Torin leaned in so close I could smell him. He had a smoky scent with a hint of salty sea waves. Much to my dismay, the two contrasted nicely enough. “Lady Evie, are you quite alright?” he whispered into my ear. “Shall I flag a server to bring you more water?”
“N-no,” I choked out, waving him off. “Just went down the wrong pipe.”
When he didn’t back away, I turned my head to look at him. Was he trying to intimidate me? Why were his eyes so blue?
“You’re unexpected,” he said softly, so softly I almost didn’t hear him.
A loud voice broke the trance Torin and I appeared to be in, and we all turned toward the sound across the room.
“I hope you’re all enjoying dinner! Please, eat your fill, but remember we’ll be dancing afterward!” King Ero announced, his voice carrying through the room as though it had been amplified. That’s when I noticed the man with pitch black hair and equally dark eyes wearing a long red cloak not five feet behind Ero, a raven perched on his shoulder. The loose sleeves that covered his arms swayed as he waved his hand against his side, minimizing the attention it would draw. I gasped as soft blue light pulsated from his fingertips. A sorcerer, then.
I was fascinated by magic since I was old enough to know it existed, and my father had told me stories about magic and sorcery, but this was certainly my first experience with it.
“That’s incredible,” Isla said as soon as everyone went back to eating. “I’ve never seen magic before!”
“Aye, tricky stuff, magic. Not all of it is good, though.” Everyone turned their attention to Rivka who was staring blankly at her plate, clearly locked in some kind of memory.
Belinda sighed dramatically. “Those of higher stations are used to seeing the gifts of magic used frequently. It’s nothing to be scared about.”
Oh, sweet Goddess. At the rate she was going, I didn’t think it likely she’d make it another twenty-four hours before Riv killed her.
Torin shifted on his seat beside me as Rivka slowly snapped back to reality, her deadly glare on her new nemesis.
“There isn’t one thing in this realm that I’m afraid of.” Riv placed her hands flat on the table. I could see the muscles and tendons in her arms flexing, like an animal ready to pounce on its prey.
“Riv, have you been around magic before?” Isla asked calmly as she shuffled some food around on her plate. “I haven’t, but I’d love to hear your stories sometime?”
In the Ekpen kingdom, they had venomous snakes—but they also had people who could tame them, like beloved pets. It was particularly dangerous if criminals mastered the skill because the snakes could be trained to strike on command. It wasn’t until Rivka swung her deep brown eyes to Isla and the bitter rage faded within seconds that I realized Isla was one of those people. She had a calming influence on all that surrounded her.
That was a very valuable trait for someone to have, and with how on edge I was feeling, I knew I should stick close to Isla. I needed all the calm I could get.
Riv sighed and gave a roguish grin. “I may have a story or two I could share.”
“We don’t have anyone with magic in Belney, either. I wish I had been born with that ability. There’s so much I would do,” I said as thoughts of a fully stocked supply room for my school danced around my brain.
The table began discussing what each of them would do if they had the gift of magic. Torin had been suspiciously quiet, but he was also on his third plate of food. Where did he put it all? As slyly as possible, I peeked a quick look in his direction. The first thing I noticed was the way his leg was bouncing up and down rapidly. His free hand was tapping against the table as he continued to eat with the other. When my gaze made it up to his face, I noticed how flushed he was. Sweat dotted his forehead, and the hair that had fallen free from the leather tie that held his long hair back had begun to curl more.
His appearance and behaviors reminded me of a few gentlemen in my village who struggled with alcohol and addictive substances. Lovely. The Volos crown prince was a drunkard.
“And what about you, Your Highness?” Belinda crooned, batting her eyes from across the table at the man in question.
Torin blinked back at her and shook his head. “I am so sorry. I think I zoned out for a moment. Please forgive my rudeness, ladies.”
Belinda gave a ridiculous fake giggle. “Oh, no. You have nothing to apologize for, my prince. You must be exhausted! I can’t imagine what all you must’ve gone through to plan this momentous event!”
Riv rolled her eyes and muttered something about ass kissing under her breath.
The prince waved off Belinda’s praises and reached for his goblet of water. “I’ve actually not done much, to be honest. I’m afraid this is all the work of my father and the kings of the other kingdoms. Of course, their councils played a large part.”
“Men,” I corrected.
“What was that?” Torin looked at me. “I didn’t hear you.”
Well, Evie. You’re here for a reason. Let it out.
“You mean that men orchestrated this entire event.” It wasn’t a question. I knew no women sat on any of the kings’ councils. They never had.
“Uh,” Torin stuttered while his mouth opened and shut several times.
