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Jinx takes the rounded knife and cuts her toast in half. I feel out of place, not having grown up in a world where cutlery mattered. Mom was more worried about finding something to eat versus what to eat our dinner with. Sutherland’s goal was ensuring I could read and hold a conversation if engaged. But forks?
Jinx hands me a buttered slice of bread. I smile, grateful to have at least one friend today. She sets the other half on her plate and says, “When you didn’t show up for breakfast, I was worried.”
“Seems Prince Sebastian felt it safest for me to venture beyond the walls when everyone was occupied.” I pretend to nibble on the toast, then set it in front of me.
The tiny taste doesn’t send my hackles rising, but I still don’t trust anything that comes from the Crown’s kitchen. The other girls don’t seem to feel the same. They eat and drink, chatting idly as if last night’s horrors never happened.
Jinx’s eyebrows press together into a tight line, and her head tilts a touch to the left as she processes what I’ve said. When it clicks, that my red hair makes me a suspect, her jaw drops. “That’s ridiculous. The attacks have been going on for weeks. No one could possibly blame you.”
I snap my gaze from the dark-haired girl across from me to Jinx. “What attacks?”
Her eyes widen, as if she’s just realized she’s spilled a precious secret, but she doesn’t beg me to keep it. She does the opposite and shuts down. Stone walls me, frozen in her seat, the breath stuck in her lungs like time has stopped.
Seconds tick by with neither one of us speaking. I leak the tiniest bit of magic and allow my webs to wrap around Jinx. Her energy buzzes in my strands, warm and vibrant, but no alarms are sounding.
“Can you believe the prince will send some of us home in less than a week?” a girl with skin the color of toasted chestnuts and thick dark hair asks. “How can he expect to fall in love with us that fast?”
“I doubt he’s looking for love, Tamia,” a blonde with pretty blue eyes says, adding to the conversation. She looks so young. It’s hard to believe she’s sixteen. “If you ask me, I think?—”
“No one asked you anything, Victoria,” Raven, who’s had a permanent snarl on her face, hisses. “And no one cares. Be grateful you made it this far.”
“You don’t have to be such a bitch,” I say, and once again, everyone’s looking at me. I should know better than to attract this kind of attention, but I hate a bully, and Raven gives off mean-girl vibes.
“Language!” Vidya scolds, but her scowl quickly changes to a cheerful grin when Bash’s guards enter the room.
The energy in the air shifts from tense to buzzing with anticipation. Raven runs her fingers through her hair. Tamia checks her teeth using the back of her spoon as a mirror. Most of the other Ladies squirm in their seats to sit upright.
Riot enters first. He takes a stance to the left, followed by Bash, who takes the center position. Riot glances at each lady, skipping over me, before focusing on the wall behind Vidya. By the way he actively avoids me, you’d never know we spent the morning together or that it was surprisingly enjoyable.
On Bash’s right is Graves. The stoic soldier stands by the prince's side, like a seasoned protector, and it makes me wonder if Bash has taken a blind eye to the atrocities Graves has committed or if he’s not privy to the secrets of his guard. For all of our sakes, I hope he’s in the dark. Arcane doesn’t need another king with broken morals.
"Good morning, ladies!" the prince greets, his voice filled with excitement. "You all look beautiful today."
The room erupts in murmurs of thanks and giggles. While the others find his compliment endearing, my panic overshadows any positive emotion I might’ve had, leaving me trapped in fear. If Bash knows what Graves has done and still keeps him as a member of his personal guard, what kind of horrors has the prince been involved in, too?
"I assume Vidya explained the agenda for this week?” Bash says, glancing at the old woman, who nods approvingly. "Wonderful! As you’re aware, our time together is limited. So, I would like to get to know each of you as soon as possible. Andra, would you care to join me in the foyer this morning? "
"Why, yes, Your Majesty. Thank you," Andra replies, her smile polished, her tone practiced.
Riot pulls out Andra’s chair and she graciously thanks him with a curtsey before linking her arm with the prince's and walking out. Graves follows and then finally, Riot. The tension in the room snaps and the silence is replaced by excited chatter. Vidya attempts to regain control but soon realizes her efforts are wasted. She dismisses herself with a reminder for us not to be late for dinner.
"It seems like the prince has chosen his bride," Jinx whispers, her lips downturned with distaste.
"Maybe not," I counter. "I got the first dance last night, and you don’t see a ring on my finger. They might just be friends."
"You got the only dance." Jinx smiles, but I can tell she is still worried about her odds.
The other girls don’t seem to have the same concern for they whisper and giggle together. A part of me wants to participate in the idle talk and get to know them, but I can’t shake my unease from seeing Sergeant Graves.
"I’m sorry," Jinx says, suddenly. "I have to go." She pushes her chair back and drops her cloth napkin on the table.
"Do you want some company?" I ask, not comfortable with her roaming the castle alone. A shiver of goosebumps trails down my spine when she shakes her head. I don’t push her, but I don’t feel good about letting her leave either. With Graves lurking in the halls, she isn’t safe.
None of us are.
Needles prick the back of my neck as I sense a body approaching from the back of the room. I grip the fork in my hand, choosing it over the knife because its rounded edge is useless for anything besides spreading butter. I count the person’s heartbeats—watching the slow, steady rhythm burn brighter until they stop three paces away. I wait for them, careful not to make the first move. If I attack first, I can’t claim self-defense. Whereas if they come for me, I don’t think Bash would hold me responsible after what happened last night.
“You didn’t eat.”
