“Well done in your second trial today, girls,” Lady Bethany chimes as she walks around us to the other side of the table behind Aelia, her fingertips grazing the back of the chair. “Drink up. We celebrate your lives tonight, and I better not see a single drop wasted. Aelia, you have been selected for the King’s company tonight. Please rise and follow the General out to meet him.”
Aelia dips her head and leaves. I watch her go with longing, wishing it were me instead. I haven’t had any other private meetings with Cyrus since the night we kissed. I’m starting to worry it was a huge mistake for him, and that’s why he hasn’t selected me.
It’s also in part why I’ve been uncomfortable with the thought of getting Devin alone. Marcella wants me to get a private moment with him so I can figure out what our so-called agreement is. But any time I think of facing him, I think of the last time we spoke. After he witnessed the heated moment between me and Cyrus.
Lady Bethany assumes a seat at the head of the table down from us.
I pull the wine glass closer to me, staring down at the dark red liquid suspiciously. Then lift it to my lips.
Marcella nudges her foot into my ankle, and I slide her a side-eye. “What?”
“Don’t.”
“She’ll know if we don’t.” I nod toward Lady Bethany down the table before sniffing the chalice. “And besides, it’s not poison.”
“And you think you know what poison would smell like?” she hisses.
“They’re not going to outright kill us. Otherwise, they would have just left us out in the maze to survive as long as we could against the dragon, rather than subduing it and pulling us out.”
“Wyvern,” she corrects.
“Whatever,” I mutter and swirl the wine in my glass. After Marcella resuscitated me, we only had to go one more hedge over before we made it to the finish. Surprisingly, we weren’t the last of the women tocomplete it. And as far as I know, no one asked questions about those who weren’t as lucky. Or how many were in the infirmary. It’s far too soon.
But I remember the woman lying broken. The way her body was twisted, eyes blank. That’s at least one dead. And the other screams we heard…It wasn’t just her.
I take a drink.
“Weren’t you the one cautioning me not to drink it weeks ago, suggesting it was laced?” she whispers.
I set the cup down. “If it’s the same ratio of opium poppies they used last time, then I welcome the ease tonight.”
Her eyebrows lift. “Lyra Goldbrook. You’re becoming quite the nonchalant.”
“I suppose death can have that effect sometimes, hmm?” I swing a look to her.
She stares back at me for a long time. Then, dips her head with an understanding deeper than words.
I grab my glass and take another drink. Scowling at the taste as Marcella takes a sip of hers. “Thank you, by the way.”
“For what?” Marcella asks around her wine glass.
“For saving my life.”
She snorts, then takes another sip. She wiggles her fingers of her other hand. “I owed it to you, remember?”
I angle my shoulders toward her and ask, “You still would have, though, even if you hadn’t?”
She slides a look to me. “Don’t push your luck. Briarstone, remember?”
I can’t help the smile lifting my lips as I hold back a laugh, rolling my eyes. The wine is already settling within me and easing the tension I’ve held on to for so long.
We spend the rest of the dinner rather quiet as everyone else chatters around us. I prefer it. It gives me time to decompress after the trial. For once, I’m grateful Marcella isn’t one for small talk.
A guard descends the stairs into the dining room, stopping by Lady Bethany and whispering in her ear.
She nods, then clasps her hands together before announcing, “Girls, I’m thrilled to announce that after King Cyrus and Aelia have concluded their dinner together, they’ll join us here for a celebration. King Cyrus has a special treat planned for us as a thank you for completing today’s trial.”
Excitement ticks the conversations around us up a tone. Taking a few more sips of wine, I lower my head and whisper, “What do you think the special treat is?”
