A voice she recognized.
A voice she’d held on the other end of her blade just a few hours ago.
The air tightened into a suffocatingly warm wall between Astra and the commander in question as he edged into the circle. She gasped for a breath, unable to keep her face from faltering as she searched for Ameera’s eyes.
“How nice of you to finally join us!” Mirquios called, clapping his hand over the commander’s shoulder as he pulled him into an embrace. He was wrapped in a clean set of leathers—no evidence of a Lunar princess pinning him against trees or brush.
His hair fell in dark waves, wrapped around his neck.
A neck she knew bore a shallow red line where she’d failed to protect her court.
We have a big fucking problem, Ameera, Astra shot out across the circle, watching as Ameera’s eyes took in the two men laughing at something together.
Mirquios was oblivious to Astra’s distress. “Lux, meet your future queen. Astra Leona.”
Astra could not breathe. No, worse, she was breathing all too quickly, inhaling the smoke rolling off his shoulders.
Ameera shifted toward her slowly, so as not to draw attention to them, weaving behind the Mercurian advisors as she stopped to touch Astra’s hand gently.
What? The commander?
His massive frame smothered Astra in flames as he turned toward her, meeting her eyes with the same fiery gaze she’d seen in her dream.
So much more intense in reality.
A flash within them dared her to say anything here, in front of his court. In front of his king. In front of her king.
His chest was still a blank space, completely inaccessible to her intuition.
The commander, and the Solarian, Astra beamed, squeezing Ameera’s hand as she released her grip and stepped toward Luxuros, conscious that dozens of eyes were on them.
Oh, gods, Ameera slowly backed away, searching the crowd around them for Archera.
“The Fire Queen herself,” Luxuros mused, bowing before her, unbothered in a way Astra envied. “I’ve heard so much about you, Princess.”
Everyone is watching, As, pull it together. I’ll find Archera.
Do not leave me, she begged. Ameera slid around the circle, staying in Astra’s field of vision. Her hand rested near her hip, ready to pull the blade tucked into her skirt should she need it.
“Good of you to join us, Commander,” Astra forced, her voice betraying her fear.
Luxuros turned to Mirquios. “Apologies for my late arrival.”
“Did you have somewhere better to be?” Astra sneered before she could stop herself. Ameera’s head snapped from looking for Archera to Astra’s face, set in a glare.
The commander’s eyes locked on Astra’s, reigniting the crushing fever in her veins. “I was in the infirmary,” he explained.
“Are you well, brother?” Mirquios asked.
“Fine, fine,” he laughed lightly. “I found myself on the business end of a torch in the hall. Left a nasty burn.” His head tilted back toward Astra as he spoke. She’d burned him—badly. If she folded his collar down right now, there would be a shallow mark under his ear proving it was all real.
She’d actually traveled the astral plane. She’d gone within, despite the cautionary tales on which she’d been raised.
“Special awareness seems like an important skill for a commander, no?” Astra stepped toward him, sweating under his warmth, but emboldened by the way his eyes widened at her question.
One side of his full lips flicked upward in a smirk. “I was off duty.”
Astra sipped her drink, folding her arms over her chest. “Hmm,” she mused, shaking her head. “Seems the king’s go-to man should always be ready for anything. My Head Maiden, for example, stands behind you with her hand on her weapon, ready to act should anyone step out of line.”
