The Shadows Between Us

Alessandra returns to her rooms, fuming over Kallias’s assessment of her beauty. She vows to make him fall in love with her before she kills him. Myron is in her rooms. He wants to have sex, but she rebuffs him. She is courting the king and wants nothing to do with him. He threatens to reveal their affair, and she blackmails him. He leaves in a huff.

The next day, Alessandra schemes, planning to attend events only when hosted by the highest-ranked noblewomen. Orrin, her father’s friend from the ball, approaches her. He brags about his riches and his charity work. She leaves mid-conversation to approach Leandros (whom she learns in Chapter 29 is really Xanthos, Kallias’s presumed-dead brother), who introduces his friends, Petros and Rhouben. The latter flirts until his friends warn him off; Rhouben is unhappily engaged to the possessive Melita Xenakis, who scowls at Alessandra from across the room.

The king arrives and Alessandra flirts harder, showing off that other men find her attractive. Kallias announces to the room that he and Alessandra are courting, and the men disperse, except Petros, Rhouben, and Leandros. Lord Vasco, watching Alessandra carefully, toasts the courtship. Kallias gestures her to sit near him; she is the only person allowed close to him.