I awoke, thinking of nothing but you,” he said.

I giggled, hoping someone might cut in. I had to find my brother. Even if Frederik was one of the few people who might know something, I hated having to flirt with him.

“I hope you got something more than just that accomplished,” I said.

“No fear, my dearest; I managed to go on a hunt with Father and his companions.”

Finally—maybe this was what I’d been waiting for. “And did you get anything?” My eyes met his.

His smile widened. “Indeed. We took down a stag and two foxes.”

“Brilliant.”

We conversed through several more songs, or rather, he did. He told me about his splendid shot with the bow to take down the stag and gave details about gutting the beast and bringing it back to be displayed.

In a desperate attempt to escape his closeness, I cleared my throat and gave a small cough. “Phew! I’m parched. Would you mind if we stopped to get a glass of cider?”

He glanced around the room, then draped his arm about my waist. “Sure, let’s go over there.” He pointed to a long mahogany table where servants filled cups.

As he grabbed each of us a glass, I craned my neck, attempting to listen to nearby conversations. But the only things talked about were the tournament, dresses, and who was dancing with whom. Some of the ladies wondered why Frederik was so attached to me, and others spoke of the mundane activities they did during the day.

Come on, where are you, Dorian?

“A drink for milady.” Frederik handed me one of the glasses.

“It’s a bit crowded in here. I think I might try and sneak out for a moment,” I said, then took a sip of apple cider. With everyone busy dancing, perhaps I could do some investigating.

He took my drink from me and set it on the nearby table. “I know just the place we can escape to. I did, after all, offer to show you about, did I not?”

Or maybe not. “Of course. How could I forget.”

I took his arm, and he led me up a spiral staircase; our footsteps echoed off the stone walls. Heavy wooden frames covered both sides at the top of the hall, each containing a painting of one of the Hamden men.

Soon we stopped in front of a large door, which Frederik shoved through, pulling me along with him. Stepping inside, I realized it was a trophy room. Massive amounts of animal heads hung from the walls. There were stags, boars, foxes, wolves. Everywhere I looked, dead eyes stared back at me.

Along the far wall, flames roared in a stone fireplace.

“Wow, your family must be great hunters.” I poured on the awe.

“Well, we take pride in the hunt. We haven’t met an animal yet we can’t handle.”

“What is the strangest beast you’ve ever fought or captured?” I leaned closer.

He bent down until his twinkling eyes leveled with mine. His lips parted. “I don’t think you’d believe me if I told you.”

My fingers brushed his. “Try me.”

“A go—”

The door flew open, and in walked the earl, his tall frame blocking out the light. His gaze flickered to us and our close proximity. A few of the other nobles filed in behind him, their expressions serious.

Damn it, I finally got a lead, then we got interrupted. I stood straight, then curtsied. “Milord.”

“What are you doing up here, Frederik?” His father’s mouth showed a hint of a smile, as if he already knew the answer.

“Your son was just showing me your trophies.”

His chin lifted. “You’re interested in hunting?”

If it meant finding my brother, I’d pretend to be interested in horse dung.

With a smile, I said, “Yes. It takes a lot of skill to bring down a beast.”

“Maybe he can bring you up here again tomorrow. But tonight, I must ask that you excuse us.” He gestured to the men behind him.

“Yes, of course. Thank you.” I did one final curtsy and followed Frederik from the room.

In the hall, he caught my hand in his, leading me back down the stairs and outside. The night air smelled like campfires, and the sound of a wooden flute drifted from inside.

“You’ll come tomorrow, won’t you?” he asked, thumb rubbing along my hand.

I had no choice. I needed to see if he knew anything. If he was the Frederik that wrote the ransom letter. It’s not like I could just ask him. Because then I’d have to concoct some sort of story on how I even knew goblins existed.

“If you’d like,” I said. “I don’t want to intrude.”

He released my hand, fingers tracing my cheek. “You’re not intruding. I want you here.”

He leaned in, mouth hovering near mine. I squeezed my eyes shut, waiting for the impact. Then I heard the most joyous sound in the land: my aunt calling my name.

“There you are, dear. It’s getting late.” My aunt came around the corner. “We should head for home.”

Hag bless her.

