“Just fine,” Fina said. “Not my strongest area, of course, but I doubt the council members know how to rotate a field to keep it producing properly all year. We all have our strengths.” She linked an arm through mine. “Listen, we have the rest of the afternoon off while the council is doing their important deliberations, and I want to go into town. I need to see the dressmaker.” She sipped her coffee. “Not want. Need. I did not bring enough warm clothes for this climate.” I laughed. “I don’t know, that seems like it might be a bit of an ordeal…” “Adora, will you go?” Fina asked.
“Of course,” Adora said. “The town square is beautiful in the snow.”
“Come on, Reyna,” Fina said. “There’s a bookstore.” She grinned at me.
That got my attention. Adora must’ve seen it on my face, too, because she broke into a laugh.
“Fine, fine,” I said. “I’ll go. I’d like to see what kind of work the tailors do here, anyway.”
“Right?” Fina said. “We have to learn about our potential new kingdom. Let’s finish our coffees and I’ll have my girls call a coach.”
This would be a welcome distraction—and it wasn’t like I had anything on my schedule other than returning to the library to investigate the map section more. And if I did that, there was always a chance that I’d run into the king again. I cringed internally at the thought. The last thing I needed was a reason for the king to keep considering me ‘interesting.’ Definitely better to spend my time with one of the women I hoped would be chosen to be his queen.
We made our way into the waiting coach, bundled up in fur-lined cloaks with our fine shoes swapped for sturdier boots. Fina and I were struggling to adjust to the cold, but as fat flakes of snow drifted down from the white clouds overhead, Adora looked like she belonged here. Her cloak was pale blue and lined with white fur, which made her blonde hair look even lighter. She didn’t seem to mind the cold at all, not even when her cheeks and the tip of her nose began to turn pink.
“This will take some serious getting used to,” Fina said. She stumbled a little on a patch of ice. Adora laughed, caught her elbow, and helped her into the coach.
We rode away from the manor, through the elegant gates and back out into the hustle and bustle of the city. I leaned closer to the window as we rumbled over the cobblestone streets. The town was busy with activity, people moving in and out of the shops and residences. Laughter and music rang out from the busy pubs. I pressed my nose to the window. Part of me wanted to leap out of the carriage and join them, to see the places from the inside in ways I never could in Daybreak. But that wouldn’t happen here—at least not today.
There was a clatter from the pub, then a series of barks. Two wolves tumbled out of the front door, their brown pelts gleaming in the sunlight as they snapped their jaws at each other, then lunged in a playful fight and rolled over the street. A passerby huffed in irritation, sidestepping around the wolves’ fight as she hurried to her next destination.
Then one of the wolves suddenly shifted back. She was a young woman, not much older than us contestants. She stood suddenly nude in the street, but none of the passersby seemed to notice or care at all. The woman stuck out her tongue at the other wolf, then laughed and brandished her hands in a clear tease. She turned on her heel and started to bound down the street, shifting mid-run back into her wolf as her friend made chase.
“Did you see that?” I asked. “They just shifted in the middle of the street!” “Was it at the pub?” Fina asked.
“I think so,” I said. “Is that common?”
She laughed. “It is in Duskmoon. Usually not until the sun goes down, though. What about in
Starcrest, Adora?”
Adora turned her nose up daintily. “No comment.”
“Oh, gods above,” Fina said, leaning forward with a predatory grin. “Have you done it? A little wolf streak after a few too many drinks?”
Adora bit back a smile. “I said no comment.”
“I knew it!” Fina squawked. “I knew you had a wild side!”
We all broke into laughter, then Fina and I relentlessly teased Adora until she was flushed pink. The carriage stopped in front of a small shop, tucked away at the end of an alley in a narrow stone building. The display behind the glass window was gorgeous: elegant fabrics draped artfully over chairs and coat racks, displaying the wealth of options available inside. A small sign hung above the door—Camille’s—but there was no other signage. It seemed one had to know this place existed to shop here at all.
Fina stepped out first. “Oh, I’m so excited about this. My maidservants said this is the finest tailor in all of Efra.”
