If only she knew.
But then, no one did.
My shadow crept up the wall behind the queen mother, hovering. It stretched toward her. Loomed over her.
Reyla gouged a bite of meat on her plate and delicately placed it in her mouth, chewing. “I love bugs, don’t you, Lore?”
“Bugs?” Moira gasped from Reyla’s other side. “What are you speaking of, my queen?”
“We’re eating insects, aren’t we?”
Erisandra snickered, though she covered the sound with her hand.
“My queen . . .” Moira’s gaze darted Calista’s way before returning. “It’s meat. The sauce is wonderful with just the right amount of spices.”
“Bugs,” Reyla declared, chewing loudly.
Her hand rose, and her finger swirled.
My shadow dove down toward Erisandra’s half-full wineglass and toppled it toward the queen mother. The liquid hit her plate with a splash, the blood-red wine spattering across the front of Erisandra’s pale blue gown.
“Oh my.” Reyla gaped at the queen mother. “Such an unfortunate mishap. I’m clumsy on occasion as well, but this . . . I can’t say I’ve ever spilled wine on myself. In front of my staff, no less. You look . . . Well, I’m much too kind to state the obvious.”
My shadow hefted the queen mother’s plate, and smacked it against Erisandra’s chest, coating her exposed skin and lovely gown with meat, potatoes, and vegetables in addition to the wine.
“My . . . My . . .” The queen mother’s ladies erupted from their seats, reeling away from the table.
“You.” Erisandra’s snarl hit me square in the chest. “What did you do?”
“I’m sorry?” I drawled. “Were you speaking to me?”
“You did this!” Her hand flicked toward the plate now sitting in front of her again. Bits of food oozed across the cloth as if alive, diving onto her lap. She rose and threw her napkin onto the table. “I won’t stand for this. I intend to speak to my son, and you will not enjoy the results of our conversation.” With a growl, she and her ladies surged from the room.
While my shadow tumbled back to fuse with me once more, I leaned back in my chair and lifted my glass of wine Reyla’s way in a toast.
“Well done, Wildfire,” I purred. “Very well done.”
51
REYLA
After we’d finished dining, Lore escorted me back to my suite, leaving me after giving a lingering look and stating that he’d see me soon.
“Know that my amusement will not last long,” he drawled for my ears alone. “I don’t like it when you avoid me.”
My ladies helped me out of my gown and into my leathers, and I dismissed them until tomorrow.
Surren knocked on my door, poking his head through the opening. “I was asked to pass on a message from Lord Lorant. He will not be able to meet with you tonight.”
“Thank you.” I shouldn’t be disappointed, but I’d puffed beneath his pride-filled gaze, and I was looking forward to laughing about how I’d paid Erisandra back. I also wanted to learn how to use nullification, because . . .
The dragon herself had been inside my suite on the day the book that could be Isodine’s diary went missing. Had she usedglamour while she was here? It wouldn’t surprise me to discover she told everyone she did nothing with her skill only to practice and use it slyly—and to her own benefit.
If she’d done something with the book, how could I negate her magic’s effect?
I pawed around my room, touching everything, but I didn’t find anything out of the ordinary or anything that could be the book in disguise. Because I was worried they’d disappear as well, I secured them around my neck. The chain was long, and they hung low, between my breasts.
After stripping off my leathers and dressing in a nightgown, I flopped on my bed and remembered how I’d gotten even with Erisandra at dinner. I grinned at the bedding overhead while Farris scampered around beside me, first clawing at the blankets before lying down and rolling over to present his belly for rubs, which I dutifully gave him.
