Chapter 129. Flee as One

A few minutes passed before I scrubbed a hand over my damp hair and pushed myself upright. I smoothed my dress, applied one last swipe of gloss to my lips, and straightened my shoulders. When I opened the door to return to the ballroom, Daniel was standing in the corridor, conversing with an older man whose hair was salt-and-pepper and whose manner I recognized but whose name eluded me in that moment.

I felt a pang of irritation at their easy camaraderie. I didn’t care for the gray-haired man and had no desire to insert myself into their talk. So, turning on my heel, I weaved through the crowd of servers to the long tray of drinks they were passing out in the outer hall. I selected a glass of whiskey—neat—and raised it to catch Daniel’s eye. He looked up, but I offered only a brief nod before turning away to sip the amber liquid.

A voice behind me curled around my ear like a snake. “You reek of fear—and Daniel, of course.” I recognized that cold tone: Skyler, his dark bl