Page 108 of Once the Skies Fade

“We can’t,” I said in a less than convincing tone.

“You’re the queen,” he whispered. “You can do anything you want.”

A smile tried to creep across my mouth at that, but I bit my bottom lip to hold it at bay. When I didn’t say anything, he leaned closer, his lips brushing over my ear.

“You know where to find me, Killer.”

With that, he slipped past me and headed into the room. I hesitated, sure it would look suspicious if we arrived together. Pacing the hallway, I tried to clear him from my mind, to think of things that were decidedly less attractive—pond scum, fat slugs, pickled fish. I’d nearly doused the flame he’d re-ignited when Isa came out and tapped me on the shoulder.

“You can come in now, Calla.”

I glanced at her sidelong as I kept pacing. “I wasn’t doing anything with him, I swear.”

Isa was already nodding. “Great, but now you need to go in there and pretend nothing happened. Can you do that?”

“Okay,” was all I could manage before she led the way into the dining room.

Twelve places had been set at the long table, with my seat at one end and Ursula at the other. Isa either had a sick sense of humor, or she had not taken the necessary precautions to keepus apart, because Matthias was standing behind the seat directly to my left. I couldn’t request he be moved without raising suspicions, so with a nod and a wave of my hand, I invited everyone to sit, noting that the Assembly members were seated among the competitors.

At once, the servers entered and began pouring wine and water into our glasses. I hurriedly lifted my wineglass to my lips and downed as generous a sip as I could without raising any eyebrows. Something tapped my left knee, and from the corner of my eye, I noticed Matthias’s eyes meet mine and then dart toward the opposite end of the table where Ursula sat gawking at me, her glass lifted as if she had been about to make a toast.

Matthias’s earlier words echoed in my head.You’re the queen. You can do anything you want.

Anything I want, my ass.I couldn’t even drink my wine without offending someone, but now was not the time to start a fight, especially with this witch on the Assembly.

“Apologies, Ursula.” I said, offering a curt smile and lifting my glass toward her. Ten other glasses lifted in turn.

Ursula cleared her throat. “I simply wanted to congratulate the males here for surviving the first two trials, and wish them good luck in those to come.”

All four contenders bowed their heads and lifted their glasses higher before we each took a sip. The servers returned with the first course, and to my right, Isa smiled reassuringly as she speared a tomato with her fork. At the far end of the table, Ursula and Opal—the youngest female member of the Assembly—were asking Graham how the tournament had gone for him so far. I didn’t catch his answer, though, because something had brushed against my left ankle, slipping under my dress and up my leg.

I stole a glance at Matthias, who twirled the ring on his finger as he intently listened to Phillip’s answer to somequestion I hadn’t caught, but the corner of his mouth curled up mischievously. Then he hooked the toe of his boot behind my calf and pulled my foot toward him, spreading my legs wider than was proper with so many present—even if it was hidden under the damned table.

Determined to ignore him—and the way each stroke of his foot against my leg stoked the growing heat in my core—I looked past him to Yuri, sitting on his left.

“Yuri, how are things in the west? I know the tournament has forced us to delay our meetings with the citizens.”

Matthias’s foot continued to caress my leg as he turned to Yuri and asked, “Your province shares a border with Emeryn, doesn’t it?”

Yuri nodded his balding head to Matthias. “Yes, it does. Up near Engle.” He turned to me, then. “Things have been relatively quiet in my area. We are all eager to see which of these males will be our next king, though. There are some matters that have come up, but I have been able to work with the local officials to square those while you are occupied here.”

Beside Yuri, Warren chimed in, his dark eyes fixed on me. “How are you feeling about the competition so far, Your Majesty? Any favorites among the four?”

My gut tightened, and I pressed my tongue hard to the roof of my mouth, even as I smiled as genuinely as I could manage with this swine of a male.

“Seems hardly proper for me to choose a favorite, and even if I did, I would not discuss it with anyone, especially with them present,” I said, popping a slice of cucumber into my mouth.

“Of course, Your Majesty,” he said, dipping his chin. “Though the seating arrangement seems rather convenient, given the rumors.”

Before I could protest, Isa spoke up. “We have had quite enough of rumors, Warren. Even if there was any preference onHer Majesty’s part, I assure you, it would have no bearing on the outcome of the tournament. The queen has vowed to honor the victor, whoever wins.”

“Seems you have some fantastic options, Your Majesty,” spoke Fern from beside Phillip near the middle of the table. “To have survived both the enchanted forest and Lake Vestia? Arenysen will surely have a strong king on the throne.”

I promptly lifted my wineglass and said, “To the future king of Arenysen, whoever he may be.” Without looking at any of the males, I emptied my glass and set it down on the table.

Warren leaned back in his seat as a server removed his barely-touched salad and locked eyes with Isa. Swirling the wine in his glass, he spoke in his usual high-and-mighty tone. “Speaking of delaying the citizens’ hearings, the Assembly feels it unwise for the queen to shirk her duties simply because she needs a game to choose her next husband.”

Matthias stiffened in his seat, his foot retreating from where it had been massaging my calf. He opened his mouth to speak, but I quickly jabbed my toe into his shin in warning. He stalled long enough for Isa to do what she did best—which was why I trusted her implicitly as my second.

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