A server rang a tinkling bell, and the harpist paused her music. “Please welcome Queen Avery. You may find your seats.”
The room shuffled with a flurry of steps as we made our way to the table. Steam unfurled from the extravagant feast layered upon a crimson runner. Double doors swung wide and Queen Avery appeared. Her navy dress swished with elegant flourish. The velvet bodice shimmered with embroidered sea serpents, Lyrae’s oceanic sentinels. The off-shoulder sweetheart neckline accentuated her chest. Her brown hair, liberally streaked with gray, swept upward into a simple twist, highlighting her delicate cheekbones. She glided into the room, a warm smile across her lips. She assumed the chair at the head of the table. At her nod, we all took our seats.
Dom sat a seat away from Queen Avery, while I sat to his left. She surveyed her guests, cunning in her assessment. “Any news on the earthquakes, Dom?” I vaguely wondered if she was aware of the rebellion stronghold’s name, or its warded location.
Suspicion colored her indifferent tone. Dom leisurely buttered a fluffy roll. The yeasty smell made me salivate. He sat the roll down and inclined his head to the queen. I quickly grabbed the roll and took an impulsive bite. A small moanescaped me. The thigh brushing against my own tensed. Queen Avery suppressed her grin.
Dom cleared his throat. “My team continues to monitor the Perellian Forest and all of Yarit’s borders. No concerning reports.”
She nodded, taking a bite of roasted fennel and spiced carrots. She leaned back in her ornately gilded chair. “What do you suppose brought dreki to my doorstep?” I held my breath. The queen waited, eyebrow arched.
“It is what we intend to find out, Your Majesty,” Dom responded, his answer seemingly satisfying the queen.
She addressed the whole table, “Any leads on the prophecy?”
Eyes averted the gaze of the formidable queen. A woman at the end of the table spoke up, “No, Your Majesty. Nothing has emerged.”
The queen’s mouth hardened into a displeased line. “My patience wanes. I expect much more from you all. Any news, no matter how small, needs to be reported immediately. Someone continues to harness my power without my permission.” She slammed her fist onto the table, causing me to flinch. “I’d hate to align any further with King Nolan than necessary. The realm depends on you all.” She paused, gathering herself. Her impassioned speech seemed to drain her.
“And you, Oster, what news?” She shifted her spotlight to the tall, lean man. I quirked my head, taking in his build. A pulse of familiarity lit as I surveyed him more intently than I had upon first meeting. The hairs on my neck prickled as if my body understood what I had yet to conclude. I straightened up, feigning interest in his response.
I trained my vision to his aura, yet I couldn’t find one. I glanced around. The queen’s flared a sharp, alert tangerine. Her aura gave a curious flicker, then switched to an ominous black, but before I could blink it transitioned back to tangerine.I glanced at Dom, whose aura crested in smoldering, protective blues. Other guests varied in their colors, some more prominent based on the intensity of their emotions.
But Oster...
I busied myself with my food, surreptitiously focused on the slimy man. I watched as he gesticulated wildly in response to the queen. His aura flared, black as a dreki’s. Oster met my gaze.
Coldness washed over me and I returned to my food, finding it suddenly very interesting. Dom placed his arm around my exposed shoulders in response to my shiver. His warmth anchored me amidst a sea of sharks.
“Where are you from, Rue?” Oster asked me. The table lent their attention, forks and knives stalling. Even the queen appeared interested in my response.
I schooled my features, mixing some truth to my lie. “Up north. I was traveling through when I met Dom at a festival.” I turned to him, his amber eyes flared at my lavender gaze. “Remember that? What an enlightening evening.” In fact, he had taken me home after I poisoned myself with Glint, but that was beside the point. I bit my lower lip, containing my amusement.
Dom briefly flattened his gaze, appearing like he wanted to give me a good shove. “A night of dancing so memorable, I wonder if we could recreate it.” Challenge accepted.
I lingered in his stare for a heartbeat more, then addressed Oster, returning his original question, “Where areyoufrom?”
He waved his hands in the air. “Oh here and there. Mostly Lyrae, sometimes the Mountains.”
Dom raised his eyebrows, “The Mountains? Not very hospitable.”
“What can I say? I like my space.” He eyed me once more, like I was a lock he was trying to pick.
A prickle of dread cut across my chest. Worry of Oster’s influence in both Yarit and Haluma increased my anxiety. As atrafficker, he would need people in both realms in his pockets. If he had Nolan’s ear, my appearance at this dinner would get back to him. I briefly wondered about sharing my concerns with Dom. This was my mess to fix, though.
I dabbed my mouth with a silk napkin, folding it discretely. “Pardon me, Your Majesty, but I’m not feeling well.” She waved me off, apathetic to my plight. I whispered to Dom, “I’ll be right back; I just need to use the bathroom.” He eyed me warily, but acquiesced. His stare burned into the back of my neck as I retreated from the table.
A servant led me to a room removed from the festivities. I closed the door behind me and leaned against it. My reflection revealed my panic. I adjusted my dress, spruced my hair in the ornate mirror, and thought through my options. Did Oster recognize me? His eyes weren’t slitted, so he couldn’t have been a dreki. Was he one of Nolan’s spies?
A knock on the door startled me. I yelled to the outside, “I’ll be out—” The door opened. Oster strode in, smugness lining his features. I tried to speak, and he held up his hand, silencing me. “Ah, ah, ah!” he chided. “You’re King Nolan’s lost bird aren’t you? Whoring with the rebellion now?”
I searched for a weapon, cursing my revealing dress and its severe lack of blades. His long fingers gripped my wrists, claws splitting my skin. I fought against his binding arms.
Tendrils of his magic warmed along my throat, encircling my chest. “Hard to scream when you have no voice. I’ll let them know you became too ill and embarrassed to return. I’ll take you home. Yourtruehome.” He sniffed my neck, his nose grazing a line toward my ear. Bile rose in my throat. I could not scream even if I wanted to.
He pulled out a vial of Glint. “This should help your transition.”
I bucked against him, his magic having stolen the sound from my mouth. Clenching my eyes, I urged my skin to freeze. He jerked away, giving me just enough time to kick him in his chest and summon ice blades. The wall shook as he slammed against it. The vial clattered to the floor.
