Page 66 of Queen Isabella

Artifex smirked, realizing he’d given the male another means of wooing their queen. Instead of replying he turned to watch thesaltare. Phara and his fellow consorts seemed to be doing a good job, but what did he know?

“Do you see how our queen watches Andren’ssaltarewith wide eyes? Her cheeks changed color,” Lehzen taunted him.

Artifex cast the male a non-committal smirk before looking at Isa. Her eyes were wide, a blush on her cheeks as she watched the Nemus perform. She blushed like that a lot when she first met his hive. Her expression changed when it shifted to watch their hive in the arena. She stared intently at Phara, but her expression was guarded. What did that mean?

Is she growing interested in the Nemus Hive?

Artifex’s heart beat faster in his chest. He cast a nervous glance at Bellator, who was stationed by Isa’s chair. Thelegionnaire was no help. The male still wore the same grim expression he’d had since yesterday.

Suddenly the chanting stopped along with the dancers in the arena.

“That’s the first round,” Lehzen murmured somewhat ominously.

Both Phara and Andren approached Isa.

“How did you like thesaltare?” the Nemus consort prodded their queen.

I guess we’ll know what our queen thinks of the Nemus Hive real soon.

Chapter 18

Revelations of a Queen

Isabella

How did I like the saltare?Isa grimaced, feeling put on the spot. The way Andren stared expectantly at her didn’t help.

She panned her hive and then made herself give the Nemus another look as they left the field. She needed a moment to compose her thoughts. If she said the wrong thing, she might upset the Nemus and kickoff a fight. Plus, she’d always been taught to be nice about such subjects. Afterall, she had no business judging a dance she knew nothing about. She certainly couldn’t share her actual thoughts.

You gotta say something!

Isa finished surveying the crowd and noticed that more than Andren was waiting for her answer. All of the Vorto were talking, debating the merits of each hive’s performance, but now all eyes were on her.

“I found the Tumulus’saltarevery compelling.” Truthfully, she wanted to jump Phara’s bones, but she couldn’t say that.“And the Nemus’saltarewas rather enthusiastic,” which was as nice as she could muster.

“Yes!” Phara crowed triumphantly.

“Wu ha!” Andren slapped his chest proudly.

She jumped when the two hives cheered, startled by their reaction. The moment it registered, she relaxed and smiled.

I’ll take cheering over a brawl breaking out any day.Her shoulders eased.

“My turn!” Artifex declared. “Keep up,” he taunted his counterpart in the Nemus Hive as he ran toward the field.

Isa slapped a hand over her mouth to cover her grin, tickled by his brazen attitude and the impish glint in his eyes. Distracted by his exuberance, she didn’t hear who they announced as winner of the first round.

Artifex leapt into the air and turned into ascreothe second his feet were off the ground. He was joined by a dozen of his servitor betas and gammas who jumped toward Artifex hovering in the air. Isa’s grin turned into a shocked gasp when they melded with Artifex’s body, forming one giant raptor. He was now the size of a hover van. Her mouth hung open. It was still surprising that the Vorto could transform into animals, but they could also meld together as one creature. It was too much.

Lehzen swiftly followed with a score of his people, though they didn’t meld together as one big bird like her guys did.

“Wow!” Isa finally found her voice. She shook her head in amazement and disbelief at the stunning feat as the two teams flew toward the woods at the far end of the prairie. “What are they doing for this round?”

When her hive was studying their archives, she’d been too tired and frazzled to pay attention. Isa regretted that now, especially since they wanted to know her opinion for the first round.

“Each hive must show their prowess by bringing back the most game,” Phara replied.

That explained why Artifex and his fellow servitors were part of this round. They were the hive’s hunters.

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