He stepped back and whispered sorry under his breath. When he loped away, a sigh of relief slipped from my lips.

“You have impeccable timing.” I laughed. “I think he was about to kiss me.”

She frowned. “Perhaps I should assign you a chaperone. We don’t want people talking. After all, he’s been known to get frisky with girls.”

“Don’t worry, I’m a trained warrior.” My tone left no room for argument.

I’d do what I had to in order to find my brother. Even if it meant kissing a toad or two. My fingers brushed against the familiar form of my dagger belted beneath my skirts. If it became necessary, I had no problem defending my honor. Lord or not, they all bled the same.

…

After the exhausting night I had trying to entertain Frederik, I needed a break—a moment of quiet. I stared out the window of my room, glancing at the night sky. With a sigh, I pulled on a silk robe over my nightgown and put on a pair of slippers. Not wanting to wake anyone, I crept silently from my room and headed downstairs.

When I reached the bottom landing, I headed for the door and went outside. The cool night air kissed my warm skin. It felt good to be me again, at least for now. No glamour, no acting. Just me. I walked toward the back of the castle and found a lush, grassy patch. I plopped down, then lay back until I stared up at the sky.

Stars twinkled brightly, and the moon hovered overhead like a giant lantern. Hag, I’d missed this—the nighttime. Back home, everything occurred at night. School. Meals. Trips to the market and storefronts. Life. But here, the humans spent their days soaking in the light and sun.

The daytime drained me, not as much as it did Pudge, but enough where I felt exhausted every night.

“Hey, mind if I join you?” Pudge said.

My heart jumped into my throat. “Witch’s tit, you scared me. I didn’t hear you come out,” I said.

He grinned, settling down beside me. “That means I’m getting stealthier.”

I snorted. “More like I wasn’t paying attention.”

He lay back, tilting his head toward the sky as well. I watched his glamour peel back until I saw his goblin face. My breath caught in my throat, and I stared at him.

As if feeling my scrutiny, he turned to look at me. His hand reached out until it touched my cheek. “It’s nice to see your face—I mean your real face. I’ve missed it.”

My skin warmed. “I was about to tell you the same thing.”

He dropped his hand back to his side but kept his head facing me. “Look, I wanted to apologize for complaining so much about Frederik. I know you’re only doing this to find Dorian. It’s just so hard to watch, Ivy.”

“It’s okay. I’m becoming more stressed and worried about finding Dorian.”

“I know,” he whispered.

“Tonight was wretched. Do you know how hard it is to pretend to like someone who is an arrogant arse? And to know the longer it takes me to find Dorian, the likelier it is that he won’t be alive?”

Pudge moved closer to me, slipping his arm behind my neck so he could hug me. “We’ll find him. Your aunt seems pretty certain that Frederik is the one we’re looking for.”

My throat constricted. “I hope so. Hag knows that if I have to pretend to like Frederik much longer, I might actually strangle him.”

Pudge chuckled. “I wouldn’t mind seeing that.”

I leaned my head against his chest, listening to his heartbeat, which seemed to quicken. It felt nice being out here with him, his arms holding me close as if they could protect me from the world. I dared a quick glance at him and found him watching me. Was this what it’d be like if we ended up together after the Choosing Ceremony? Would we spend time staring at the sky and talking? Would we take picnics and walks? All the things couples did? The thoughts made my blood thrum in my veins.

“W-we should probably head in,” Pudge said, sitting up, taking me with him.

“Why? You and I have been out later than this back in Gob Hollow.”

His fingers touched my cheek again. “But this isn’t Gob Hollow, Ivy. We can’t chance someone seeing us in our true form out here.”

I swallowed hard. Pudge was right. He was being the logical one. Pudge stood up, then offered his hand, giving me a tug, which sent me stumbling into his chest. He steadied me while my hands rested on his chest. His floppy hair slid into his eyes, and I reached to push it back into place.

For a moment, I stared at his lips, wanting nothing more than to be kissed by him again. I blushed and turned my attention elsewhere. “I-I’ll see you in the morning,” I said, taking a step back.

“Goodnight, Ivy.” Pudge waved and walked toward the house, letting his glamour fall back over him.

Already I missed him.