I adjust my clothes. My head spins with all this lacing and secrets, and I rub the pink pigment off my lips altogether. “Checking in with Lila. You?”
“She’s still in the Mouth. And I’m on my way to clean up all the rejected plates Dominik thought were poisoned.”
I wince. “What’s he doing here?”
“Guess they’re friends again.” Carter shrugs, then turns to walk down the hall.
The last time I saw Dominik, I was bleeding out from his bite and he was choking from my body oil. The last time I saw the king, I was making him and his lover come. It would only make sense for me to join Lila now, to make sure she’s okay in the wake of learning the truth of the king.
But I need proof of that truth. I need to see the halfling bastard beneath the crown. I need to know why none of us can tell what he is.
I follow Carter. “Here, let me help you clean up.”
“Okay, but they’re both not in the best of moods,” he warns, then falls silent as we approach the door to the dining room.
Conversation dies out. The two most dangerous males in Amyria stare at me. Maxian is seated at the head, Dominik to his right, drumming his fingers on the table. Maxian’s gaze drags over me, eyes glinting, brighter and more viscous than they were in the tapestry. Cold sweat slides down my spine, and I rein in my emotions. I pray to the planes that he thinks my nerves are from seeing him for the first time since we were together four nights ago, and not from the weight of the kingdom-shattering secret I now carry.Does he know that I know?
He cannot.I would have been killed on the spot if he knew what Lila and I discovered.
Taking a steadying breath, I reach for the dirty dishes and cups, stacking them in my arms.
The plane thrums with energy. My gaze snags on something dark spread on the table between plates, two black lines of what looks like ashy powder.
“You may leave us,” the king commands.
Carter bows. “Yes, my king.”
The servants’ door opens on its own, our cue to hurry the fuck up. Balancing the dishes, we rush out. The two males continue watching us from the shimmering light of the room, their eyes dilating. Then, the king flicks his wrist, and the door slams shut. I nearly sag with relief.
“What was that on the table?” I hiss as we walk away.
Carter’s gaze slides to me. “You’ve seen coca powder before?”
“I’m from House Illusion, of course I have.”
“It’s like that.”
“Carter, coca is white. This stuff wasblack.”
“I’m not allowed to talk about it.”
“Even with other Reign servants?”
“It was a mistake to let you in there,” he breathes, tipping his head back. “I’m going to get so much shi—”
“I’m sworn to both Houses.”
“Does that matter now? They’ve seen you see it.”
“But I cannot speak of it.”
We trend down the hall in silence, the light and merriment of the Mouth growing closer.
He shakes his head. “You cannot tell anyone. It’s…different. It’s not like other drugs. It affects your genius directly.”
My brow furrows. “All drugs impact the genius because they impact our minds.”
“It’s not…” The valet groans. “Never mind.”
