Page 24 of The Light Falls
Lord Lorn flicks his dark purple eyes to his sister and a warm look passes between them. “Queen Meri. Absolutely dazzling.” Placing his mouth by my ear, firm lips graze my cheeks with a light kiss. “Go. Have fun. I’ll find you later.”
Being this close to him for the first time is quite intoxicating. I breathe in his raw masculinity, along with the distinctive smell of bergamot, vanilla, and a woodsy scent. He even smells luxurious.
“Hmm, perhaps. Unless I run off with the handsome Fae in the corner.”
I pull myself away from temptation and saunter into the house. Every few feet, I make it a point to stop and have a quick chat with the male guests. Or at least the handsome ones. Once I’ve made it to the other end of the room, I pick up a glass of champagne and strike a pose. The high slit parts at the very top of my thigh, leaving my entire leg exposed, and I nonchalantly slide my eyes in Lorn’s direction.
Amusement. Not lust or possessiveness. His eyes skim down my leg, and a gleam of appreciation appears, but not for long.
That’s a first. Either I misread the signs, or he’s taken. I’m usually pretty good at reading attraction, but my game is off here.
I look around the room. Side glances and whispers tell me I’m the subject of their discussion. Lovely. I’ll mingle for an hour, then leave. Conscious of my new status, I paste a smile on my face and walk over to a small group of people.
To my delight, they’re scientists. After my quick tour the other day, I have all kinds of questions about the city and their latest experiments.
“Meira is brilliant. I love how seamlessly everything blends with the nature around it. What do you have planned next?”
My plan to leave disintegrates pretty quickly. After speaking with that group for a while, I make my way to the next. They all belong to a theatre group, and their play is opening in a week. It’s a romantic comedy about mistaken identity.
“It sounds hilarious. I’ll definitely have to come watch it.”
My stomach rumbles, and I realize I haven’t eaten anything since I got here. Making my way to the buffet, I fill a plate with an assortment of delicious-looking hors d’oeuvres, fruit, and the most perfect mini chocolate cake I’ve ever seen.
I look around for a place to sit and eat, but there doesn’t seem to be an available spot. The buzz about my presence hasn’t died down either. Not wanting to eat with everyone staring at me, I bite my lip and wonder if I should just put my plate down.
Tiernan subtly taps my arm and dips his head toward the stairs, where a few people are heading up with plates in hand. Smiling my thanks, I nod and follow him up. Laken takes the rear.
When we emerge, we’re on a rooftop with the city surrounding us. Enchanted, I grab a seat at the table nearest the wall in order to see the view.
It’s not long before several ladies grab the rest of the seats around me. Giving them a polite smile, I do my best to ignore them and dive into my food. It tastes even better than it looks. If I wasn’t a queen, I’d go back for seconds in a heartbeat.
All that’s left is the itty bitty chocolate cake.
One of the ladies leans toward me. “Are you going to announce your ladies-in-waiting soon?”
As one, the rest of the group turns to look at me with expectant smiles.
Solandis hasn’t mentioned anything about it, but I don’t say that to them. “I’ll confer with Solandis and determine the proper way to proceed.” I also fully intend to tell her that I don’t want any ladies attending to me.
One of the blonds heaves a dramatic sigh and looks around at her friends. “Nyssa didn’t have any ladies either. I swear. Nobody wants to uphold our traditions anymore.”
“What other changes do you plan on making?” a sophisticated woman in red asks with a slight sneer on her face.
Uneasy with her tone and the conversation, I shift until I’m facing her. “I’m sorry. I didn’t get your name. I’m Meri. Queen Meri to my friends. Queen Merindah to strangers…”
I don’t continue, but by the compressed lips around me, they’ve gotten the hint. It’s rude to not introduce yourself, then proceed to make snide comments to my face.
Lorn strides onto the rooftop and saves them from my irritation. “Asena will begin singing in five minutes. Seats are filling up quickly.” He stops at our table, and several ladies immediately stand to press up against him. With careful moves, he extricates himself from their grasping hands and sends them off with a promise to see them later.
Determined to eat my dessert, I pick up the fork by my plate and hover over the miniature cake. It’s so beautiful, I can’t stand the thought of cutting into it.
“Queen Meri? Are you coming?” Lorn asks from the end of the table. “Asena will love having the queen watch her performance.” He turns and waves the last of the guests downstairs.
“I’ll be there in just a minute,” I tell him. “I’m going to savor the view and my dessert for a few more minutes.”
He walks over and takes a seat next to me. “I’ll wait with you.” When I start to protest, he waves a negligent hand. “I never pass up a chance to sit up here. This is my favorite place in the house.” He sweeps his blond hair over his shoulder and props his chin in his hand.
I trace my eyes over his strong, masculine features. There is nothing delicate about this man. “Meira is truly a masterpiece. I met a few of the scientists earlier and had an enlightening conversation with them about what it takes to maintain the city. They also spoke about some of their current experiments. I honestly didn’t want to leave them to mingle with the next group, although I’m glad I did,” I say enthusiastically before telling him about the theatre group.
