Well what the fuck. He’s supposed to be helping me get in places, not ensure that I’ll be banned throughout the kingdom.
King Euron watches him, his eyes slicing over Kassiel’s face. He shifts forward in his seat and rests his fisted hands on the table.
If I wasn’t so close to the king, I wouldn’t have noticed the tremble in his chest. I study his whitening knuckles and the slight shake in his fist. Lifting my gaze to the profile of King Euron’s face again, his jaw is hardened as a vein in his forehead ticks.
The tension between the two is thick as I turn back to Kassiel. He’s looking at the king noncommittal, his expression lax though his eyes seem to bore through the man next to me.
“Hmm—” King Euron mumbles, “is that so, Devourer?” The syllable on the last of Kassiel’s name is drawn out, laced with anger.
I shift uncomfortably and smooth my dress in an attempt to conceal my need to release this pent up tension.
The Nightmare leans towards Kassiel, looking past the drunken woman between them.
Her hands wrap around Kassiel’s bicep, stirring a nugget of jealousy within me.
I push it aside, watching The Nightmare study the scene, amusement brightening his eyes.
“Oh Kassiel,” the woman chuckles out, “you’re so harsh on the lady.”
Her free hand roams over his shoulder.
The Nightmare starts, “I would have to agree with you, Kassiel. Shockingly. What can Lady Orlah do with her magic? We’ve heard the tales ofiludreerbut I have never witnessed such a spectacle before.”
King Euron breaks his eye contact with Kassiel and leans back in his seat. He waves dismissively at Orlin before delivering his final judgement.
“Lady Orlah, would you please show theseclemantrasa glimpse of your magic?”
He’s not looking at me but the sudden shift in the room is enough to make my nerves fray. All eyes are on me, waiting.
It’s not lost on me that I’ve quickly turned into another form of amusement for the guests.
Panic begins to gnaw at me. I’ve done well keeping my magic in check so far, maintaining the illusion mask while sitting through the discomfort of the meal.
But I haven’t done this before. I haven’t mastered holding two separate illusions.
I exhale a shaky breath, unsure of how I’m going to pull this part off. I close my eyes and begin to remember what Kassiel had said, how strong emotion and feelings help one feel connected to their essence.
Instead of picturing Hanin or even the possibility of losing Leeson, I imagine I’m wrapped in Kassiel’s arms. I imagine his lips dragging languidly down my neck and whispering into my ear forbidden secrets. I even remember how his fingers felt inside me as they curled and pumped, causing my body to crash with pleasure.
My cheeks flame again, not from embarrassment, but from the decadent memories of being lost in one another.
I open my eyes and immediately feel the weight of Kassiel’s gaze. His sharp green orbs are pinned to mine as if he could feel my desire.
I will my magic into the air and weave an image of a raven flying over the table, the shimmer of its pale wings and crystalline feathers refracting in the candlelight. It settles, landing on a nearby wall sconce before stretching its great wings and tucking them back in.
Clapping erupts in the dining hall and I can’t help but sigh in relief. I glance back to Kassiel who now looks away from me. The woman still clings to his arm, whispering in his ear as he nods his head in mock conversation.
King Euron simply sits there, staring at the opalescent raven, watching it. He’s quiet, drawing out the silence. Orlin turns back to me and a savage grin slips across his lips.
“Amazing, Lady Orlah.” His groveling praise has me leaning back in my chair. I ignore him, unsure what to say with the king’s continued silence.
Chatter and cutlery on plates continues, the moment already nearly forgotten by the court. They merely wait, eager for another form of pleasure to find them.
King Euron steeples his fingers together and taps them together rhythmically.
He turns to me slowly and apprehension seizes in my chest. Gods I hope I’ve been believable.
“I haven’t seen magic like that in…many turns.” He whispers to me, low enough I’m certain no one else can hear.
