Page 71 of Snake

Mason

Knox gives me one of his looks. The kind that looks blank to anyone else but conveys volumes to Silas and me. If Silas was looking in his direction, but he’s not. Silas is more concerned with scowling over at Nim and Romi.

I nod at Knox, looking to the stage. Jet Hart is making his way up the steps, the orchestra playing a merry jig to announce his arrival.

It’s almost time, Knox’s look said. I’m ready. Are you?

In a minute, they will crown Knox as the King of Ashes. Nim, his queen. If we could have found a way for all three of us to be announced, we’d have done it, but that would have raised too many eyebrows.

So far, there hasn’t been even a hint of trouble. It’s making me nervous, and Knox and Silas aren’t pleased, either. We were expecting Eliza to make trouble by now, so Nim’s sponsors would reveal themselves, but I haven’t even seen her tonight.

Nim and Romi both perk up when Jet steps on stage. It lights a jealous fire under my ass, but there’s fuck all I can do about it. Jet Hart is a legend. A goddamn institution in every meaning of the word. And he looks the fucking part, too. Tall, well-built, immaculate hairstyle, perfectly tailored Hugo Boss suit. But so solemn. So refined. He’s as close to royalty as Cinderhart will ever get, but he’d never need to wear a crown to get the respect he needs. He deserves.

“Good evening, Cinderhart.” The cheering crowd almost drowns out his deep voice. “Are you ready to find out who will be crowned the King and Queen of the Ashes?” His faint smile is approving as the noise swells to deafening levels.

Jet turns to his wife, Ophelia, and his smile warms even more. “Ophelia, are you ready?” She’s holding a small silver bowl in her hands. Her gown shimmers as she turns a little to the crowd, a smattering of applause greeting her gracious smile. Then she nods at her husband, and he faces the crowd again.

“Cinderhart, please welcome your new King of Ashes...” Jet pauses for dramatic effect, and the hush is like a soft vacuum as everyone waits for the announcement.He opens the envelope in his hands.

Knox steps back, straightens the lapels of his tux, and heads for the stairwell, throwing me a quick nod as he passes.

“Please welcome your king…Mason Bennett!”

I’m still looking at Knox when my name comes through on the audio system. Knox stops walking, and I take a second to realize why. I blink, a frown jumping up between my brows. Knox frowns back. I turn back to the stage, staring down at Jet Hart as he claps his hands and stares into the crowd, waiting for me to show up.

Silas shoves me. “Go, you idiot.”

“But...it wasn’t—” I cut off, swallow, throw Knox a defeated look, and trot down the stairs. As soon as I appear on the ground floor, the crowd’s applause doubles and a path opens for me to the stage.

I’m desperately trying to figure out what happened, but somewhere along the line I remember to smile and wave like a goddamn fool. This wasn’t meant to happen. It’s supposed to be Knox climbing up these steps. Knox grinning at Hart. Knox shaking Hart’s hand and taking a knee in front of his wife.

The finger she brushes over my forehead is as cool and steady as her smile. She’s beautiful, with her porcelain skin, pink lips, and big gray eyes, but almost too beautiful. She looks more like a doll than a real person, and that’s never been a turn on for me.

I stand, realize I’m scowling like Silas, and hastily push a smile onto my face. My eyes go to the balcony, and I instantly wish I hadn’t looked up there.

Knox’s face is blank. Silas looks fucked off. And Nim is glancing at them both like she’s wondering why they aren’t happy for me.

I guess, in the greater scheme of things, it didn’t really matter which of us went up here. It’s Nim who’s important tonight, not us. But that’s not why Knox is shutting down, or why Silas looks ready to kill everyone in sight.

Someone hijacked our plan. Someone with more power and influence. Someone who wanted me to be King of Ashes.

Only one name comes to mind.

“And now, Cinderhart, another round of applause for our Queen of Ashes...” Jet glances at the orchestra as they begin a drum roll, waiting for the anticipation to build before he announces, “Eliza Jackson!”

“Motherfucking cunt,” I mutter beneath my breath. My gaze flies back to the balcony. Knox’s face almost matches Silas for his frown. Knox’s dark eyes stare at me for a second and then he pushes away from the balustrade, leaving Nim staring after him.

A dark glimmer draws my eye. I turn to watch Eliza sweeping up the stairs in a bead-encrusted black gown. I used to think she was pretty, but fuck it if she doesn’t look like a two-day-old dog turd, blackened by the sun.

I realize I’m glowering at her, but I can’t seem to stop. Even Hart, when he glances in my direction, gives me a double take when he sees my expression. He cuts Eliza off for a second as he crosses the stage to me, coming to shake my hand again as he smiles widely at the crowd.

“Could I get a smile, son?” he says stiffly through his teeth.

It takes everything I have to force something that isn’t cold-blooded murder onto my face. But I do it, and Jet’s smile warms as he steps back into position. Eliza curtsies to Ophelia, and while her head is down, Jet’s wife uses her thumb to draw a cross on Eliza’s forehead with the ashes from her silver bowl.

“Cinderhart!” Jet’s voice raises a volley of clapping and yells from the crowd. “Your new King and Queen of Ashes!”

If Eliza hadn’t come up to me and forced me to take hold of her hand, I’d still be standing like a statue off to one side. She pulls me along after her to center stage, where we bow and curtsy until the applause tapers off.

---