She slows her pace to drop back to my side, her chin drawing down to her chest. “Thank you, Kai.”
I offer her a tight smile as we approach the double doors, a wolf and oryx carved into them. The symbols of two kingdoms—one run by my father and one attempted to be run by Tua. I ignore how my stomach sours and push one open on silent hinges, the throne room quiet except for the shuffling of steps from Lady Miranda and some guards.
“Your Majesty—”
“I’d like to do this alone,” I bite out, striding down the center of the room, shadows dancing from the lit torches all around us.
Lady Miranda crosses her arms over her chest as she studies me, Inessa moving to stand at her side. It’s not that I don’t trust her or anyone else to be here. It’s that I don’t know what I will do when I see Bahira’s face for the first time, and I’d rather not have an audience as the mage princess brings a king to his knees. She nods once and heads towards the door, her daughter joining her as the guards follow behind.
“I’ll grab some ice for your face!” Inessa shouts, and then the doors shut behind her.
The Mirror’s solid surface ripples when I step closer. Each magical wisp in the glass pulls towards the edges, and as the image they are hiding grows clearer, my heart plummets into my stomach. In front of me is not Bahira, nor is it anyone from the Mage Kingdom. Standing with his hands in his pockets and a troubling smirk on his face is King Dolian, ruler of the Mortal Kingdom.
“King Kai, it is wonderful to finally have a face to put to the name,” he says, tilting his head. “Though it looks like you’ve had a rough day.” The light of whatever room he is in glints off the gold embroidery on his vest and the matching embroidery of the dress the woman standing next to him wears. Her head is bowed while her hands are clasped in front of her, but it’s thestiffness in her posture that makes my eyes narrow, unbidden fists forming. When I don’t respond, he adds, “I was talking with my council today, and we realized that we cannot pin down your exact coronation date. When was it you became king?”
I lift a brow. “Likely after you did.” The answer makes his smirk falter for a brief moment, while the woman to his left leans her body slightly away from his. He takes one hand out of his pocket and wraps it around her hip, tugging her into him and pinning her there.
“Where are my manners? King of the shifters, may I introduce you to my fiancée, Lady Nele.”
The woman’s shoulders rise towards her ears, but she keeps her gaze down until the king leans over and whispers something in her ear, and a line forms between my brows at this overalloddfucking exchange. Her chest rises and falls slowly before she finally lifts her head and meets my eyes. Hers are a shade of green I’ve never seen before, one that reminds me of the rarest flowers that grow on the island, their roots planted at the edge of a volcano.
I dip my chin at her, taking my time to study her and the way familiarity strikes me even though I’msureI’ve never seen her before. Much like those rare flowers, her beauty is a delicate one. Those green eyes glow against fair skin, honey golden hair framing her face where it falls over her shoulders. But there’s a certainhollownessabout her beyond the way darkness stains the skin beneath her eyes and her cheeks hug the bone beneath them. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Lady Nele.”
She forces a smile before the king’s fingers flex against her hip and it twists into a wince.
“What can I do for you, King Dolian?”
“What can you tell me about Princess Bahira of the Mage Kingdom?”
I mask any emotion his question evokes, even as Lady Nele sharpens her gaze on me as if she’s intrigued by my answer. “I likely only know what every other kingdom does.” Knowing that mages can pass through the Spell may be a secret that my father somehow came by, but it certainly isn’t one I am willing to share with anyone else. Not when it could harm the people of the Mage Kingdom.Not when it could harmher.
King Dolian chuckles. “Come now, Your Majesty. Let us not start off with any lies between us.”
I offer him nothing but a blank stare.
He sighs, shaking his head as if he’s disciplining a difficult child. “I know, as you do, that mages can cross through the Spell without loss of life. I know that Princess Bahira spent months in your kingdom and is currently being investigated for treason after a letter from you was intercepted by the king’s council.”
The hair on the back of my neck rises as my magic floods my veins.Treason? Is that why they haven’t been answering my call? Because they believe that she’d somehowendangeredher kingdom by being here?
“I see I’ve rendered you speechless, but it doesn’t matter. Your silence is answer enough. The reason I’m truly calling is that I need to know, one ruler to another, if you are planning on allying with the mages to attack us.”
“No.”
“Not very reassuring, is he?” he retorts, leaning over to kiss Lady Nele’s temple. She doesn’t react, instead keeping her gaze fixed on mine. “Perhaps information shared, then. Why did you enlist in the help of the princess?”
“Why do you need to know what I seek in my spare time? OrwhoI seek to spend that time with?” I inflect enough innuendo in the last statement to bring a slight blush to Lady Nele’s cheeks and a scoff from the king’s mouth.Good. I’d rather him be disgusted than continue to dig too deeply.
“You expect me to believe that there aren’t enough of your own kind to fuck, so you’ve taken to pillaging women from other kingdoms?”
I snort as anger curls over my spine. As if Bahira would letanyonetouch her without her consent. “Better to sink into someone willing than to force someone who isn’t, don’t you agree?”
Lady Nele’s stare widens, her lips pressing into a thin line.
“I see this was a waste of time, then, Your Majesty.” His sigh is dramatic, but the anger that colors his cheeks gives him away. “I suppose, I hope that our paths never cross.”
“I don’t know, King Dolian,” I start, leaning in closer as I grip on to a little more power until my eyes are glowing gold. “I have a feeling things between us have only just begun.”
His smile is anything but friendly as he tugs the woman out of view and the Mirror grows misty again.
