Page 64 of Crimson Kingdom
He appeared unconvinced, and the people standing closest to us were shooting him increasingly wary glances.
I sighed, but just before I leaned in to tell him to fix his restingaalioface, an unexpected voice sounded behind us.
CHAPTERTHIRTY-FIVE
“Tiny, gorgeous girl!”
My lips parted, and I turned to find one of my thieving uncles headed toward me in the crowd. Uncle Sai’s dark skin gleamed in the afternoon sun, his white teeth even more so.
“Cray,” he called in his heavily accented voice. “I found our girl.”
“What are you doing here?” I asked as he pulled me into a hug.
Evander was still at my side, surveying the situation with an intrigued expression. I had to admit he had done a remarkably good job of adapting to my crazy family, but the thieves were something else entirely.
Uncle Cray stepped up behind him. “Ye didna think we wouldna come to assess your man-friend here for ourselves, did ye?”
They both turned to the man-friend in question, and Sai gave a dramatic bow. “We are the Purloiners of the Piney Plantation,” he introduced them.
Cray reached up to tap him lightly on the head. “No’ again, Sai.”
He turned his narrowed gaze on Evander.
“We’ll nae force ye to donate your gold teeth tae the cause, Laddie, so long as ye be stayin’ on our girl’s good side.”
Evander raised his eyebrows, but all he said was, “I’m not certain I’m on her good side to begin with.”
“Decidedly not,” I agreed.
Before Cray could respond to that, a third unexpected guest arrived. White-blonde waves framed an unusually gorgeous face, punctuated by one hazel eye and one that was blue.
“Fia!” I wrapped my arms around the woman who first taught me to wield a sword.
“Princess.” Her usual tone was dry as always, but I heard the affection in it as well. “Now, now. What do we have here?” she asked, looking at Evander.
He narrowed his eyes as his gaze swept over her, his brow furrowing. He was no one’s fool, though, and his wary stance told me he saw her for every bit the predator she could be when provoked.
Fia examined him in return, giving him a look that was equal parts threat and warning.
She had, in fairness, said she hated Socair.
He gave her a bare nod, and she returned it, apparently satisfied.
All right, then.
Da’ and Mamá came over before there were any more strange interactions, embracing the thieves in turn.
“Row,” my mother told me, “I think your event is one of the later ones, but Avani is about to start out the archery competition.”
“Does everyone know what we’re doing but me?” Evander asked.
I smirked. “Not everyone.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Can you give me a hint?”
A thoughtful noise sounded from the back of my throat. “I lost the sparring tourney last year, so I picked something we’ll win.”
“That doesn’t narrow it down,” he said with a cocky shrug.