Page 84 of Knightfall
I squeezed Declan’s arm one last time, shutting down all the jingling nerves inside. I would do this. I could do this.
Time to play pretend.
The herald announced all four of my knights first, and they preceded me into the throne room. When I was announced, I slowly made my way across the hall and up the steps to my throne, the largest of the five on the dais. I turned, waiting for the servant girls to hastily fix my train and trail it over the stairs. And then I sat. Everyone relaxed from their bows.
I met Abbas’ gaze for the first time. He wasn’t incredibly tall, maybe five foot ten. But his face was well-made, sharply defined. He had a smooth dark brow, brown skin and eyes, and his hair was jet black. He had a beard, which to me only emphasized his age difference from my sister all the more. Dressed scandalously for our court, he wore only loose pants, tied with a draw-string. He wore no shirt, leaving his sculpted abs on display. His muscled biceps were laced with tattoos and he had rings on nearly every finger. Wonderful. Avia was a teenage girl. Warning her away from him would be like warning bees away from flowers. Bears away from fish. Dragons away from sheep.
Salamanders away from fire,Quinn contributed, helpfully.
Shut it. This is terrible.
Abbas’ eyes met mine and I gave a jolt. Somehow, his dark gaze shot right through me. He was a sarding predator. And for a millisecond, he let me see it. My stomach dropped. His grin widened. And he didn’t have crooked teeth. His smile was perfect. Perfectly feral. He’d eat poor Avia alive.
Stop it! Djinn can smell fear, remember?
Shite.I widened my fake smile and focused on the bunny rabbits Quinn conjured hopping between the nobles’ feet.
I could feel Abbas’ gaze on me though, studying, judging. I wondered what he saw.
Avia was announced. And the weight of his gaze lifted, like a physical force, from off my shoulders. He turned to see Avia.
My younger sister paraded in, her crown a small tiara of silver leaves and diamonds. She was dressed in a deep gold, and her hair had been put into ringlets. She looked every bit the innocent treasure. My heart swelled with pride and misery. My eyes swept the room.
Abbas’ gaze was riveted to Avia as she came up the aisle toward the dais. Unfortunately, so was Mateo’s. I spotted the ambassador’s son staring longingly at my sister.
Dammit.
Luckily, mother had trained Avia well enough that she gave no one in the crowd more than a passing glance. She joined us on the dais.
The herald started spouting formalities as we all smiled at the crowd.
Quinn, keep your eye on Meeker, the Sedarian ambassador. And on Mateo.
On it. I have people in the crowd as well, already positioned near Meeker. I’ll put someone on Mateo.
Who do you have on Abbas?
A couple invisibles in his rooms. No sign of those stolen elven chains yet, though they report he has a glowing blue ring in his room. That might be a djinn thing though? I think I saw that on another half-djinn down at the tavern in the capital … I also have a couple other servants ready to use disguise spells and replace his servants on my word.
Good. Think you could get a hair bead on him?
No. But the way he looked at you, I bet you could.
I suppressed a shudder.I don’t know if my hands are quick enough for that.
We’ll let Connor get a read on his moods, and then we’ll talk.
Once the official announcements were over, I had to invent an activity to keep us entertained until it was time for a welcoming feast. Since Abbas was not supposed to arrive until nightfall, the kitchens weren’t ready for the feast yet. So, instead, I turned to the nobles gathered in the throne room and said, “We will retire to the yellow salon for entertainment. Our first game shall be jingling. Be warned, any of you who enter the yellow salon, you will be made to participate.” My eyes twinkled.
I was using a tactic my father Lewart often had. It was a dual-purpose exercise. It was team-building for those with nothing to hide and it helped me sort out courtiers with too high an opinion of themselves or those desperate for approval. It would let me take the measure of Abbas and see if he was as aloof as reports painted him. Or if he was willing to engage with my sister and strangers and adapt to new circumstances.
The crowd broke, and people milled about.
Abbas headed straight for the dais.
He bent over Avia, giving her a rakish grin. Dammit. His smile was far too alluring. She’d never last a second. I wouldn’t have, at her age.
I blew out a breath, glad his gaze wasn’t directed at me.
