I forced myself to walk, forced myself to slowly pull out the chair, to close my jaw and not let it gape open at the spread, then I used my remaining willpower to not reach and grab everything in sight like a starved animal.
Patience.
I had patience. Honestly, it was probably my strongest trait, so why was being in Viven making me lose it all?
Maybe I just wasn’t used to temptations. I had patience with Dahes because there was nothing to look forward to.
“Help yourself,” King Elion said as everyone slowly resumed eating around us, and I could have hugged him. I immediately started filling my plate—though I forced myself to do it methodically. I grabbed one of each fruit, some sort of yellow crumble that had a thick consistency to it, bread—that didn’t have mold—and as many pastries as I could fit in the remaining space.
I grabbed everythingbutmeat.
I tried the fruit first and thought I was going to lose it. Besides apples, Moriann didn’t have any edible produce. Nothing would last the growth process without the suns and the trade between the two kingdoms was mediocre at best. I knew we provided the meat—which was why I had no desire to eat it. That, and the fact that it’s all I ever had eaten for the past seven years. I hadn’t even had a bite of bread. The last time I ate a moldy piece was—I shook my head. I wasn’t going to go there.
But berries. I’d never tasted a berry before. There were some along the Examinis, taunting and teasing us, but they were just as bioluminescent as the river, and everyone in Moriann knew not to eat them unless you wanted to die.
It only took five seconds before someone would be clutching their throat, spitting up luminescent bile until their blood hardened and the glowy liquid spilled from every orifice of their bodies. Most trippedinto the water before the process fully took effect, and once someone entered the currents, they never came out.
I watched it happen once before I started to warn the exiles not to eat them. The only problem was, even with the warning, people became desperate.
But these berries—they didn’t have a trace of anything glowing or ominous to them, and they were freaking divine. I kept stuffing my mouth, putting one in after the other, barely chewing, before shoving the next piece in.
It wasn’t like me. I usually took my time. I had control. More self awareness.
The king chuckled low. It was the kind of laugh forced from amusement rather than humor. I looked up then and noticed he was watching me. He had reclined back in his chair and wasn’t eating, his gaze wholly honed in on my mouth.
“What do you think?” he asked, and I realized everyone else at the table was quiet now. Beyond a quick sweep to see the varying uniforms, I hadn’t really looked at who I was sitting with, which was so stupid. As soon as I smelled all the food, it was like all rational thought went out the window.
But I was paying attention now. I immediately recognized the Wielder that sat across from me, to the left of the king—Cash. I ignored his grin, forcing myself to keep scanning the table, trying my best to block out his training methods.
I looked at who was sitting next to him and my mouth nearly dropped open again when I noticed the drakin rider. He cut into a piece of meat on his plate, the only person at the table completely ignoring me.
He was just as attractive as when I first saw him and covered in nearly as many weapons despite sitting down to eat. My eyes trailed over his face, to his thick brows that matched his hair, straight nose, and set jawline, before snagging on his mouth. A chunk of skin was missing on the upper corner of his left lip, leaving a pale inverted scar. My gaze lowered, to an even thicker scar running down the right side of his neck before disappearing into his uniform.
I forced myself to look away, to stop staring at him, and take in the rest of the table.
To his left, the female with veracity was staring at me. I recognized her from the throne room. She was stunning—long black hair that flowed past her shoulders, chestnut eyes, full lips, and curves anyone would be envious of. She was wearing the gray Wielder uniform, and while the dragon rider was completely avoiding me, she was unabashed. Her gaze was narrowed, her food untouched as she assessed me like she was waiting for me to slip up.
I didn’t recognize anyone else at the table, but I assumed they were all important to the king.
“What do I think about what?” I forced myself to ask, turning my attention back toward the king.
King Elion smiled before waving his arms out. “Everything. My palace. My kingdom. My food.”
“It’s…” I paused, trying to figure out the right word. “Exquisite.”
Cash smirked across from me. His green eyes were glistening as he took me in. “Of course it is. You’re used to rats’ ass dining in Moriann.”
An amused snicker flitted across the room before a knife clattered against the table, immediately cutting the laughter. I looked up and saw the drakin rider had stopped eating.
It was like the mood shifted. His light brown gaze slid to mine before he looked away.
I tried not to focus on it—on how I noticed he had cuts across his knuckles or the fact that they were turning white. He was broad, nearly blocking the frame of the chair from view, and even sitting down, I could tell he’d tower over most of the people sitting with us.
The large sword was still strapped to his back and I wondered if he ever took it off.
Cash rolled his shoulders,the only indication that he was uncomfortable, before he went back to his plate.
“Your servant tells me you’re feeling better,” the king said, drawing my attention back to him. It wasn’t a question, but I nodded anyway. Calculating the bit of information that confirmed Bran was a servant,even though I’d already guessed it. I moved my gaze across the table again, realizing I had no idea where he went.
