Alabaster Cities (Kings and Thieves Book #2)

Chapter 49

Chapter 49

Jamie opened the cotton flap to one of the empty festival tents, intended for drinking and celebrating. Lyla followed. Tristran's guards positioned themselves just outside, their faces grim and serious.

As soon as disappeared inside of its confines, the crowd dissolved into whispers.

"Please, let the party continue!" The king boomed. There was no masking the uncertainty written clearly in his tone. "This is a kingdom matter that will be resolved..."

"Alright." Tristran closed the flap behind them and turned around, his mouth a grim line. "We don't have much time."

Aveline instantly collapsed onto one of the fainting couches, and Dahlia rushed to her, clasping a bottle in her hand.

"Dahlia..." Aveline said weakly. "What are you doing here?"

"Shh. Take this." She settled down beside Aveline on the cushion and began to pour liquid into a cup. In the meantime, Lyla turned back to her friends.

Ari ran a hand down the shadow on his jaw and cursed. Tristran managed to remain calm and composed as he took deep, even breaths.

"Ari," he began, hands on his hips, "it would have been important to know that Aveline was... you know..."

"Half fish?" Kai said dryly. Lyla wondered why he was even here. Moral support?

"Because she's not!" Ari protested. He scuffed a boot on the floor and let out an agitated groan. "Sort of. It's a long story; this wasn't supposed to happen."

"Well, obviously."

"Here's what we will do," proposed Tristran. "The king has authority, not the princess. If I can convince him that what she speaks is nonsense, then he will certainly let us go. But if he has any inkling that his daughter might be telling the truth, he will let Camille do whatever the hell she wants. A rare creature such as a mermaid are invaluable in this society, especially to royals."

As they spoke, Lyla glanced at Aveline on the chaise. One of her hands dangled limply off of the side, like a corpse, and Lyla wanted to kick herself for not having noticed that something was wrong with her friend months ago.

"Lyla." Aveline's voice floated hoarsely over to her from her bed. She looked like some sort of mythical princess, her dark hair streaming over the side of her pillow like a curtain. "Are you alright?"

"Am I alright?" Lyla rushed to her bedside and clasped Aveline's cold hand in her own. "Mercy, Ave."

"Is it true?" Aveline coughed. "Did you pound the crown princess?"

Lyla made a sound that was something like laughter through the lump in her throat. Her thumb stroked the back of Aveline's scarred skin. "I did."

"Cheers to you." Her gaze travelled to where Jamie and Ari now stood facing each other, the air between them charged and tense. Lyla nibbled on her bottom lip, wanting to look away but somehow being unable to.

"You came back," Ari was saying, barely audible. Jamie took his hand.

"Dammit," Aveline exhaled. Lyla angled her head to the side.

"What's the matter?"

"Nothing, quite, I was thinking."

There was a brief silence as the sounds of the party resumed from outside and their friends continued to argue.

Lyla sounded strange to herself when she eventually spoke, like she was choking back tears, but nothing came out, and then Lyla thought that she perhaps had no more tears left. "Lucien is one of them," she whispered. "He lied. Camille lied."