As I slid into it, five fire sirens from the Dominion of the Red Phoenix entered.
My breath caught in my throat.
There were four women and one man, their beauty more startling than even the stories had said. They were slender but strong. Their skin glowed with an ethereal radiance, their red hair cascading down their backs; their clothing shimmered in the light, made of red and gold silk so fine that it seemed to catch every flicker of movement.
Phoenix silk. Like my ribbons.
All phoenix silk was spun in their dominion and was said to be as impervious as iron. The way the fabric draped over their bodies made them seem as though they were wrapped in the veryessence of fire itself. They seemed to glide across the floor rather than walk.
It was the magnificent male firen who caught my attention, a flicker of recognition sparking at the edges of my mind. His gaze locked onto me, as if he were trying to place me, too.
Then he turned to Malissa, who was watching them as intently as I was. He gave her a nod, which she returned, before he sat with the rest of his team. So they knew each other. Malissa’s gaze was sharp with her usual calculation, but beneath it was the flicker of something else. Something like yearning or respect.
The Dominion of the Red Phoenix was a matriarchy, ruled by the legendary Red Queen. She was whispered to possess powers so potent she could bespell the unwilling and nullify even the strongest magic.
Perhaps Malissa and I both looked longingly at their table.
The five Azures entered the hall soon after, and I smiled at Quinn and Calla. Calla beamed back while Quinn winked at me, but the others ignored me. They moved with a taut, agile litheness that set them apart from the heavily muscled fighters of the Silver Tyger Dominion. When they settled at their table, the space between us felt wider than the distance that separated our seats.
A pang of loss hit me. I was on another team, away from my people.
Then I saw him.
Blake.
His broad shoulders and powerful frame were imposing as always. His bronzed hair, perfectly combed now, caught the light. Even among the hardened fighters and warriors, Blake stood out. The sheer strength of him, the way he held himself, the sharpness of his gaze, all made it clear that he was a force to be reckoned with.
And his focus was entirely onme.His smoldering eyes tracked my every breath as he entered, stepping steadily toward me as if no one else existed.
My chest tightened. I felt the unfamiliar pull of the Pairing, a thread of connection that seemed to grow stronger as he drew closer.
My pulse quickened as I tried to make sense of the sensation, the way I felt like I was being drawn to him, before he settled himself into the last seat at the table, between me and Malissa.
In front of everyone, he leaned over and pressed his lips nearly to my ear.
“Wake me next time,” he whispered. “I don’t like finding you gone.”
I blushed and nodded, highly aware of the eyes staring at us. Wondering who would be the first to figure out that we’d Paired.
I took a sip of hot tea, letting the warmth settle in my stomach as the others around the table focused on their food like it was preparation for battle.
It wasn’t just my table. The air in the entire room was thick with tension. Warriors from each dominion stared at each other, brimming with suspicion and animosity. Sizing each other up.
I set my cup down and glanced at Jace. “Do you know who any of the others are?”
Jace shook his head, his amiable smile tugging at the corner of his mouth as he looked at me. “I only recognize the other royalty from their portraits.”
Royalty.Right. The most powerful warriors would mostly come from the ruling families. While I was only a peasant.
“Who?”
When I leaned closer, Jace shifted in my direction, his elbow brushing mine as he continued.
“The male firen is their prince. His Highness Prince Auron of the House of Phae. He became regent after the crown princess was killed in the Annihilation. The reigning Red Queen went into seclusion afterward. I believe the woman beside him with the feathers braided into her hair is his cousin Lian.”
“Why isn’t she veiled?” Ire asked. “I thought all those ashbrains thought they were too good to show us their faces.”
“Only the ruling family’s women wear veils in public,” Malissa said, her gaze fixed on the firens’ table.
