Page 86 of Fallen Star

“That’s our table,” she says, pointing to the one Victoria’s now sitting at. “Come on. She’s not that bad all the time. I promise.”

Given the fact that Victoria’s glaring at me as if she wants to murder me with her cutlery, I have trouble believing Sophia on that.

But I don’t have time to figure out what to say to Victoria when I sit down, because the next person who files in is the one I’ve been hoping to see all day.

“Matt!” I call out, waving him over.

He’s guarded when he looks at me—so unlike the Matt I knew back home—but he weaves through the tables and stops at ours.

“Zoey,” he says calmly. “How have you been settling in?”

His tone startles me, and I stand up, searching for the boyishness of the Matt I remember.

There’s nothing. It’s like he’s been replaced by someone else entirely.

“Aerix sent for me this morning,” I say, miraculously keeping my voice from wobbling.

“And?” He leans in, speaking quieter now. “How was it?”

“He…” I reach for my neck, touching the place where the wound would be.

“It’s incredible, isn’t it?” His eyes are wide, just like they were at dinner yesterday when he spoke of the queen.

His gushing makes me suddenly not hungry for lunch.

“I came to see you last night,” I tell him, needing to change the subject. “You weren’t there.”

“I sleep in the queen’s quarters,” he says proudly.

“Elijah told me.” I swallow, my heart dropping with the realization that it’s going to be more difficult to get through to Matt than I hoped. “Can we go to my room after lunch? We need to talk.”

“Zoey,” he says, almost pitifully, taking a step back. “I’m not going with you to your room. I’m with the queen now. I would never do something like that to her. I wouldn’t?—”

“Oh my God,” I cut him off. “You think I was inviting you back to my room tosleep with you?”

“Why else would you have asked?”

Before I can answer, Henry strolls over to us.

“Did I hear something about an invitation to your room?” he asks me, his smirk nearly as devious as Aerix’s.

“No,” I snap at him. “Go away. Both of you.”

Matt sheepishly runs his fingers through his hair, unable to meet my eyes, and strides over to the table where Elijah’s already situated.

“Go,”I repeat to Henry, and I reach for my fork, holding it like a dagger.

“Stop,” Sophia says, her fingers wrapping around my wrist. “You’ll get sent to the barns if you attack him.”

I don’t let go of the fork, instead keeping my eyes locked on Henry’s, daring him to try anything.

“No witty comeback? Don’t tell me Aerix already wore you out,” he finally says. “Guess you don’t have the stamina for this place after all.”

With that, he turns around and joins Matt and Elijah at their table.

Sitting back down, I take a deep breath and scan the other tables, which have been quickly filling up.

“Where’s Jake?” I ask Sophia, glancing at the table where Princess Cierra’s pets are already seated. Sebastian and Tanya. They both look sweet and innocent, like Jake.

---