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~9~
The whole palace seemed to have changed from the last time I’d walked its twisted halls. Dramatic chandeliers hanging from the ceilings were now on, and all the dimmed candles and sconces sat lit along the walls and sleek banisters.
Dylan and a guard I’d learned was named Wesley escorted me down to the lower level.
The citadel was no longer eerily silent, full of nobility and high-class supes now inside Reyes’ fortress.
Multiple heads swiveled in my direction, bowing in respectable custom. I kept my face impassive, engaging with none of them.
“Here we go,” Dylan said quietly, giving me a heads up as we neared one of four rounded arches that led to the banquet hall.
I shoved down the nerves that wanted to overcome me, curling and uncurling my fingers.
“Be docile, be sweet, and you’ll be fine,” Dylan advised, even quieter.
“We know what it's like,” Wesley added from my other side.
I nodded, giving them a grateful smile but internally rejecting the advice.
I would never dumb myself down to a lamb amongst wolves, for I was a wolf too and had teeth just as sharp.
Entering a massive room with long cypress tables, I was guided towards the one in the center. Reyes sat at the end in a high-backed black chair larger than the rest. My heart tripped when our eyes met.
Beautiful tiger orange hues roamed over me, and a smile of appreciation bloomed on his face.
The room had gone completely silent as I entered and everyone rose from their chairs. Not to have risen would be disrespectful to not only me but their beloved king. Still, I took immediate note of the bowing of heads, showcasing loyalty to a queen they did not know.
Relief swept through me when I saw Scarlett and Jacinda also standing from their seats at my table.
They were unharmed, at least on the outside. Something was off with Scarlett, though.
Her green eyes met mine, two shades brighter than before, and she gave a reassuring smile. Jacinda was facing the opposite direction.
Reyes' hand came out when I reached him. I took it, watching him shamelessly raise it to his mouth and kiss the back of it as all eyes in the room watched on.
I was then guided to the opposite end to sit in a chair much like his. Once I was settled, my two chaperones moved to take their posts, I imagined somewhere behind me, and the rest of the room reclaimed their seats.
The silence lingered, stares now openly cast my way. I fought the urge to shift uncomfortably.
“Is there nothing else to amuse yourselves with?” Reyes asked the room loudly.
The conversation started back up immediately. I almost laughed as a man at the table beside me asked someone about the weather.
Food trays were wheeled out and dishes were loaded, servings passed around.
I noticed the variety. There was something for everyone. Shifters would eat nearly anything, usually having bottomless stomachs. Vampires tended to eat raw meats and over-indulge in wine. All other demi and supes ate normally, with a few choosing to be completely vegan.
A plate was placed in front of me, but all I could manage were a few bites.
My mind was on my two friends and taking in a much as Reyes’ court as I could.
“I’m so glad to see you,” I told the girls softly, looking each of them over.
“Us too. I thought that brute would never let you out of that room,” Scarlett replied, scooping up a bite of peas.
I kept him saying that I was never a prisoner to myself. That’s what it had felt like.
After being alone with him for gods knew how long, every breath outside of those walls was like a gulp of fresh air.
“I’m sorry about Gideon,” Jacinda signed.
I swallowed and nodded, giving her a slight smile. Refusing to have him buried here was the cause for the shiny urn sitting on the dresser beside my tarnished crown.
It was impossible to think of my father and not feel pain. I ignored the hurt of losing him and the utter way I’d failed thus far as his heir. I didn’t mourn the fall of Zenith or question why tragedy had come for me in spades.
Now that I was back in the realm of the living, so to speak, it was hitting home all over again. I was acutely aware that not one of the supes in the room belonged to my region, which meant they were still in constant hardship.
There were, however, demis. And I was positive some belonged to Zenith—or had.
All were noticeably bound to someone of Purgatory, having survived whatever chemical we’d been injected with.
Being a mostly female species, I was surprised to see at least a dozen males here as well. They didn’t look as miserable as I’d expected.
In fact, most were smiling and as physically close to their partners as they were able to get without being in their laps.
