Page 87 of Knightfall
I stomped toward them, flames in my eyes, just as a young serving girl carrying a white daisy approached us and stopped to speak with Connor.
“Your Highness. Avia,” I greeted them both and allowed them a moment to get the annoying curtsy and bow out of the way.
Abbas looked amused, his eyes dancing as he studied me. He knew exactly what had brought me stomping over.
“My, Princess Bloss, you look quite excited this morning. And the Sedarian ambassador, sadly, looks a bit put out. Why might that be?”
I turned so I could see Meeker out of the corner of my eye. He was red in the face, ready to burst with rage. I only hoped the new rage I’d given him outweighed the old, and that he’d forget he’d essentially confirmed that the elven chain stolen by Cheryn was an active threat.
“Meeker was just warning me about you. He seems to think that you’re dangerous.”
“Does he?” Abbas laughed.
“Well, it was rather confusing. He thought you dangerous but an idiot. A dangerous idiot.”
“And why is that?”
“He thinks you have elven chains but aren’t smart enough to activate them,” I gave a playful shrug, watching Abbas carefully.
His courtier’s smile didn’t drop. Not an inch. His expression didn’t tighten. But his abdomen did, ever so slightly. And then his fingers flexed.
He did have the chains. And he didn’t like Meeker’s insult. Insults riled him.
“What did you tell Ambassador Meeker?”
“I told him that if Cheryn had any ill intentions toward us, they wouldn’t have sent their least powerful prince as the representative suitor.”
Abbas’ eyes narrowed.
I batted my eyelashes up at him. “If you’ll excuse me, I’d like to steal my sister away.” I linked arms with Avia and hurriedly left the chamber.
“Are you mad, Bloss?” she asked, as I opened a seam to a spelled passageway and pulled her inside.
“No. But they certainly are,” I responded as I lifted my skirts and began to lead the way back to my chamber.
“Why would you do that?”
“Angry men make mistakes,” I replied. “I need to know who our true enemies are—who sent this beast after you and what the hell Abbas wants.”
Quinn, get shadows on Meeker and Abbas. Now.
Yes, Dove. And may I say, beautiful performance?
I grinned as I led my sister around a dark bend in the tunnel.
We emerged in my chambers and Avia was shaking her head like our governess had. “This sounds like a terrible idea.”
“Avia, you’ve watched Ryan and the others fight, right? Have you ever participated in a sparring match?”
She shuddered and ran her hands over her arms. “No! That’s sounds awful. Why would I want to do that?”
“Because … someone has it out for Evaness. I’m forcing the fight. If you’d sparred, you’d know: it’s far less painful to give a hit than to get one.”
* * *
That afternoon, Quinn and Declan joined me in my room to discuss Abbas.
Meeker had been ranting to his staff about my churlish and immature ways all morning. But ranting meant little.
