I actively dismiss the idea that he could know anything, not wanting any of my doubts and fears to show on my face. Instead, I raise my chin and glare evenly at the Duke.“You are welcome in our Kingdom,” I say to the Duke who still smirks at me. I allow a little challenge to come into my eyes to let him know I won’t cow before him. After all, as Auden pointed out this morning, I outrank him. I outrank…pretty much everyone.“Though,” I continue, my expression cold, “I would warn you against making claims on things that are not yours. Vivianna, Niall,” I say sharply, turning my head to look at them. “Come with me now. We’ll get you something to eat.”And as I move away my children trail behind me, following eagerly in my footsteps as we move towards a refreshment table on the far side of the tent.“Believe me, my Queen,” the Duke calls after me. I stop in my tracks and turn to listen as my children come to my side, my chin still held high. His smirk deepens as he raises his goblet in m
The shift happens in an instant, as it does with all of us, but this wolf is particularly adept. The moment the flash subsides he is already in the air, taking advantage of the flare of light in his opponent’s eyes.Mahl cheers beside me, clapping hands at this bold move. After all, it’s a gamble – against a weaponed man, a wolf has only his teeth, his claws, and his wits. But in this case, as the wolf’s paws slam into his opponent’s shoulders, it seems to pay off.The wolf’s opponent goes sprawling, yelling as he hits the floor, his sword flying wide. The wolf bares his teeth, snarling down into the warrior’s face and snapping his teeth. The man hesitates and then sets his head back against the ground, clearly signaling his defeat.The crowd shouts with excitement as money changes hands and the wolf transforms back into his human body, his clothing and light armor preserved as they were before the change. He lifts a fist in victory, yelling with joy, and the crowd screams along with
“This is my sister,” I say, interceding in the conversation and refusing to let them have an intimate moment alone. “Callista de Silva.”“Callista,” the Duke says slowly, turning the name around in his mouth as if tasting it. Then, he reaches for Calli’s hand and raises it as he bows low, pressing his lips against her knuckles and letting them linger for a moment longer than I’d like. “The Queen’s sister,” he says, his eyes flicking to me before returning to her as he stands. “One dark, one fair, but each…a remarkable beauty. What treasures your kingdom does have.”I work hard – very hard – to avoid rolling my eyes at this overdone flattery. But I watch Calli for her response, hoping to hell that she doesn’t fall for it. But she just laughs and tugs her hand away from the foreigner, looking back at the fight as if she hears that sort of compliment every day.“And you?” she asks, not looking at him, saying the words as if she’s bored. “Who are you, sir?”“I am with the Vendan entourage
Niall gasps and cries out a little, tucking his head against me as the corpse lands in the center of the ring, a puddle of blood already spreading into the dirt. I move my hand to the back of Niall’s head, tucking him close.I reach to clutch Vivi closer as well, but she swats my hand away - she, like me, can’t tear her eyes away from the horrible scene before us. Coco peers with her, neither of them blinking as they take in of the blood, the full display of what her grandfather is capable of, before I grab her and force her to turn. Coco flutters, unbalanced, but Vivi grabs him and holds him close to her chest.“Does ANYONE,” Mahl roars, turning now in the center of the ring, glaring around at the crowd as if he’ll take on each and every one of us now if we challenge him at all. “Have ANYTHING to say on this subject?”And no one utters a single sound. The only noise is the wind whistling through the arena – no echo of a footstep, no clink of a glass - as we all stand perfectly still
“Yes, a coup for Callista,” I say slowly, though everything inside me screams no! That too-sly Vendan Duke is not at all what I hope for Calli, for her future. “But…well, do you think his affection is genuine, sire?” I ask. “Or is he merely…playing with her in order to get closer to you, through me?”“Does it matter?” the Mahl murmurs, rolling his eyes in displeasure with the turn in conversation - and, frankly, a little drunk. Any veneer of delicacy or consideration for my feelings has been neatly wiped away. “She will be useful to us – able to report back what he has said. It is good for a woman to be useful.”I work very hard to hold my tongue now and just say nothing, locking eyes with Calli where she stands across the tent, still at Caspar’s side. She gives me a little smile, but I just shake my head subtly before looking up at the King. Then, determined, I begin to beg him to please let me go to bed, to take my sister with me so that I can warn her about the advances of indelica
Auden loses his temper the moment the words leave my lips, but then I watch him reign it back in almost as quickly as it went.Honestly, a part of me would rather see him lose it – rather see him actually vent his emotions, instead of constantly tucking them back inside of himself. Because as much as Auden is Mahl’s double, I have no real fear of his rage.I know that Auden would never hurt me, never hurt my children. Our children. And part of me very, very much wants to push him across his edge, just a little bit, as I tonight have been pushed. I think it’d be good for him.“Are you – are you serious, Everleigh?” Auden growls at me, his shoulders shaking with the effort of keeping his anger tightly wound. “This is my fault now!?”I narrow my eyes at him, clenching my jaw as my wolf again nudges me, reminding me, deep down, that it is not at all his fault – that he’s been working, this entire time, to mitigate all of this – to protect the three of us.But this? What happened tonight?
**Midwinter, 5 and a half years ago**Auden takes a steadying breath as he stands at the doorway to the terrace, his eyes fastened on the girl before him who stretches her hands out above the warm brazier. His fingers clench hard around the two glasses of mulled wine in his hands, betraying his anxiety.God, does she even like wine?What if –But then he growls, shaking his head in frustration and forcing himself to take that first step forward. Because he’s being ridiculous, and it doesn’t even matter. The wine is just an excuse to talk to her – she can throw it off the balcony for all he cares.Auden begins to cross the terrace to her, his footsteps echoing on the stones.She turns when he’s about halfway across, just at the precise moment when her scent hits him again.He has to grind his teeth, resisting the urge to flinch, or groan, or drop the cups – because god damn it, but that scent –It’s incredible - black violets, and saffron, and plums, somehow spicy and sweet – conflicti
**Midwinter, 5 and a half Years Ago** I can’t help laughing as Auden winds us, fast, down the stairs, the butterflies in my stomach matching his pace as he turns and turns. It feels… I don’t know how to describe it - but something about the way we move reminds me of when I was a kid in spring, stretching out my arms and spinning and spinning for the joy of it. I reach a hand out, laughing and grasping at the snowflakes that fall around us now that we’re far enough from the ballroom that they’re not burned up in the heat. When Auden’s pace slows I almost regret the end of the staircase, mostly because it means he’ll put me down. I’ve rather liked the way that he’s holding me close against his chest, and the fact that both of us are pretending to ignore the way his thumb has slipped around to the back of my thigh. There’s nothing scandalous – not really – about that touch, but…well. We both know it’s there. And if my fiancé found out about it? He would not be happy. But the climb c