Page 22 of Between Smoke and Shadow
“Wedon’t let that happen,” I say, turning toward her. “Wetried to help.Wetried to introduce laws. It is the Committee who refused to pass them.”
Tora is silent for a long moment before letting out a humorless laugh. “It’s so silly. For all the power they believe we have, we are just as helpless.”
I move my attention back to Rune. She still hasn’t moved, and I’m beginning to think she’s too scared. Maybe my letters to Saskia and Viana didn’t help at all, maybe they’ve only made things worse.
“Things will be different when I’m king,” I say. The words are empty, and we both know it. Tora nods though, even smiles, as if she believes the lie.
Thirty minutes after we arrive,Tora returns to my side, shadowed by two guards.
“Leaving so soon?” I ask, glancing at the men behind her. She doesn’t often travel without at least one.
“Aren’t you?” she asks, lips quirking. “I’m surprised you’re still here, actually. You’re usually gone the second Mother allows it.”
I shrug. I’ve moved to the other side of the room, so that I’m less than ten feet from Rune. I’m desperate to catch an interaction between her and Saskia or Viana. There’s no reason for my lurking. Like Tora said, we can’t actually do anything. It’s not like I can hurl an elite across the room for bullying her servant. And yet, here I am.
“You can just talk to her,” Tora says, nudging me. My stomach drops, because I didn’t realize I was beingthatobvious. Tora sighs. “She’s going to be your wife, Harrick. You may as well find out if she’s as bad as they say.”
Viana. She thinks I’m watchingViana.
“Well, I’m going to go,” she says when I don’t respond. She glances back at her waiting guards before playfully knocking her elbow against me. “You really should talk to her. I’ll expect a full report in the morning.”
Not long after Tora leaves, Viana notices me lurking. Her eyes light up, mouth curving in what I think is meant to be seduction. Gods. I should have known better than to get this close, but I’m desperate for any sign that my interventionhelpedRune.
Viana steps toward me, brushing her red-haired servant to the side. She’s almost in front of me when Malek lets out one of his ear-carving whistles. The room falls silent, and for once, I’m actually relieved at his interruption. Anything to save me from Viana Llroy’s attention.
If I’m lucky, whatever stunt Malek’s going to pull will bring the night to an early close.
“There is a thief in our midst!” he shouts. Several people flinch away from his wild gaze. His eyes move lazily over the crowd, and as if satisfied by the fear he finds, he smiles.
He jumps onto a wooden table of gift bags, causing it to stutter beneath him. He strolls from one side to the other, hissmile growing wider with each step. The crowd stares, both terrified and mesmerized.
Malek kicks gift bags as he walks, sending them to the floor. Something shatters, and the seller steps forward, only to think better of it. She slinks against the nearest wall, face crumbling.
“Did you see her?” Malek demands. He faces a pair of guards, who have come deeper into the room. They’re tensed, ready to apprehend Malek’s non-existent thief. They should know better by now. When the guards don’t respond, Malek scoffs. “She’s stolen right from under you!”
The crowd shifts as people look at each other, accusations heavy in their expressions. Malek moves again, striding to the edge of the table. His chin lifts almost up to the ceiling, and he looks down at his subjects with amused eyes.
There are nearly two hundred people here. Elites from the adjoining rooms creep into the spectacle. They look hungry, like they’ve waited too long for one of these elaborate stunts. I survey the crowd, wishing to find Mother, but knowing I won’t. Malek has always been strategic with his timing.
“Brother!” he shouts.
I look up to Malek’s sadistic grin. He typically prefers all the attention for himself, but right now, his eyes are on me. I keep my face emotionless. If I don’t, he’ll latch onto anything I offer.
“Surely you saw her too, Harrick!” he calls. He gives me a look I haven’t seen in awhile, the one that begs me to join his twisted game. “We must?—”
“Stop this, Malek. There is no thief,” I say. My voice is low but sharp, sounding more confident than I am. “However, Ihaveheard there’s cake. Is it ready to serve?”
My question hangs in the air, and I’ve got my hand half-stretched toward Malek. As if I honestly expect him to hop off the table and share a slice of dessert. Still, it isn’t until he scrunches his nose that I realize I’ve made an error. It’s beenhis tell since we were two cycles old. He’s a spider, and I’ve just fallen into his web.
“No thief?” he says, voice pitching. He kicks another gift bag off the table before leaping to the floor. “No thief, my brother says! No thief,yourfuture king says! I wonder, Harrick, are you protecting this criminal or are you truly so oblivious?”
I don’t respond, don’t move a single inch of my body. Malek may have me in his web, but I’m not going to squirm for his amusement. I keep my eyes locked on him as he strides across the room.
The crowd parts for him, servants and elites bumping against each other without their usual caution. Despite sharing a womb with Malek, I never know his next move. Is he going to claim the thief escaped? Has he forced one of his servants into the act, ready to fake an elaborate capture?
A guard winds through the crowd to my left, stopping just behind Malek. And then I’m shoving my way through the crowd, almost aggressively. They’ve stopped in front ofher. As if she hasn’t suffered enough in the past twenty-four hours. Rune takes a tiny step backward, only to be pushed forward again by Saskia.
The entire room holds its breath.
