Kerrigan didn’t believe her, but she couldn’t make the choice for Darby. So, she hugged her one more time and then stepped outside for a breath of fresh air. She was only outside for a moment when she realized that she wasn’t alone. She jerked her magic to her all at once, instinct taking over. Kerrigan put up a shield of solid air and then shoved it back against her attacker.

The Fae male’s shocked face as she crushed him back against the wall might not have hurt his ego, but then she started to laugh in his face.

“What are you doing? Don’t you know not to sneak up on a girl?”

He straightened, dusting off the effects of her spell. “My lady.”

Then, he hastily retreated.

Kerrigan bit her lip as she watched him disappear. Guess she wouldn’t get a dance after all.

“Impressive,” another voice said. “That’s one way to get rid of unwelcome suitors.”

Kerrigan’s smile vanished. “What do you want?”

Kivrin Argon, First of the House of Cruse, stepped out of the shadows to stand before his daughter.

“Hello, Kerrigan.”

Well, the night had just gone from bad to worse.

“At least you can get my name right.”

“I see that you’ve taken on my house again.”

“Not by choice,” she spat. Nothing could turn her into a mouse caught in a trap faster than her asshole father. “I don’t need a surname or a Bryonican house to still be important.”

“Certainly not. You used neither when you made it into the Society.”

“Oh, so this is what this is about? You only care about me because I have a position?”

“No.”

And he was so blatant with the answer that she actually stilled.

“I didn’t want to give you up.”

She couldn’t help herself; she laughed. “I don’t believe you.”

“I had to do it for your safety.”

She put her hand to her chest. “For my safety. Right. Right, right, right. I’ve heard that one before.”

“If you’d let me explain for one minute.”

“You’ve had twelve years to explain why you abandoned me, Kivrin. You no longer have the right.”

She whirled away from him. She didn’t want to have this conversation. He could have told her why he’d done it for years. Now that he had to claim her as his daughter again, he was going to make something up to appease the masses. And she couldn’t care what he came up with.

She pushed back into the ballroom.

Kivrin followed on her heels. “Kerrigan, wait. There’s one more thing I need to warn you about.”

“Don’t care,” she snapped.

The front door to the mansion burst open then, and the attendant called out in a clear voice for all to hear, “Lord Ashby March, First of the House of Medallion of Bryonica.”

23

The Lord