Mother nods and turns us back toward the table. “Yourfriendscan sit near you too.”
Part of me wants to turn back to my “friends” and explain to them that my mother is kind and unlike the others in this court. She’s more merciful than anyone else I know, but no one has ever been good enough for me. No one except...
Trill Calhoun pulls a chair away from the table and graciously offers me the seat. Mother grins up at him, giving his arm a good squeeze. I have to wonder if she loves him more than I ever did.
“Princess Violence,” he says politely, bowing ever so slightly as if we were never more than acquaintances. As if he wasn’t my first kiss, my first love, and my first heartbreak.
“Who’s this?” Cameron whispers, pulling her own chair out for herself at my side. Carver’s with her, but Nollix and Jeriko have made their way around the long table to sit across from us.
“That’s Trill,” Carver answers. “He was engaged to Violence before she joined the Hunt.”
My spine stiffens, my eyes closing slowly.
“Joined the Hunt” as if I had a choice, as if this hadn’t been forced upon me and my entire life wasn’t turned upside down in a single instant.
“He kept showing up every time we reaped for almost a year. His magic is interesting, I’ll give him that. I’ve never seen someone track like that.” Carver’s quiet tone is buzzing in my ears. “No one’s seen more death than that guy. All because he loved a Huntress. Poor bastard.”
“Shut your mouth,” I seethe through clenched teeth. Trill’s back is to us now, his slow, careful steps carrying him around the head seat until he’s sitting next to Jeriko.
“How have you been, dear?” A glass of red wine presses to my mother’s eternally smiling lips as she gazes at me with hope-filled eyes.
“Great. I’ve been really great.” A mimicking smile forms taut against my mouth.
“You know how it is.” Jeriko waves a hand with a pretty laugh. “Catching all those dead souls, getting high on life. Literally.” A roll is shredded between her black-tipped fingers, one bite being tossed into her mouth with a smirk.
With her thousands of tight black braids, full lips, and large brown eyes, she is beautiful enough to have a place here. If it wasn’t for her terrible personality. Was she this way before the Wild Hunt? I’ve always wondered, never asked.
King Melic takes his seat, and everyone rushes to find their own. My brothers fill the remaining chairs in order of their birthrights, gliding forward as if they’d been born from shadows.
Queen Lairis is escorted by Basilus, who ruffles my hair as he passes. “Nice to see you’re still alive, baby sister.”
“Thanks,” I mumble. I was no threat to the crown, so Basilus normally didn’t have reasons to do anything more than poke fun. No, Merrick was the one who had to watch out for his real scheming.
I make the mistake of letting my attention continue to drift down the table. Trill’s gaze shifts quietly across my features. The heavy weight pressing on my chest demands that I look anywhere but at him.
“I’m glad to hear you’re doing so well, Vi.” His words pull at my attention until I’m forced to pass him a small smile.
“Cheers to that.” Merrick agrees, lifting his glass in salute from his seat next to the king. There’s hardly more than a sip left in his cup.
My father’s brooding attention falls on the thief. The king’s fork is poised against his lips, but he hasn’t stopped glaring at Cameron since we sat down.
Nollix’s leg brushes mine as he shifts in the high-backed chair for the third time in a few short minutes. I peek at him from beneath my lashes, but he eats with his head down, silence clinging to him.
Cameron taps her foot anxiously in rhythm with the beats of my heart. Without drawing any attention to myself, I slam my heel hard onto her restless toes.
A low groan shakes through her, pulling my mother’s judgment back to her.
The relentless tapping stops at once.
“Vi,” Jeriko says a little too sweetly, “Aren’t you going to introduce us to your brothers?”
I pause before stabbing harshly at the leafy salad on my plate.
When my mother realizes I’m not going to answer, she straightens in her chair. “Yes, well, I’m sure you are all very familiar with Crown Prince Merrick. My other sons are—”
“Mother, don’t waste your breath. We’re only going to be here for a short amount of time. Let us eat and then let us leave,” I interrupt, and Queen Lairis nearly drops her silverware into her lap at my abhorrent rudeness.
“Violence!” Mother hisses.
