How dare he manipulate the situation? Just like all vampires,a dark voice in me snarled. But I resisted that anger. If I thought about it analytically, like he’d encouraged me to, I could understand Raphael’s perspective. He seemed intent to keep me safe, and of course he didn’t give a single piece of kobold crap what others thought of him. And for my part, I wasn’t sure how I’d sleep in an unfamiliar kingdom without him.
“Fine. We can go.”
Raphael offered me his arm, and I followed him out of our rooms. Gaston met us at the door, our escort once more. After a number of winding turns, the long-eared aide opened the door.
The first thing I noticed was the food.
Vampires may only drink blood, but with so many other species present, we walked into a banquet with more food than I’d seen since I was a child. It was a miracle that the long white marble table didn’t crack under the weight of the overflowing bowls of rice, noodles, and bread; plates piled high with fruits and dessert; cheeses in every arrangement. A ram with an apple in its mouth faced the door, standing tall over the rest. If I’d been capable of any kind of an appetite, my stomach would have growled then and there. Even though the thought of consuming food made me vaguely sick, I wished I could taste it just once more.
The second thing I noticed was the people. Standing around the table were a mix of species. Closest to the door was a female with blue-green wings, purple iridescent notes glittering in the moonlight—the ceiling, I realized, was open in this room, two of the moons full overhead while Phrygia was hidden away. Herwhite hair stood in stark contrast to the color of her wings, though she lacked the cool skin and red eyes of a vampire. Beside her was a male with bright orange hair cut short. His ears came to a sharp point, as did hers.Fae. The ears were the only common point in their appearance, though both were striking. Next to them, a vampiress in a sleeveless gown, her hair straight and long. There was a copper piercing in her brow that caught the light. Cursed copper?
I ran my gaze over the rest of them, noting several other fae, vampires, and others. Some appeared mortal, but I sensed something more lurking around them. Though it shouldn’t have surprised me, I suspected one of the men was a witch by the way he shuffled a deck over and over, a mindless habit, while he spoke to another representative.
The room was charged with power, with life. The predator that lurked beneath my skin… it noticed. I pressed my tongue against my fangs, trying to distract from the sensation.
“King Raphael, Lady Samara. We’re honored by your presence,” Cosette said, meeting us by the entryway. Like the first day we’d seen her, she wore what I’d come to understand was the typical fashion of Limanos, a flowing, finely woven linen gown with polished silver clasps raising the fabric high on her collar, though tonight it was sleeveless. Her eyes were lined with a dramatic black pigment and bright blue powder that Thea would have admired.
“The honor is ours,” Raphael replied.
Cosette nodded, eyes somehow on us while still tracking every movement in the room.
“Is the king in attendance?” I asked, unable to help my curiosity.
Cosette now focused squarely on me, a slightly too tight smile on her lips. “His Majesty had another engagement. He sends his regrets.”
Another engagement? Over a welcome dinner for high-ranking guests in his own kingdom? Something was off. Could it be connected to why Raphael had finally come? Now wasn’t the time to ask, however.
“Of course,” Raphael said. “Perhaps another time.”
Cosette nodded, her expression offering nothing. But then again, that might be the advantage of not having a vampire as his right hand—Cosette could lie for him. “We’ll dine soon, so please, avail yourself of the company in the meantime.”
Raphael returned the gesture with a curt nod of his own. He didn’t hesitate to move through the crowd. The vampiress with the piercing I’d spotted extricated herself from her conversation and bowed to us.
“King Raphael. The north wishes you warm blood and long nights.” Her words were formal, but she seemed familiar with Raphael.
“Warm blood, indeed,” Raphael replied. “Lady Jaen, this is my fledgling, Lady Samara.”
So he did know her. It shouldn’t have been so odd, given their long lives, but my stomach clenched. The vampiress nodded at me, her gaze appraising but not judgmental. “It is an honor to make your acquaintance. On behalf of the northern queen, I wish you well on your transition.”
I fought to keep a slight smile on my face. “You’re very kind.”
“How are things in the northern kingdom, Lady Jaen?”
“The queen is well, our borders secure.” The latter seemed an odd thing to mention, considering their borders were shared by Raphael’s kingdom and, well, the witches. “I do miss the long nights, though I’ll admit I’m enjoying the warm weather,” Lady Jaen replied. “Well, whatever warm offerings there are.” Her head meaningfully tilted to some of the men talking on the other side of the room. “Have you spoken with Sir Ferro yet? He came with the fae delegation, but he had some interesting newinnovations in the cards. We can’t all be fortunate enough to rely on magic crystals, after all.”
I was lost but nodded along, not wanting to seem ignorant and feeling terribly so. Raphael replied that we hadn’t, and Lady Jaen led us over to make an introduction. It was the man I’d picked out as a possible witch before. He slipped his cards back into the deck and gave us both a low bow.
Lady Jaen made introductions while I studied the man. He was younger than I’d guessed. Perhaps some magic was in place, shaping his bones to appear youthful, but he still looked no more than twenty-five. He was disguised with bright cyan hair and matching eyes, a sharp contrast to his dark brown skin.
I didn’t say anything past a greeting. The three quickly moved to a conversation I couldn’t follow between locations and names, but I pieced together they were laying groundwork for further talks of trade.
“My specialty, of course, is metallurgy,” Sir Ferro explained. “I’ve told Lady Jaen that if she wants any more piercings, I can readily be of assistance. Or perhaps Lady Samara might like some new jewelry to commemorate her transition?”
His words were deferential to Raphael, but his attention was fully on me. I stammered a protest. “Oh, that’s quite all right. I don’t need any jewelry.”
“Take no offense, witch. My fledgling is particular in her desires,” Raphael explained. His words were smooth, but there was a coy tilt to his chin. Of course, considering he’d just made me sound like a snob, I didn’t appreciate it.
“I’d love to have something of yours, or at least hear about your process,” I amended. It might be just the excuse I needed to ask him questions of his magic.
