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“Did she finally decide on a dress?”
“It’s going to be very extravagant,” Fina said with a giggle. “We need to get going, though, or else we’ll be late for dinner.”
“Right.” My mood soured a little. The dinner. This wasn’t going to be the fun, competitors-only dinner we’d had—this would have the king, the council members, and some other members of the court as well. It wasn’t technically a trial, but it might as well be one. This little trip was just a brief respite from the manor. Once I returned, it’d be back to my room, getting cleaned up, tied into a fancy gown, and then back to playing my role as a sufficiently forgettable lady. “I’ll be right out.”
7
I stood in front of the carved wooden doors to the main dining room. This wasn’t the smaller room off the guest hall, or the solarium, or the library I’d become familiar with. The dining room was in the main hall of the manor, where it was a little more well-lit, the ceilings soared, and the halls bustled with wolves and humans alike. I was dressed in the finest gown I’d brought: floor-length pale blue with navy detailing, heavy silk, and a fine fur stole draped over my shoulders. Amity had insisted I wear my hair down again, and it was already irritating me, falling into my eyes.
“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 leather-clad men I’d seen in the solarium and at the gates. These were in their wolf forms, and they were immense.
I’d never seen wolves of that size. They were closer in proportion to bears, with dark pelts of browns and grays, their nails clicking on the floor as they paced. Their golden eyes gleamed, but they kept their tails and heads low, attentive but unobtrusive. Still, their mere presence made my wolf rustle into wakefulness in my chest, hackles up and ears back.
I exhaled slowly, trying to calm her.
But then something else caught her attention, and she dragged my interest with it.
In the far corner, the king was talking to Fina. Fina looked gorgeous, in an elegant pale-yellow gown, with her hand on the king’s forearm.
Was the king’s wolf form as big as these guards?
Was it bigger?
I shook that thought aside. The king was dressed in his usual formal wear, slacks and a loose white shirt under his cloak, but this time he’d worn boots. He was laughing at something Fina said, his head thrown back.
My wolf whined at the sight. A cold spike of something shot through me. It felt like jealousy—but it couldn’t be that. This was exactly what I wanted to happen, the king getting close to one of the competitors I considered a friend. It was, of course, the best-case scenario.
My wolf didn’t seem to agree, though. Being around all these shifted wolves was getting to me. It was making me lose my grip on my instincts. At least I knew it was happening—it’d be easy to get it back under control once I was in Daybreak.
“Oh, thank the gods,” Adora said as she rushed to my side. “Come, get a drink with me, I needed an excuse to get away from one of the Ladies of the Court—she was talking my ear off about the intricacies of the shipping delays coming from Dawnguard.”
That actually sounded interesting to me, and I glanced around to see where this lady was.
“Of course that piques your interest,” Adora said with a laugh.
She tugged me away from the door and my wolf settled a little. Having Adora chattering away in my ear did make me feel a little calmer, and a little more in control. We each got a glass of fine, fruity wine from one of the servants. The wine was smooth but with a kick that made me widen my eyes.
“I know,” Adora said. “It’s strong.”
“Not bad,” I murmured.
We were only halfway through our drinks when the servants emerged from the side doors with trays and trays of food. The king took his seat at the head of the table, and all the guests hurried to follow to their assigned places—as they were marked with placards. I was seated between Rona and Wynona, with Fina and Adora across from me. We were near the head of the table, but the council members and Duchess Alana sat between us and the king.
The duchess looked bored already, gazing at us with her dark eyes cool and assessing. She was a beautiful woman, with a narrow, lined face, wearing a high-necked black dress with brown hair in a plait worn like a crown around her head. Rona looked inordinately pleased to be seated so close to the duchess, but the woman didn’t seem to return her enthusiasm. The mood was pleasant, but muted. I wished I had been seated next to Fina instead.
The court members filled the rest of the table, all in a bit higher spirit than the rest of us. The stakes of this dinner weren’t as high for them, I assumed.
Dinner was pig—entire suckling pigs, roasted and brought out whole. There were vegetables too, and whole pheasants, quail, too, but the pigs were the centerpieces. Seeing the entire animal like this made my skin itch a little, despite the fragrant, enticing smell. It was another way the Nightfall wolves seemed to be a bit too close to their animal selves. It was as if they couldn’t even throw a feast without having it feel like a successful hunt. I swallowed and folded my hands into my lap as the servants deftly carved the meat.
Then, for some reason, my nape prickled.