The shop inside was even more beautiful than the window display suggested. I sighed with pleasure as we stepped over the threshold, simply because it was warm. A fire roared in the hearth, blocked by a decorative screen. Gleaming hardwood lay under our boots, dotted with plush rugs tossed artfully around. The back wall was entirely mirrored, with a small platform for clients to stand on for tailoring measurements. The other walls were covered with fabrics, gowns, cloaks, suits, dressing gowns, even towels—anything made of cloth was here.
“Welcome, welcome!” A woman stepped out from behind a plush velvet curtain, leading to the back room, I assumed, with an assistant hot on her heels. She was tall and angular, dressed in a simple and obviously well-fitted green gown that hit just below her knees. The short hem briefly shocked me, but she made it look natural. Her dark hair was pin-straight and cropped her shoulders while her eyes were deep-set over her birdlike nose. “I’m Camille Delacour. This is my assistant,
Micah.”
The assistant’s head barely reached Camille’s waist. He swept into a low bow, then disappeared behind the curtain, and reappeared with a bottle and three glasses. He guided us to a low couch by the mirrors, then poured us each a glass of fine red wine.“Wow,” I said, settling back into the couch. “This is lovely.”“Thank you,” Camille said. “I received notice from the court that you may be joining me, so I did want to prepare a nice experience for you.” Fina sipped her wine. “Experience?”“I’d like to show you some of the designs I have to offer,” she said. “Then we can discuss fabrics, detailing, changes, et cetera, et cetera. All the things that make a lady’s wardrobe her own.”In Daybreak, the tailors made my clothes for me without much input. I wasn’t given such freedom like this—freedom to choose and make changes. Excitement swelled in my chest.“The Court of Nightfall will be covering the costs, as well,” Camille said. “So please choose anything you like. The king made that very
I nodded in understanding. If the Fae had come again, something in the land was changing. But unlike Camille, I wasn’t sure this was a good thing. Drogo’s reign had not ended well for him—I couldn’t imagine that the king’s would, either. The Fae’s return was an omen, but not necessarily a good one.“Well,” I said, “I’m delighted to hear it.”Camille smiled politely at me. She seemed almost disappointed that I hadn’t offered her more of a reaction.As Micah took Fina’s measurements, Adora looked more and more distraught.“I just can’t decide!” she said. “I love the neckline on this gown, but the hem length on this one.And I’d prefer silk, but then it must be lined for the cold weather—and what about this fine jacket!” “We can combine elements, milady,” Camille said. “You have a good eye for this kind of work.What are you envisioning?”“Pardon me,” I said as I stood up. “Adora, do you mind if I pop over to the bookstore?”“Oh!” Adora smiled warmly at me. “No, not at all—we’ll meet you
“All right,” Rue whispered. “Try to have a little fun.”I swallowed. Amity and Rue had an idea of how nervous I am, but I couldn’t really put words to the anxiety itching in my chest as I steeled myself. This wasn’t just the other competitors—this was the entire Court of Nightfall.Amity pushed the door open.The formal dining room was enormous, with immense stained-glass windows half-covered with plush velvet curtains. It was lit with torches lining the walls, and four crystal chandeliers glimmered overhead. The long table in the center of the room was set with fine porcelain place settings, but the guests were lingering around the room with glasses of wine, while finely dressed servants drifted among them with platters of hors d’oeuvres.I would’ve considered this to be a fine dinner, if it weren’t for the guards posted at the doors and near the dais at the end of the hall and pacing around the perimeter. These guards weren’t the leatherclad men I’d seen in the solarium and at the g
