Leila
Iheld my pumpkin latte to my chest as I looked up and down the table.
The heck? Why is everyone suddenly being open and airing out their dirty laundry?
“You really should try the tea, Leila,” the Paragon encouraged. “I think you’ll quite like it.”
“Still not done with my latte, but thank you.” I held up my half-filled cup—which I was going to make sure I never finished. This might be special fancy tea prepared by the Paragon, but tea was tea—not coffee!
“It’s an unfair advantage!” Fell nodded with enough force to make his upper body twitch, then downed the rest of his tea—which the Paragon promptly refilled.
“As if you have anything to worry about.” Verdant bit into an éclair, then took another swig of her tea. “Queen Icey over there might be more powerful, but she’s let you run free and grind the rest of us under your heel even though she could blast you into last week.”
“Hey, I leave Solis alone,” Fell said.
“Only because you’re terrified I’ll take back my sun stallions if you anger me.” Solis held out his teacup for the Paragon to top him off. “Which would put you at the mercy of your Court griffins if you needed to do any kind of portal traveling.”
Fell puffed up his chest. “The control I have over my Court is obvious!”
“That’s why no one outside the Autumn Court has seen you near an autumn griffin since you were crowned—because you havesuchexcellent control over them, is it?” Solis asked.
Fell sputtered, and Verdant ate a mochi cake and looked on with interest. “That’s why you’ve left Solis alone? Here I thought you were just scared because he’s managed to hold on to all of his realm’s land despite the Night Court bottoming out and dragging the Day Court down.” She glanced at me. “No offense meant.”
I pushed myself against the back of my chair, feeling uneasy with this new level of sharing we’d achieved. “None taken?”
“Bottoming out? Hah!” Birch snorted with laughter. “The only reason we aren’t all scared stiff of Leila is because she’s still losing land like a leaky pot.”
“Scared ofme? What do you all have to be scared of?” I asked.
“They’re talking about the way you beat thecrapout of everyone in the races—even Birch’s cheating rider,” Solis said with relish. “And you got your Court under your thumb in a seasonandmarried the Wraith—that was enough to make Fell scared of you, even before he nearly wet himself when you trotted out the Night Realm at the hunt.”
“I amnotfully scared of her,” Fell announced. “Rime is still more powerful than she is! I’m just suspicious. I mean, come on! She’s a half fae who came out of nowhere! Even if she is Linus’s kid, who could do everything she’s pulled off and survive? Shemusthave a motivation of her own—she’s going to try to take us all out!”
“Yeah.” Birch scowled in my direction. “And she’s trending on social media. I don’t even know what that is, but it has to be some kind of human wizardry!”
Fell and Birch are just volunteering these suspicions? This is next level weird.
Concerned that either I was losing my mind or everyone else was, I looked to the Paragon.
He was chilling, holding his cup of tea—which I wasn’t entirely sure he’d ever sipped. He smiled when he met my gaze. “Try some treats, Leila,” he encouraged. “And allow me to compliment you on your trending status! Your popularity with the local humans has put the Curia Cloisters in quite the kerfuffle!”
“Thanks.” I reluctantly put an éclair on my plate, but I wiped my fingers off and didn’t even try to eat it.
“I knew you’d be a force to fear once your engagement was announced and you survived the wedding,” Rime announced. “That means Rigel approves of you. And I don’t know that he’s ever acted on anyone else’s behalf before—not even Lord Dion.”
“I barely have any power in my Court.” Verdant dabbed at her dewy eyes. “It’s only because the spring stags favor me. My nobles think it’s my fault the Autumn Court bullies us—but none of them helped me when I tried to fight against the horrible hunt!”
“It’s because magic is dying,” Rime said. “The faster magic dies off, the faster our realms shrink. In a decade or two, even my siblings and I won’t be able to strengthen our wards.”
“Yeah, but do you have to hide your own child?” Birch asked. “I get to see my daughter once a month because I can’t let my own Court know she exists—someone would have killed her by now.”
“You have akid?” I shrieked. “And why are you telling us this?”
“Leila, are you displeased with my hosting skills?” the Paragon asked in a wheedling voice. “Eat—please!”
I swung to the Paragon. “Why are you not shocked by this? Who cares about food at a time like this—” I stopped mid-tirade and stared at the Paragon.
Everyone started talking like this once they started eating and drinking, and the Paragon’s been an excellent host, making sure everyone has plenty of tea and that he provided their favorite treats…
