CHAPTER THIRTY
Astaroth
The door creaked open, and I propelled myself off the wall with my foot where I leaned while Calista dressed. She looked at me for a moment before opening the door entirely. I nearly tripped over my feet as she stepped out, the gown parting and revealing her leg all the way up to… it disappeared when she pulled the fabric from behind her and turned to close the door, her back bared from her neck to her bottom. I wanted to reach out and run my fingers down the length of her spine and along the silken fabric encasing her waist. When she faced me, her chin dropped and so did my gaze. I had to force myself to swallow the knot in my throat. The sheer fabric did little to hide anything, yet it hid everything I wanted to see all at once. I ached to back her against the wall, slide my hand up the slit of that gown and burymy other in the messy twist atop her head. She was ravishing. I wanted her entwined with me like the ivy she resembled.
“Bobbins surprised me,” she said, running her hands over the sheer black fabric on her stomach to the sides of her green silk skirt.
I cleared the lingering knot from my throat. “She excels at that.”
Calista smiled. “Yes, she does. I can’t wait to see what she does with my other designs.”
“Neither can I.”
She glanced up at me. Her cheeks began to flush from my expression. I refused to hide my attraction from her, and hoped by doing so, it would help her feel more comfortable showing hers for me. She thought she was being coy in our room while I dressed, but I felt her gaze on me and could sense her arousal.Our room.My lips curled slightly, and she looked away. Calista would be with me every night here after. Tonight, I would take great pleasure in watching this dress slip to the floor.
The bell tolled, jolting me from my reverie and reminding me of the events in store for us. I held out the bend of my arm. She hesitated before accepting it and began to walk, her leg a pendulum of seduction as she moved. I didn’t know what appealed to my senses more, the clicking of her tall shoes echoing off the stones or the brief flashes of all her flesh. As I opened the portal to the dining hall, I came to the conclusion it was both.
The servants gawked when we entered, entranced by Calista as much as the powerful image we portrayed together. I led her to the center of the table where they set our places side by side. We would face the kitchen tapestry instead of each other so we could view the lineup as we ate. Thadeus stepped up to pull her chair out for her, but I shooed him away. In a show of solidarity, and to keep his ogling gaze from roaming up the slit of her dress, Iwould seat her. She gracefully sat, and I tucked her under, hiding her skin from view. He pulled my chair out for me, and I joined her.
Calista studied the small gap between us, barely large enough to keep our elbows from bumping. The servants began bringing dishes out and filling our glasses with wine.
“I’ve been meaning to ask,” she said, taking a quick sip from her goblet. “What’s up with the tree?”
I followed her gaze to the tapestry. The tree of Thistlyn. We had never determined if it fed the realm or fed on the realm… and us. It contained the most powerful magic; of that, we were certain. All our weapons and my throne were cut from its boughs.
“That is a story for another day. I would like to take you there so you can experience it firsthand.”
Her face lit up, competing with the soft glow of the candles. “It’s real?”
“Very much so. But I would like to take you somewhere else first.” Her brow furrowed. “Would you do me the honor of accompanying me tomorrow?”
Lips pursed, she turned to me. “You’re giving me the choice?”
“You always have a choice.” I took a drink to hide the thin line forming on mine.
Calista sucked in a breath to argue, but clamped her mouth shut when the servants delivered our dinner. Tiny drumsticks and vegetables filled the plates.
She frowned. “I thought he was making pizza.” I watched her out of the corner of my eye lift one up and sniff it. “Smells like chicken.”
It most definitely was the leg of a toddling ninny biter. Ziggy was determined to make her like it. He had prepared it differently and added it to many meals she had eaten thus far.
She took a nibble. “Oh, this is good!”
I stifled a laugh as she sunk her teeth into it and hummed. “What’s so funny?” she asked, sucking the juice from her fingertips. She stopped and reached for her napkin when she noticed me staring.
“Nothing.” I sipped my wine and focused on my plate. “Let’s enjoy our dinner. The lineup will begin shortly.”
A few minutes later, Mergle stepped inside the south door. Sending him a look, he waved his hand, and three goblins entered. Their wide eyes darted around and landed on us. Their limbs shook with fear when they stopped in front of us. Tall candelabras were set on the floor in front of them to highlight their features and prevent Calista from falsely accusing due to mistaken identity.
The room became deathly quiet. Everyone held their collective breath while they watched Calista. All save the poor souls in front of us. One of them whimpered. Her head leaned to the side in consideration before she shook it. The room came back to life as they rushed out the north door. The second group took their place, and the process began all over again. Then a third. Then a fourth. All with the same outcome.
Calista held a drumstick between her fingers, barely moving it as the groups came and went. Eventually she dropped it on her plate, her food forgotten. I chewed mine, the wonderful flavor diminished by her discomfort. She needed to fuel herself or she would tire long before we were done.
“You need to eat,” I mumbled from behind my goblet.
“I can’t,” she whispered. “I’m trying to focus.”
I held up my hand and Mergle halted the procession. “Eat.”
