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Though Megan hadn’t meant to do it, the “shame-marking” as it was called, was completely irreversible, meaning that Pedro would wear her handprint on his cheek for the rest of his life, like an ugly tattoo.
No wonder his mother was angry at me.
“He deserved what happened to him,” Ari’s Drake remarked, nosing me gently. “He was hurting you. If I had come out when I wanted to, he would have paid a much higher price than a simple shame-marking.”
The growl in his mental voice sent a shiver down my spine. I wondered if Drakes sometimes battled to the death and I had no illusions as to who would win in a fight between Pedro Sanchez’s Drake and Ari’s.
Ari had said, “My wings fly higher than his.” I had thought it was some kind of euphemism for rank but now I realized it was a fact. Ari’s Drake’s wingspan was bound to be much wider and if he could gain the advantage of height, I was certain he could blast fire down upon whoever he was fighting. Pedro’s Drake wouldn’t stand a chance against him.
In fact, looking around the Feasting Hall, where three other double tables were set up for the other nobles and their wives, I realized that no other Drake in the entire place was bigger than Ari’s—other than his father’s. But I didn’t think the two of them would ever fight—Ari and his Drake had both assured me they preferred exile to such a lethal contest. And wasn’t this banquet tonight a sign that his Sire intended to accept me as Ari’s L’lorna rather than exiling his son?
I certainly hoped so—though from the looks the other Drakes and their wives were giving me, I wasn’t sure if they would accept the Alpha Drake’s ruling or not.
The one Drake I didn’t see was Ari’s Cousin, Saint. Though I looked all around for another friendly face, there was no black Drake with a blood-red sheen to his scales to be seen anywhere. Saint had said his Drake was considered bad luck—did they exclude him from public events like tonight’s banquet? Or did he make himself scarce voluntarily? He, like Ari’s little sister Jalli, seemed to be kept hidden in the background, maybe because they were examples of imperfection that the royals didn’t want to acknowledge.
We hadn’t been served any food yet—the broad golden plate at my place was empty and the golden goblet was as well. So I looked around the Feasting Hall some more, being careful not to meet anyone’s eyes. Instead of the Drakes and their mates, I pointedly studied the architecture, which was well-worth studying.
Like the Audience Chamber, the Feasting Hall had a high, vaulted ceiling. But instead of marble, this ceiling was made of colored glass. The vast, round dome showed a scarlet dragon flying in a blue sky and shooting orange and yellow flames. The dying sun, shining through the glass mosaic, cast colored shadows on the white marble floor, making a beautiful display.
After everyone was seated and all four of the double tables were filled, servants came around and filled everyone’s plates and goblets. The food looked and smelled to me like a cross between Spanish tapas and Indian cuisine—two types of food I had loved back when I was human.
Though human food often smelled disgusting to me now, this actually seemed intriguing and I wished I could try it. However, even touching my tongue to my fork let me know that my body wouldn’t be able to process it. So I was stuck just pushing the food around my plate and bringing nearly-empty utensils to my mouth to try and make it look like I was eating. I did the same thing with the fruity-smelling wine in the goblet, bringing it to my mouth and pretending to sip.
After everyone had been served and was busy eating, Ari’s mother rose from her carved wooden chair and rang a dainty-looking golden bell. Though it was small, the bell was powerfully loud in the large, echoing chamber. Everyone stopped eating and drinking and looked at her expectantly.
“Honored guests and members of the Court,” she began, speaking loudly and enunciating her words so that everyone in the vast dining area could hear her. “Today is a glad occasion for us all. My son, Ari, the Alpha-to-be, has chosen his L’lorna. Her name is Kaitlyn Fellows and she hails from the human world.”
At this information, an angry murmuring began at all the tables. But nobody said anything outright until Sasha Sanchez, Pedro’s mother, rose in her seat and shouted,
“This girl is not a Drake! How dare your son break the Edict and bring a non-Drake among us as his L’lorna? How dare you flaunt his choice in our faces when you know she brings bad luck to us all?”
