Children Of The Sky (The Scripts Of Neptune, Book 2)

Chapter 48

Ely knew, somewhere, deep down, that being so close to Darcy was dangerous. His head warned him of it every time she pulled him into the back of the weapons room after training for a kiss--'distractions,' she called them--but his heart reigned in those stolen moments. She was being careful enough for the both of them anyway, he reasoned; she never accosted him anywhere in public, or when there was a chance someone might discover them. Apart from the mischief-filled glances she kept casting him at her mother's galas, their involvement stayed entirely confidential.

Tonight's gala was a hair tenser than the others, though it may have been his imagination. It was earlier in the night than most had been, before sunset, and Lady Eldin was on edge enough that Ely was able to pick out where she was in the room by the clipped tone her voice held when she talked. Darcy seemed equally stressed, standing stiffly beside him and courteously turning down offers to dance until the gentlemen eventually gave up. When she reached for a glass of wine, Ely cleared his throat quietly, and she arched a brow at him.

"That's your third," he said, keeping his voice low and leaning over to make himself heard over the music and the hum of conversation. It was hotter than usual tonight, too; the humidity made the smell of perfume thicker in the air. He caught a whiff of Darcy's wine as she sighed and set it down without drinking it, folding her arms tightly. Her hair was up in a tastefully messy knot on the back of her head, fiery ringlets made by the humid air curling around the crystals dangling from her ears. Resisting the urge to brush a stray curl behind her ear, Ely looked for and found Lady Eldin in the crowd. "Your mother seems unusually on edge tonight."

Darcy only pursed her lips, not looking at him. The playful looks from earlier had vanished. Now, she only looked tired, and the glance she cast him when he nudged her foot was weary enough to make him ache.

"Tess," he said when she looked away again, and she gave him a half-nod to let him know she'd heard. "Do you want me to take you back to your room? You're exhausted."

"I'm fine," she said shortly, and sighed at the look he gave her. "Never mind. That'd be nice, actually."

She didn't say anything more in the walk back to her room, and wished him a quiet goodnight before she shut the door. Ely stood there for a second, thinking about knocking and pulling her to the library to talk in the lonely quiet, but the guards eyeing him from down the hall changed his mind. They'd been eyeing him a lot lately. He'd need to talk to Darcy about that.

His room was muted and dark with the twilight when he walked in, and the soft glow of the lamp he lit felt like an unwelcome guest against the inky blue of the sky and city through his windows. As the smell of the match faded and he changed out of his formal clothing, he heard a knock so faint it was almost inaudible.

Red hair and a small, tired smile met him when he opened the door, and he raised his eyebrows. Darcy nodded past him. "May I come in?"

"The guards will see."

"I paid them well enough they won't be telling anybody."

Of course she had. Huffing in soft laughter, Ely dragged a hand down his face and stepped to the side. She slipped past him like a breath, standing still for a moment before crossing to the desk and carefully setting down the small package she was carrying. Ely hadn't noticed it when she'd come in. Lifting a brow at her as he shut the door, he eyed it and then her. All she gave him in reply was another small smile.

"Open it," she said, tapping it with one finger and hoisting herself up to sit on the desk, leaning over to rest her arms on her thighs. She hadn't changed out of her frilly blue gown, but she'd let her hair down and tied it back in a tail. "I forgot to give it to you yesterday."