"Why are you allowed to roam around?" King Deacon wanted to know.
"Why don't you ask him yourself?" I suggested.
I half expected Luca to scold me again for being too cocky, to roll his eyes and mutter something about how overconfident mages always end up burned, or worse. But the sharp retort never came. The air where he'd been standing was empty, still humming faintly with the echo of his magic. I turned slowly, scanning the shadows for a glimpse of his familiar silver aura, but he was gone. Just gone.
A prickle of unease crawled up my neck.
All I felt was the press of other eyes watching me.
"Looking for your boyfriend?" King Deacon's deep, taunting voice sliced through the silence.
I stiffened, forcing myself not to react. His tone was smooth, almost lazy, but there was weight behind it, a test, as if he was trying to measure how much Luca mattered to me.
