Page 95 of A Kingdom of Fire and Fury
The crowd went wild. From behind us, the dragons roared, shooting flames up into the sky.Just another soldier in line.I barely stopped myself from scowling as I stepped back into line. The responsibility weighed on my shoulders. Already we stood on the cusp of war. Not only from Andova but also the gryphons.
Luther grinned, flourishing under the attention. “The dragonsguard are working around the clock to defend the people of Lusadia, but today, they’re here for you, and we’ve prepared a little display for you all.” Luther paused for the crowd to cheer. “Selena here hasn’t manifested her Gift Mark yet, but we suspect her Gift to be able to locate the gryphons—an ability which benefits us all.” His eyes glinted, and I knew he wasn’t talking just to the crowd, but to the spies fromAndova, no doubt listening in. “But let’s move on to lighter stuff! Gareth, you’re up first.”
Gareth fiddled with his gloves as he stepped before the crowd. I only half listened as he called for a volunteer, for someone with a broken arm. The crowd parted not a moment later to reveal a mother and son. The boy, who couldn’t have been more than six, lookedrough.His right arm had thick bruises, obvious to see even amongst the dirt that coated his skin.
Gareth’s expression softened, and he knelt before the boy. “You’ll feel an ounce of pain, and then it'll be over.” He hovered his gloves over the kid, and golden light covered the kid’s arm. The boy gasped but stayed still the entire time.Damn.I knew from experience how sharp that jolt of pain could be, but the kid took it like a champ. Gareth stood up and smiled down at the boy. “You’ll be okay. Take it easy this time and be more careful.”
“It doesn’t hurt anymore,” the kid whispered and poked his arm.
“Harold!” the mom cried.
The kid grinned, revealing a gap between his teeth. “Thank you. Mom got real worried ’cause we couldn’t go to a healer.”
A frown tugged at Gareth’s lips, but he forced it into a smile. “I’m glad I can help. Come to the castle if something like this happens again. I’m happy to be of service.”
The mom inhaled sharply. “Thank you, Lord Gareth. I—I can’t thank you enough.”
After Gareth made his way back to the line, Nimue went next. Her routine had a bit more theatrics. She told the crowd that she could tell what was a lie and what wasn’t, so she was going to fly up above where she couldn’t hear them. While she was away, the crowd chose a volunteer. The person revealed two truths and a lie to the crowd. When Nimue returned, she successfully picked the lie. The crowd wasn’t as awed as they were with Gareth’s gift, but still suitably impressed.
“Was it necessary to fly upward?” I asked her under my breath.
She winked. “Absolutely. Every second I have to stay here is a second too long.”
Ben went next and used his telekinesis to juggle apples. After that, Luther nodded to Kieran, who stepped to the center of the stage with his jaw wound tight. I couldn’t help but look out at the crowd. I recognized his stepmother and father from their portraits. His stepmother, Lady Adelaide Caddel, watched with a pinched expression. Wes watched impassively, his expression purposely blank. His father, Evren Caddel, wore a polite smile throughout the performance.
Kieran didn’t say a word, merely casually flicked his wrist. A wave of shadows surged through the crowd, sucking the crowd’s cheer as it swept mercilessly through.Shadow King. Reaper.It was moments like this that I could see Kieran’s titles all too easily.
I shuddered as I remembered the feeling of those cool shadows holding me against the wall when I triedto kill Luther. Like always, Kieran easily commanded the festival’s attention, and he knew it. That cocky smirk of his was earned. It was a mask, a role, but one he embodied so well. The man was sin incarnate.
He looked at me, and heat pulsed through my body, settling deep in my core. Dangerous. Lethal. A weapon in human form. Not just from those muscled arms and wide shoulders that could take down a gryphon, but also from his Gift. He could be a king if he wanted. I wasn’t sure what expression I had on my face, but his lips twitched ever so slightly. I flushed and tore my gaze away from him.
“The captain of the dragonsguard. I’m sure you can all see why he has the title.” Luther shot Kieran a look. Kieran merely smirked.
“Last but not least, we have a… lighter display for you all.” Luther’s lips quirked. “I’m sure you will all find it much more appealing. Aurelia, my fiancé and my heart, please show your gift to the crowd for our final display.”
I hated to admit it, but Aurelia truly looked like a queen as she stepped forward and glided toward the center. Even though we wore the same outfit, she just looked so much… more than I did. Her eyes shone as she stood before the crowd. Her hair was pinned back to show off her pointed ears, only adding to her ethereal look.
Aurelia smiled, clearly relishing in the way she completely captured the crowd’s attention. For her act, Kieran used his wispy shadows to cover the sun, shielding everyone in darkness. A move that I knewwould cost him most, if not all, of his strength for the night. Aurelia raised her hand and golden light emitted from her palm in a glowing orb. The light captured her smile.
A fae.That’s what she looked like. She lifted her hand even higher, and more orbs of light appeared.Beautiful.As much as I hated her, I couldn’t deny the beauty of the lights and how they made me feel safe. Aurelia stepped off the platform, the crowd easily parting for her.
Her presence was almost as strong as Kieran. The way she stepped… every part of it was measured. She knew what she was doing, demanding attention silently and not allowing room for argument. Light filled the pavilion. Those little orbs raced down rows of people before floating up to the sky.
The way the light shined down on Aurelia… she looked like a goddess. If Kieran was an omen of darkness, Aurelia was a beacon of the sun. Of warmth and safety. I hated her, but even I couldn’t deny it. The lights circled her, some of them weaving through her hair. Despite her disdain for the common people, you wouldn’t have been able to tell from the way she had walked through the crowds. She waved her hands, gifting her light to everyone.
The crowd ate it up. I remembered her titles. People called her ‘the soul of Lusadia,’ ‘Lusadia’s heart,’ or the most pretentious one, ‘Lightbringer.’ She had as much of a mask as the others did. Maybe even more so from the way they all looked at her like she had personally raised the sun.
Once she was in the center of the crowd, she began to dance. The lights followed her every movement. They enhanced the dance, creating a mythical air to it. First she started out slow, but then the lights began to twirl faster and faster. When she and the lights reached their crescendo, she raised her hands, and a firework of lights exploded from her fingertips, overtaking Kieran’s shadows and bringing the sun back.
The crowd went wild.
“Let the festivities begin!” Luther yelled and then walked down to Aurelia. The crowd screamed again when he kissed her.
What a lying pair they made.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
“Dance with me.”
