Suddenly, a third person approached the silent altercation between Magnus and Theon, which had so far gone unnoticed by the rest of the patrons, whose gazes were still directed toward the stage. It was a young, dark-haired man, broad-chested and heavily muscled, wearing a black eye patch.
He held a chunk of wood in his grip, and with it he hit the ghost of Theon, hard, on the back of his head. The dagger clattered to the floor, and the victim’s body slumped, unconscious, next to it.
“Magnus!” Cleo called out.
Finally, Magnus tore his gaze from the young man on the floor to meet Cleo’s.
His eyes narrowed. “You shouldn’t be here.”
She gaped at him. That was what he chose to say to her right now?
The brute nodded down at the body. “He’s not going to be happy with me when he wakes up.”
Cleo rushed to Magnus’s side, quickly assuring herself that the wound on his throat was shallow. She spun to face the young man with the eye patch. “Who are you?” she demanded.
He bowed. “Felix Gaebras, lovely young lady. At your service. And who are you?”
“This,” Magnus said, gingerly touching his neck, “is Princess Cleiona.”
Felix’s eyes widened. “Ah, so this is the Golden Princess. It all makes sense now.”
“And who”—she pointed at the floor with a shaky finger—“is this?”
“That,” Felix replied, “is Taran Ranus, Theon’s twin brother.”
Cleo felt herself go cold. “His twin brother?”
Magnus’s jaw was tense. “It was so kind of Nic to introduce us tonight, don’t you think?”
From next to her, Nic looked down at the unconscious young man, then met her shocked gaze. “I think we all need to talk,” he said.
“Clearly!”
“I agree,” Magnus said stiffly. “I know a place that is much more private than this. Find Jonas, and come with me, all of you.”
Felix leaned down, picked up his unconscious associate, and threw him over his shoulder. “Where are Jonas and the others? Did the dancer tie him up with her snake and drag him away? I’ll go find him.”
Cleo didn’t wait—she needed fresh air. She needed to breathe normally and bring her heart rate down to a regular pace.
Twin brother, she thought, stunned. Theon’s twin brother.
Yet Theon had never, not once, mentioned to her that he had a twin brother.
Nic was at her side, swaying slightly with each step he took as Enzo escorted her outside. She glanced over her shoulder to ensure herself that Magnus was close behind.
“You’re drunk,” she said, turning to Nic and finding herself exceptionally angry with him and with everyone present.
“Extremely. And also extremely happy that you’re here.” He gave her a big sloppy kiss on the cheek, reminding her of the slobbering puppy her father brought back to her and Emilia after a long stretch of travels. As her heart rate returned to normal, she allowed herself to give in to her overwhelming sense of relief that Nic had returned from Kraeshia alive and well—and that he was here with her again.
Felix exited the tavern, still bearing the weight of Taran Ranus.
Behind him walked Jonas, who scanned the area before his gaze landed on Cleo.
She watched as a smile spread across his handsome face.
“I knew you were alive.” Jonas quickened his steps to reach her. He grasped her around her waist, and lifted her off the ground, spinning her around in the air. “It’s so good to see you.”
Any other day, she would be smiling just as wide as the rebel. “Explain to me what is going on.”
“Yes,” Magnus said, his dark eyes fixated on Jonas. “An explanation for your arrival in this city coinciding with our own would be greatly appreciated.”
“I’m shocked to say, it’s almost good to see you too, your highness.” Jonas gave the prince the edge of a smile.
It wasn’t returned.
“Our friend here’s getting a bit heavy,” Felix commented.
Magnus eyed the unconscious body he carried with a sour look. “Follow me.”
Another girl joined their entourage, and Cleo recognized her instantly—she had accompanied Jonas and Lysandra when they were last at the Limerian palace.
Cleo remembered her name: Olivia. But a proper greeting could wait.
She hooked her arm through Nic’s as the group followed Magnus back to the inn. “Why are you so drunk tonight?”
“Oh . . . so many reasons. I’ve recently come to believe you were dead, for one. Therefore, I was going to drown myself in ale to stifle my grief.”
“I’m very much alive.”
“And I’m very much happy to see that.”
She allowed him a smile. “And there are other reasons for your thirst?”
“None that have chosen to join us tonight, but I hesitate to mention that just yet. You’ve had quite enough of a shock already. I’m sure he’ll catch up eventually. He does that.”
“You’re making no sense.”
“No, I’m sure I’m not.”
Her meager smile fell away when she glanced at Felix and his burden. “Did Theon”—it hurt to say his name, even after all this time— “ever say a single word to you about having a twin brother?”
Nic shook his head. “Not a word. When I saw Taran at the docks in Kraeshia, I nearly keeled over with shock. Taran doesn’t talk about it, but I assume they were estranged. Still, he took the news of his brother’s death hard.”