"It's not polite to stare," Amanda said. She bounced back toward the table and took Eve's empty seat next to him.
"I'm not staring, I'm observing," Erebus corrected.
"Well, it's creepy. Rafiq won't do anything to her, and you know that," she said in a low voice so only Erebus could hear.
"I'm not too sure about that," he replied, mostly to myself. "Did you find anything?"
Amanda took a long drink from her glass and tossed a glance at his brothers, who were still lingering at the table.
She leaned toward me and whispered, "Just like you thought, Ere. Apparently our dearest father hand-picked each guard on duty tonight. The same guards will be guarding your rooms later tonight, also."
She didn't say anything else. She didn't have to. Everything she was saying confirmed what he had been thinking all along.
His father was anticipating Eve's assassination just as much as he was. All that talk about being able to trust his family…what shit.
His father didn't trust them, either.
"It's going to be okay," Amanda said after a few moments. "We'll keep her safe. I don't care if I have to stay up all night."
Erebus smiled. Amanda was one of the only people in this world he trusted with his life. With Eve's life, also.
Trust was a rare quality in the Caliphate. Amanda had been by his side since they were kids. Except she didn't act any different when she learned that he was going to inherit the throne. Perhaps it was because as a female werewolf, it was impossible for her to take the throne anyway. The others saw him as competition. Without him, Azazel would have the throne.
Since his title was announced, his brothers pushed him away. Although it didn't help that their father adores them all, yet finds Erebus absolutely mortifying.
"I saw that little conversation you had with Kara," Amanda whispered. "What was that all about?"
He rolled my eyes. "Don't worry about it," He said.
"Well, I am worried about it. You have a wife, Erebus. You can't keep entertaining her like you're a bachelor in the Caliphate."
"You know that's not what this is."
"Don't I?" she scoffed and leaned back in her seat. "You're blind, brother. Always seeing people for their best qualities and ignoring the worst."
"I see who she is. Trust me, she's not an issue."
Amanda just shook her head. "You better be telling the truth. Eve's been through enough as it is. You don't need a jealous ex in the mix making things worse."
"I'm next!" One of the twins shouted, pointing to where Rafiq and Eve still flowed through the dance floor.
This earned a roar of laughter from the others.
"You should get married more often, brother," Azazel announced. "It really brings some excitement to the family!"
"You're all pigs," Amanda sneered. "Eve is not a prize to be passed around, she's your new sister. And princess, might I add."
"Yeah? For how long?" Azazel retorted. Erebus stood so fast his chair fell to the ground behind him.
He left them all at the table, Amanda yelling after him, as he stormed onto the dance floor to find his wife.
Eve stared at him with wide eyes as he approached.
"Do you mind?" Erebus asked Rafiq. He had always been the most mature of his brothers, and there had been times when he really wanted to trust him. Erebus really wanted to believe he was different from the others.
But loyalty was expensive. And it wasn't a risk he was willing to take tonight.
Rafiq gave a respectful nod and passed Eve's hand to him. Unlike Azazel, Rafiq would never disrespect him in front of everyone. In private, maybe, but not here.
Whatever walls Eve had dropped when she was dancing with Rafiq were up again. Her face was blank and her posture was stiff, no doubt tracking each one of my movements as he took her small hand and led her slowly through the crowd of dancers.
"You seem to be getting along with my brothers," Erebus said. She missed a small step, stumbling over his foot and nearly falling. Erebus caught her around the waist as she fell into his chest. "And it also seems you were not lying about your dancing skills."
Eve huffed as she straightened. "No, prince, I was not lying. And your brothers have been…entertaining."
There was more to that, but he didn't push.
Although his curiosity was at an all-time high. Perhaps she needed more of a warning. Did she think he warned her from his brothers out of his own jealousy?
"Azazel is a hot head," Erebus admitted. "He's relentless with women, and he'll pretty much say anything to get whatever he wants from you."
"And you think I'm the type to be easily manipulated by a few funny jokes or superficial compliments?"
Her jaw was sharp, matching her perfectly sculpted cheekbones. With her face this close to me, Erebus could see every flash of emotion in her eyes. Even as she held a straight face.
Those eyes were daggers. Her sharpest weapon.
"I don't know," I said back. "I don't really know anything about you."
"Really? Stalking me in the forest didn't show you everything you needed to know?"
"Careful, princess," Erebus whispered, very aware of the wandering ears around them. He tugged her closer to him, just an inch, and leaned down to her ear. "You don't want to give away all my secrets, do you?"
She tensed, but didn't back away. Erebus continued talking.
"Rafiq has always been my favorite brother. He's smart. He Is respectful. But his loyalties are questionable."
"And what about you?" she asked. "Where do your loyalties lie?"
"My loyalties lie with myself, my future kingdom, and my wife," Erebus said. The words came out harsh, but they were truthful. Eve had to know that. There were hundreds of rumors circling the human lands about him, he wasn't naive. But Eve had to know that she could trust him. She had to believe that He would do anything to protect her, and she had to believe that everything he did was for the future of his kingdom.
Everything.
Whoever was responsible for killing his wives wasn't going to get away with it again.
If the guards weren't going to catch whoever tried, Erebus would do it himself.
"Your brothers don't seem to like you very much," she said. Her voice had softened, and she stepped close enough that her chest nearly touched his own as another song stopped and started again. Her hand moved from his shoulder to the base of my neck, taunting him.
Was she doing that on purpose?
He rolled my eyes. "You're very observant."
"You practically ignored them at the table, it was hardly an observation. Not to mention the fact that I never heard the end of Azazel's story."
"I am the heir to the throne. I'm my mother's only son. I've been put in situations they could never understand. I've been asked to take on things they could never take on. They've done nothing but take what royalty has to offer them. I quit being their brother years ago."
She studied Erebus closely, as if she was looking for a lie in his words.
"Amanda seems nice. Is that all fake, too?" she asked.
He smiled. It felt like the first time all day. "No, it's not fake. You can trust Amanda. She just might hate this just as much as I do."
"Hate what?"
"The parties. The royalty. The facade. It's all just a game to these people. They never step foot into the real world. They live here in this bubble and don't care about what happens to the others."
"And you're so different?"
He clicked my tongue. "You're very inquisitive, princess."
"It seems I have a lot to learn, prince, and if history tells us anything, I may not have much time to learn it all."
"You're also stubborn."
"I've been told."
When the song was over, Eve stepped away. "You should get back to your party. I'm going to find something to eat," she said.
Shit. He had totally forgotten about the food he was supposed to find for her. "Do you want me to find something for you?"
"No," she answered sharply. "I can handle myself, thank you."
Erebus nodded and watched her walk away, back into the sea of vipers.