The capital city is bustling, similar to Galdr in that respect, but there is something about the energy of Molsi that feelsdifferent.Merchant stalls and free-standing buildings crowd either side of the path we walk. Every shifter we pass gives me a second glance, their eyes all variations of dark gold to deep brown. Can they tell I’m not a shifter? Or is it that I’m the only female in the caravan?
I study them in return, noting how most of the females are dressed in clothing that bare their midriffs, but given the heat and humidity, it doesn’t surprise me that they would dress for comfort. I find myself envious of the way they don’t seem to be sweating as profusely as I am. The males are dressed in shorts and tunics that are sleeveless, and nearly every single one of them is broad in a way that doesn’t anatomically makesense. Almost as if they were stretched just a fraction too wide to accommodate more muscle. For both the males and females, there is no denying that strength is a shifter attribute. And they all have varying midnight-black tattoos adorning their deep tan skin. Some only have one inked on an arm or leg, while others have lines and swirls across every inch of uncovered skin.
Breathing in deeply, the scent of something savory makes my stomach rumble.
“Did you not eat before we left?”
My head jerks to the right, finding Kai now walking beside me. “I was told by an incredibly rude male to dress and pack quickly.”
Kai sighs, the sound somehow louder than the noise of the bustling city. People part as we walk, clearing the busy path almost instantaneously, yet nearlyallof them stare at Kai in an unnerving manner. It isn’t one of admiration or even basic respect, but instead, there is wariness in their gazes. Their lips form straight lines, and some of the men in particular look poised to attack—their bodies rigid with tension.I look behind us and find no one from the ship is following. Even Tua has stopped and is talking with a group of males farther back.
“Do you not walk with any kind of royal protection?” I ask quietly.
Kai’s lips draw up in a smirk as he cuts in front of me and walks to one of the huts where a delicious scent is emanating from. My steps falter as I splay my arms out to the sides at his back. The asshole justignoredme. Intent on giving him a piece of my mind despite what Tua warned, I step towards him, only to be stopped by a tug on my pants. A young shifter female, face covered in what I hope is chocolate, stares up at me. Her amber eyes crinkle against the sunlight coming over my shoulder, so I squat down to get on her eye level.
“Yes?”
“Are you friends with the king?” Her voice is high-pitched as she points to where Kai is still facing the hut.
“I…knowhim, yes.”
“Can you ask him when he is going to fix my daddy?”
I huff out a laugh, but it dies the moment that I realize she is being serious. “What is wrong with your daddy?” I ask, but the small female doesn’t answer when a shadow instead covers us both.
Her wide eyes grow larger as she tips her head back. I don’t have to look to know it’s Kai. Though she showed no fear coming up to me, it begins to surface on the little shifter’s face the longer she observes him.
“Marida! Come back over here!” a female yells at her, waving her hand quickly. The young female immediately darts off but not before giving me one last look over her shoulder.
I rise slowly, watching as the mother quickly ushers her away and into one of the smaller huts.What the hell was that?I look at the king from the corner of my eye, but he gives me no indication if he heard the interaction.
“Come, Bahira,” he says before shoving something warm into my hands and walking away. Bewildered, I follow him while the female’s words replay in my mind. What could she possibly have meant by “fixing” her daddy? Was this related to the blight? And why thehellwon’t Tua or Kai tell me what it is?
“It’s called a samosa,” Tua says as he joins me, gesturing with his chin towards the food in my hand.
Looking down, I inhale deeply, and that rich scent from earlier thickens as I unwrap the parchment-covered item. It’s a triangle-shaped pastry, one that is clearly filled with savory ingredients instead of sweet ones. I take a small bite and nearly groan at the burst of intricate flavors. It’s spicy and earthy yet fresh and decadent. It’s one of the best things I’ve ever tasted, and the king—the arrogant, rude, brash, infuriating king—bought it for me. Because he knew I was hungry. The next bite is tougher to swallow with that realization.
Tua and I walk side by side in silence as we weave through the busy capital. Multiple people come up to him and shake his hand, giving friendly smiles and looks of admiration. And for some reason, one that I don’t dare look too closely at, I feel pity for the looming male walking a few paces ahead of us all alone. While he does get a few looks of general indifference, the majority of them are edged—bordering even on cruel. It makes me wonder how Tua can let his ruler walk completely unguarded with so much animosity curling in the air.
Turning down a smaller side road, we continue to the edges of an estate lined with palm trees. It’s only two stories, but its expanse is massive, nearly double the width of the palace back home. Tall arches curve between white stone columns that line the outside of the first level in all directions. The second level boasts a wraparound balcony, wooden posts dotting it every few feet with bright purple ivy wound tightly around them.
“Welcome, Bahira, to the Stone Palace,” Tua says, gesturing widely at the building.
I take in the gradient green vegetation and sparkling ponds full of colorful fish. A garden, filled with the most unique flowers, blankets the land to the east of the palace. Against the vibrant green of the plants and bright blue of the sky, the white Stone Palace stands out as its own beautiful landmark.
Tua guides me up a small set of steps and through black double doors that already stand open. My eyes grow wide at the white and black stone floors, the pattern like a checkerboard. The walls of the palace are made of sandy-colored wood, the planks stacked vertically, and there are plants in deep green and rich blue tucked into corners or hanging down from the ceiling. Rugs of gold and white lay over the checkered floors, adding an elegance that I’m surprised by.
Tua’s pace is unhurried, as is the king in front of us, but I find that my feet are eager to move faster. To drink in even more about this foreign land, and to learn all its secrets.
“Youasshole!” someone shouts, halting our group. I draw my brows together at the sound of quick-moving footsteps, looking to Tua for any hint of who the owner might be. A female, a little shorter than myself, comes barreling out of a side corridor. “You left without saying goodbye!”
“I told you when I was leaving. You opted to sleep in,” he responds with a shrug.
She scoffs, staring at him with narrowed eyes for all of three seconds before a smile breaks out and she jumps onto him, her arms wrapping around his neck. His laugh—an actuallaugh—echoes out in the hall as he holds her to him and spins around so that he is facing us. Though it makes no sense and goes against every sort of logical reasoning I can quantify in my mind, a spark of jealousy prickles through me. I squeeze my fist tighter around the parchment wrapper still in my grasp.You are tired and haven’t had sex since Max, that is all this is.I will have to rectify that as soon as possible.
Kai releases the female to her feet, letting her turn around before tucking her into his side, his arm wrapping around her shoulders. She isstunning,her features elegant but not dainty. With high cheekbones and full lips, she is not hewn from rock like the shifter king but from glass, brilliant yet no less sharp. Barely giving Tua any sort of acknowledgment, her light brown eyes find mine. Her hair is a lighter shade than my own, thick and wavy with a few braids blended in. She wears the same style of clothing as the females I saw in the city center, baring her golden tanned midriff, but the quality is finer, the fabric bolder in its color and trimmed with delicate ribbon. She eyes me curiously, gazing slowly over my face before turning her attention back to Kai. A taunting smile curls her lips.
Kai clears his throat, giving her a look of warning before glancing back at me. “Tua will show you to your room. Feel free to explore the palace and the grounds, just do not cross the palm tree perimeter on your own.”
