I tasted the chicken and was pleasantly surprised by its creamy, slightly sweet taste. The warm, aromatic flatbread was filling, but slightly salty. For a long moment, I just focused on my meal.
Victor watched me eat, without saying anything.
“What?” I asked with my mouth full.
“You have sauce on your chin,” he said and my face flamed.
How could he already be done with his meal and I, after just taking my first bite, already had food all over my face?
When I moved to wipe it off, one of the kids, a boy of about seven, approached Victor and squinted his eyes.
“My mom says that all dragons are bad,” he blurted.
“She’s not wrong.” Victor responded.
“Why are you here then?”
“I’m asking myself the same question.”
“Can you play ball?” the boy continued.
“You are looking at possibly the best in the world at all ball games. Especially airball.” Victor smirked.
“What’s airball?” the child asked.
“I can show you.”
Victor placed his plate on the table closest to us, and stepped to an open area away from the people dining. As I looked around, I realized that all the women in the room were watching every move he made as he showed the boy a game we used to play when we were children. Kids simply adored Victor; it was oneof life’s big mysteries. Any place we visited that had children, he would instantly get a following.
As I chewed on my food, I noticed the boy’s mother went over and exchanged a couple of words with Victor. Then she took his hand and examined his wrist, giving me a quick glance. I could not believe my eyes. She was checking if Victor was available.
I kept eating, not even noticing the taste of my food. Then I returned both plates to the cleaning station and walked straight to Victor.
“We have to go,” I said.
“Later, kid.” Victor caught the small leather ball and returned it to its rightful owner.
CHAPTER TWENTY
ALINA
The sun was already setting and multiple shadows stretched from every piece of furniture, creeping toward my feet on the floor when I stepped into the room Tynan and I shared. With a long sigh, I pressed my back against the door. Every time I thought that it was time to exhale, to have a little bit of rest, something else would inevitably come up.
It was settled that Tynan, Sage, and I would take a trip to the land of white clan and visit Alsaard. I thought about my resolution to never go there and could not help another sad sigh. Suddenly, the door behind me moved and I took a step away from it.
Tynan stood in the hall. From the partial darkness of the room, I saw only the side of his face. His eyebrow furrowed, but he said nothing until I opened the door all the way for him.
“I thought I would get ready for bed,” I said, watching him enter the room.
Tynan had the clan sword attached to his belt and its fearsome blade was incredibly becoming to his masculine features. It seemed as if he had always been destined to be the ruler of the clan. That was probably why his stepmother was so desperate to destroy him when he was only a child. She must have known that one day he would surpass her husband, and both her sons. The cruelty of his upbringing only made him stronger, and more resilient. If there truly was a spirit of the first king, it had blessed Tynan on the day he was born. The power, the energy that radiated from him could only have come from a divine nature.
Tynan stepped closer, immediately filling the space between us. I took a deep breath, and somehow my heart felt lighter.
“How do you feel?” he asked.
I nodded, staring at the pattern on his suit. But he placed his hands on my forearms, and I met his gaze.
“I... I’m just overwhelmed with everything, I think. I had to make decisions in quick succession, and now I’m feeling all the emotions I did not allow myself to feel,” I whispered, amazed at how easy it was to share my deepest thoughts with him.