The man speaking tilted his head curiously. “I was asking you about the well-being of your Lord in Daybreak,” he said. “Since I am the ambassador to Daybreak and know him well myself.”“Oh!” The whiplash made my head spin. “Of course. You’re Lord…”“Skorupski,” he said. “Niles Skorupski.”“Of course!” I said again. “Lord Skorupski. It’s wonderful to see you again.”The Lord looked put-out. It was clear I hadn’t recognized him at all—even though we’d almost certainly done business in the Daybreak court.“Ice Princess,” Rona hissed under her breath.A scowl flickered over my features before I was able to steel my face back into neutrality. I felt so frazzled and rough around the edges, so unlike the carefully self-managed lady I was used to being in Daybreak. Something about being in Efra was making me too sensitive, too reactive. I had to get myself under control.The rest of dinner passed in a pleasant haze. The food was good, the wine delicious, and the conversation boring but still
“I expected,” the king continued, “that you might behave more like those two. Meeting people.Learning how things work in my pack.”Over his shoulder, Rona and Wynona were sneering at each other. Rona had a court member on her arm, headed to the dance floor, and Wynona, despite standing next to a councilmember, looked like she was a breath away from shifting and lunging at Rona.“Ah, Your Highness,” Fina said, “we were only—”“Your Highness,” I cut in as my irritation grew, “would you rather we posture for dominance on the dance floor like those two?”“Perhaps I would,” the king said.“To think that Ladies of the Court would behave so childishly would be to insult our lineage,” I said curtly.At my side, Adora inhaled sharply through her nose. My wolf whined internally, as my instincts fought my mind yet again.The king made a low sound in his chest, somewhere between a growl and a laugh. The hair on my arms stood on end. He leaned closer and his eyes flashed gold—for a moment I thoug
The man went limp. The king tossed him aside like cleaned chicken bones. The body hit the stone floor with a sick thump, and the king didn’t even grant him a second look. He nodded at two nearby servants, who quickly shifted into small brown wolves. They trotted forward and dragged the corpse out of the ballroom. Every hair on my body was standing on end, and my heart raced.When I finally tore my eyes away, the king was staring at me.This wasn’t the curious look I’d felt at dinner, or the amused gaze when I’d spoken with some rudeness. I’d seen his eyes flash gold before, but never so completely. This wasn’t the man looking at me—this was the wolf.I felt the shift before it happened.The air in the room crackled with energy. My wolf whined in my chest, and my nape ached. I felt frozen in place, pinned by his gaze.Then, like a rippling wave, he shifted. He didn’t wear the moonstone rings like the servants did— as his wolf rushed forward, his fine clothes ripped at the seams, fallin
“It’s how he rules,” Barion said. “Cazzell drunkenly revealed that he’d been embezzling some ofNightfall’s moonstone and cutting under-the-table deals with the traders from Shianga.”“And that’s cause for execution?” I demanded. “It’s a trade dispute!”“It’s like he said.” Barion sipped his coffee. “He wanted to make an example of it, to prevent anyone else from trying anything similar.”“I bet he’s just pissed he has to hold this Choice at all,” I huffed. “He’d probably be happier running around in the woods slaughtering deer.” “Oh, I’m sure he makes time for that,” Barion said. I gaped at him.“I’m kidding,” Barion said, laughing. “He’s busy with his kingly duties. Is it just the execution that’s got you so wound up? I thought you’d be expecting behavior like that, what with how worried you were about your imagined punishment.”I sighed and stepped behind the dressing screen. The tailor had sent four outfits, including the one I’d requested at the shop. Two were gowns and two had t
Fina raised her eyebrows at my outfit, but Adora just grinned from where she was seated. They were both wearing simpler gowns, too, Adora in tan cotton and Fina in elegant greens. Rona was seated at the table with them too, but she just scoffed at my outfit like it was the dumbest thing she’d ever seen. Her own dress was made for function as well, a brown skirt hitting just under her knees, and a black bodice with long fitted sleeves.“Good morning,” I said as I joined them and made myself a plate of breakfast from the spread at the table. Wynona was still absent, though not late yet.“How’d you sleep?” Rona asked with a half-smirk. “Any nightmares about the big bad wolf?” I poured myself a coffee. “I slept fine.”“I’ve never seen someone look so frightened around a wolf before,” Rona continued. “If I didn’t know better, I wouldn’t think you were a shifter at all. You looked like a scared little girl in front of the king.”“Rona!” Adora said.“I’m just stating the obvious,” Rona said.