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ChapterFourteen
Perry caught his wife around the waist and pulled her close to stop her from swaying.Or running.
Thank the powers no one else could’ve heard Vori’s heartbroken whisper over the clanging of silverware against glasses and the shouts of agreement with the king’s announcement.Not to mention theoohsandaahscoming from those who stared at the stones pulsing golden light over her head.
“You can do this.”He kept his voice low but firm.Falling apart in front of this crowd was the last thing she needed right now.
Although he couldn’t blame her.A larger-than-life-size portrait of Vori with her mother dominated the far wall of the throne room.The preteen princess sat wearing the same crown and a wounded amethyst gaze, the queen consort in her massive golden collar standing a step behind.The enormous painting alone would’ve been enough to trigger a flashback.But with her uncle publicly pushing Vori into the role she’d never wanted?No wonder she’d panicked.
The king seemed unaware of his heir apparent’s present near crisis.Instead, he glared at Perry.“And her consort.”As if he had been announcing the princess’s new pet or prisoner.His lack of excitement could be taken either way.
Perry bowed, and his delayed reaction must’ve jerked Vori into action.She curtsied as low as the tight dress allowed.Why couldn’t they have let her come to the feast in one of the strappy numbers she wore in their room?Herroom.
For his own sanity, he needed to stop thinking of them as a couple.They were a temporary alliance out to achieve a common goal, a team for this trip, a pretense.Not a real forever marriage.With her head lowered, he couldn’t see her expression, but she was steady on her feet and not sprinting for the now-closed doors.A small but great victory.Yet he didn’t let go of her hand.His princess appeared to operate on autopilot as they joined the royal couple at the head table.
Her uncle beamed at her as if she’d returned from the dead.The man seemed to want to ignore he’d killed his brother, Vori’s father.Maybe the mad king hadn’t been the only monarch with a lust for power.Or possibly the amethysts really did drive them insane with greed.If King Lenneck had made up the threat over a decade ago to get the queen consort to run, he didn’t seem disappointed having the biggest danger to his rule back in the realm.Or Perry and Vori could be the ones being fooled by an act instead of the other way around.
Artanya twisted her face into an ugly roadmap of rage.Too bad Jura confirmed the woman had no golden blood.Otherwise, Perry would’ve voted her most likely to be the goblin with him on her hit list.She gave off killer queen vibes.
The view from the head table was daunting, all eyes fixed on his princess.Vori had jacked her spine so straight that she looked like a beautiful puppet with her strings tied too tightly.With her forced everything-is-fine half smile, she seemed brittle, as though she’d break apart if touched.She pushed the food on her plate in circles this way, then that.
She didn’t miss much by skipping the meal.The large portions, flaunting the wealth and excess of court, lacked any flavor.The meat he’d been served was so tough it needed a saw instead of a knife, and the veggies shriveled.They wouldn’t need to worry about being poisoned if they couldn’t eat what they’d been served.
The queen’s guard lined the room, their crimson-and-silver uniforms matching the banners that hung everywhere.It was as though a corporate sponsor had plastered branding all over the castle.
Mykata, the captain, was the easiest to identify.She had the same short dark hair and the angry set of her jaw like a piranha ready to strike in both her goblin and human forms.
The king scraped his knife across the plate with a screech that had a shiver crawling down Perry’s spine.In the next instant, the older man dropped the knife with a clatter and flexed his bony fingers as if he was out of practice.The others jerked through simple movements as well, hinting that they all spent more time in goblin form.So why this pretense?
While Perry had thought of Kradnovtl as a nightmare realm of monsters before he’d arrived, now he wished they would stop playing at human andbegoblins.He and Vori couldn’t find a killer she’d only witnessed in goblin form if everyone insisted on appearing human.
A silver-and-gold marking, she’d said.
Goblin lore was all gold and amethyst.Much like the tiara Vori wore tonight, the one from her childhood portraits.Hers looked delicate in comparison to the towering silver monstrosity perched on Artanya’s head.Twisting thorned silver vines and roses sparkled with bloodred rubies.Or the red of a human or witch’s blood anyway.Had the queen picked those colors?The ones of the uniforms?The ones of the banners?If so, why?
The king wore the centerpiece of the notorious wicked crown like a medal.What would the man do if he knew Vori wore half of the other amethysts?Perry didn’t want to find out.
Quick movement caught his eye.Jura rushed forward with a wrapped box.
“What’s this?”The king gestured for the maid to come forward.How could any ruler act like it was nothing to see a servant with an iron collar poisoning her to death?
Jura pinned her gaze to the floor.“A gift for the princess.Delivered by a royal I’ve never seen before.She wouldn’t give a name.”
Artanya slammed her wine goblet to the table.“What do you mean a royal?”
Jura dared a quick glance toward Vori and then lowered her head again.“A goblin royal.She had a silver crown with a gold thread through the middle.”
“Impossible.Mykata and I are the only two royal-bloods left.”Artanya’s voice was venomous, but even she seemed to notice the crowd’s whispers.“Other than the king and princess, of course.The golden-born.Why do you lie, fae?”
“I can’t lie.”Jura raised a fist over her heart, angling her body toward his princess instead of the queen.“I swear.”
Shit.Baba Yaga had been right.Their killer was on this side of the goblin glass.He might not need to play bait.Not if she’d already found them.
The king motioned her forward.“Bring the gift.”
“No,” both Vori and Artanya said so quickly that he couldn’t tell who’d spoken first.
The king glanced at Vori, ignoring his wife.“It’s a gift for you.”
