Bane led me out of the receiving room and down the hall to the ballroom. The doors there were ornate, carved with two giant snarling dragons, and at least three stories high, indicating the grand scale of the vaulted ballroom beyond.

I started to go in, but Bane held me back. “Wait.”

Curious, I watched as he closed his eyes and suddenly his wings sprang out from the pre-made slits in his jacket—expertly hidden by the tailor.

It was the first time I’d actually seen the prince’s wings. All demons had them, though most of the time they kept them tucked away. Bane’s were large and quite expansive, spiny, bloodred, and pointed at the tip with a sharp claw. In summation, they were…grand.

I’d imagined they would be terrifying close up, but instead I found myself fascinated. I started to reach out to touch one, murmuring, “They would be so aerodynamic. I wonder if I could fashion a set out of wood and cloth…”

Before my fingers could graze the wing, Bane slapped my hand away with a scowl. “They are not a toy!”

Realizing my mistake, I lowered my head apologetically. All right, then. I wouldn’t touch his damn wings—even if they were extremely fascinating.

The doors opened, and someone inside shouted, “Prince Bane Hightower, and presenting his royal consort, Lord Adrian Tillcot!”

Everyone in the ballroom turned toward us as we entered arm in arm. There had to be at least a hundred people gathered here, and all of them were watching me, judging me. Right away, I spotted the prime minister gathered with the other parliament lords and ladies. Lord Chonre especially was watching us like a hawk, and it only made me more nervous considering the threat he’d given me the other day.

When a servant came over with a tray of drinks, I gratefully took one. I needed all the liquid courage I could get tonight if I was going to make it through this. Even though I was already a little tipsy from the drink I’d had earlier, I didn’t think another could hurt.

I downed it in a couple of swallows and set the glass on a passing tray while we made our rounds. Bane’s wings remained out as he greeted all the most important lords and ladies, all of whom seemed to fawn over him—though it was obvious most were doing it for their own ends.

Prince Morrow appeared soon after and greeted his brother with a bow before winking at me.

Bane frowned slightly, but we quickly moved on to the next lord. And then from the dais, Lord Syr announced, “And to open the first ball of the season, Prince Bane will dance with his new consort, Lord Adrian.”

The band set up in one corner began to play and Bane folded his wings away to lead me onto the dance floor.

But I pulled him back. “Wait, now? I wasn’t told this.” It was bad enough I had to be ogled by this crowd, but made to dance in front of them too?

Bane rolled his eyes. “It is tradition; you should know this.”

I frowned, but then it occurred to me that I did know. At least, I knew that until they died, the former king and queen had always led the first dance of the season. I’d just never made the connection that this was my role now as well.

“Right,” I said, letting Bane pull me onto the floor and wrap his arms around me. When I didn’t follow suit, Bane scowled and picked up my hands, placing one on his waist and holding the other in his hand.

We were too close—far too close. And I could feel the alcohol already making my head spin. When Bane began to lead me around the dance floor, it spun even more. I stumbled at first, until Bane growled in my ear, “Get yourself together.”

I nodded and forced myself to focus, concentrating on the tempo of the music. Once I had the rhythm, it was easier, and I was grateful that I’d spent so much time dancing with Isolde, practicing for hours with her when she was preparing to make her debut in society.

Remembering those times with a smile, I felt myself sink into the dance more, and soon I was perfectly in sync with Bane and we were gliding across the dance floor. I could tell I’d managed to surprise the prince for once—and perhaps even impressed him a little with how smooth I was dancing now.

I was acutely aware of the warmth of his hand on my waist, and more than once my mind flashed back to that V-line of muscle on Bane’s lower abdomen. Stop thinking about it…just stop…

I was still feeling lightheaded by the time the song finally came to a close, and I only just remembered to bow to Bane as we ended the dance. The sound of applause only just drowned out the pounding of my pulse in my ears.

The next song started, a faster one, and to my shock—one of my favorites. “I love this song,” I said, grinning.

Bane lifted a brow. “Do you want to—”

He broke off as a beautiful man approached us, and I was shocked to realize it was the very same one who’d been in Bane’s rooms with him a few days ago.

“Your Highness, may I have the next dance?”

Bane nodded. “Lord Adrian, this is Lord Conryll.”

I nodded, forcing my face into a polite mask as Lord Conryll gave me a quick scan. There was nothing malicious in his look, mostly curiosity.

“You don’t mind, Lord Adrian?” Lord Conryll asked.

Did I mind? Did it matter if I did? Keeping the polite mask on, I shook my head. “Not at all.”

I stepped back as the two of them spun away in each other’s arms. It struck me how perfect they looked together, two beautiful demon lords well suited to each other. I probably looked weird and waifish in Prince Bane’s arms.

A little bitter at the thought, I turned as another waiter walked by with a tray of drinks, plucking two off and downing the first quickly and setting the empty glass back on the tray.

Watching Bane and Lord Conryll spin in each other’s arms, I downed two more drinks in quick succession. I was not jealous. Not at all. I was only annoyed, because they were clearly flirting in public and that was not proper.

Over the course of the ball, Bane didn’t dance with me again, but he did dance with Conryll two more times. And while all that was going on, I drank…and drank.

It wasn’t long before the room was spinning and I realized I might have overdone it, but I had enough of my wits about me to know I couldn’t make a fool of myself in front of all these important people. Not with my new position and Lord Chonre’s threat still ringing in my ears.

So I did the only thing I could think of: I left.

Slipping out when I thought no one was looking, I stumbled down the hall, trying to find my way back to my rooms. I was having a harder time than usual finding familiar landmarks, and an hour must have passed before I realized I’d managed to wander into the royal residence wing.

Well, I knew one room here. I made my way to Bane’s room and burst in without knocking.

Bane, in the middle of unbuttoning his shirt, spun around. His bare chest gleamed in the light from the fireplace.

“Where have you been?” he demanded. “I had to close out the ball alone! Can you imagine how that looked?”

“No worse than you practically making out with Lord Conryll on the dance floor,” I slurred.

“What?” he asked, glowering.

“Oh, don’t think I don’t know! I saw you two in here, making out like you hadn’t married me just a day earlier!” I didn’t even know what I was saying. My mouth was moving and my brain was screaming for it to shut up.

But I couldn’t stop. And maybe I didn’t really want to.

Bane approached with a dangerous look. “My personal activities are none of your business.”

“Yes, of course not!” I threw my hands up. “I’m just married to you! Of course I have no right to know any of your private business!”

Suddenly, I felt as if I was being choked, and I angrily ripped off my ascot, followed by my jacket, which felt too stiff.

“What are you doing?” Bane asked, sounding slightly panicked.

“It’s too hot in here!” I declared. “And you! You have this massive fireplace! While I have to live in a drafty old tower with a teeny-tiny fireplace! And Oscar has weak arms and can’t carry much firewood up the stairs.”

“Who is Oscar?” he asked, scowling.

“My mini majordomo!” I laughed. “Minidomo.”

I realized that I’d taken my shirt off and was now bare-chested. When had that happened?

Bane came over and picked my shirt up, shoving it at me. “Get dressed and go to your bed. You’re drunk.”

On impulse, I grabbed him by the open collar of his shirt and tugged him closer. “No, I’m your consort. Not Lord Cornhole whatever-his-name-is. So treat me like it!”

And I kissed him hard on the mouth.