Chapter 48

Fordham, Theo, and Amber entered behind them, and the lot of them moved off into the shadows.

Fordham irritably messed with his own mask. “Is this really necessary?”

“Shush, you. Enjoy the espionage. If I can dress like this,” Theo said, gesturing to the gold gown instead of her normal shirt and trousers, “then you can suffer wearing blue.”

Aurora snorted. Maya grinned. Amber just rolled her eyes. She was the only one deliberately dressed to draw attention. Her navy Bryonican dress was in the fashion of Sonali’s household, and she even wore the lady’s crest. Her mask was a shimmery gold lace strip that just covered her eyes.

Fordham assessed them all critically. “I see why you are all Maya’s friends.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” she asked, unable to keep the smile from her lips or the challenge out of her eyes.

“They’re nearly as insufferable as you are.”

“And what does that make you, princeling?”

He arched an eyebrow. “Suffering.”

“Okay, you two, break it up,” Theo said. “Let’s g