Page 50 of Ruthless Monsters

“You should stay out here,”I tell Shade.“Away from the ceremony.” …And the danger.

“And miss your big day?”she teases.“I don’t think so.”

I want to argue, but Shade can be stubborn at the best of times, so I don’t bother.

“All right, let’s go get our powers back,” I say cheerfully to the others.

Alaric, Nate, and Prince Callan look like they want to argue, but they don’t stop me when I move away and start walking the rest of the way to the palace on my own.

“It’s settled, Mason and Dante are both winning at this whole being a mate thing,”Shade tells me as I cross the street, striding from the cover of the buildings and approaching the front of the palace. Four centaur guards are stationed at the top of a flight of stone steps, guarding the crystal entrance doors.

“The others are all drool-worthy to look at,”Shade goes on,“but Dante’s been there for you before you even realized it, and Mason has the whole tortured warrior thing going on, and he treats you nicely. Like, was that so much to ask?”I’d explained to Shade that Kai was really Dante in disguise, and my friend had literally hopped up and down with excitement.

My lips still tingle from Mason’s kiss, and I grin, but I force myself to focus as we approach the guards.“None of it will matter if I can’t keep us all alive.”

The guards don’t address me, but they open the doors when I reach the top of the stairs, and I move into the entranceway of the palace. A group of four soldiers in pristine, royal armor are stationed there, and the moment I draw close, they surround me and start escorting me further into the building where I assume the ceremony is being held.

“Looks like Celzar expected you to turn up,”Shade mutters in my head as she eyes the guards in front of us.

No one speaks as we make our way along a series of hallways, but when we near the ballroom, idle chatter and lyrical music drifts out from the open doors. The guards in front of me move to the side, and then I’m standing there, just inside the doorway.Thousands of faces all turn to me and the chatter tapers away, the music abruptly stopping.Ah, crap.

“Gee, this is beautiful,”Shade comments, peering at the wide pieces of glittering white cloth that are suspended from the massive crystal chandelier above, the fabric streaming to all sides of the room.

“Yeah, for a funeral,”I counter. The room is filled with countless bouquets of white scalloped roses tied together with gossamer white ribbon. They’re deposited around the space, set in glass vases atop white pedestals, and attached to the walls in an even pattern that makes the arrangement look too artificial. Too…unnatural.Too forced like this whole damn ceremony.White roses are the standard flower used when having a burial back in Seral, and I have the distinct feeling of being the one in the box about to be covered with a pile of dirt. …Except I’m not about to let King Celzar bury me.

A plush white carpet stretches down the center of the ballroom to the dais at the other side, and I finally let myself look at where King Celzar stands with a confident smirk on his face. His pressed white suit is completely covered in crystals, the tiny stones catching the light, and his oily dark hair is slicked back from his face. He doesn’t look the least bit surprised that I turned up, but even from my position, I can see the hint of irritation in his eyes as his gaze roams over my black dress.Perfect.

With a wave of his hand, the band starts up again, playing a tender, melodic tune that sings through the room, and I stand there, feeling like I must have dozed off and slipped into a bad dream, because I swear this is some kind of nightmare. The Perstalians watch me, enraptured, like they’re waiting to see me do something fascinating, yet I know they’re just waiting for me to walk to my death. Most of those standing in view are high born individuals, dressed in rich garments of a variety of colors,but behind them stands rows of commoners dressed in simpler clothing in shades of cream and brown.

“Look at her wings!” a female whispers, her cheeks flush with excitement.

“How is that possible?” questions another.

“She must be from above,” whispers a third, her eyes glued to my black feathers.

“So much for not wanting his kind to ask questions,”I say to Shade.“The Perstalians aren’t going to believe I’m a low born from The Haven now.”

“Yeah, something tells me he doesn’t care,”she replies.

Lifting my chin higher, I turn my attention back to the king and try to ignore my racing heartbeat. From his look of impatience, he’s about ready to order the guards to march me up the carpet, so I start walking, ignoring the whispers and gasps of the Perstalians as I pass them. No doubt this ceremony will be the talk of the city for some time.

It feels like an eternity passes as I stroll along, the music matching my steps, but then I’m standing beside the king, feeling completely exposed. A few paces away, Princess Nerelia stands between two large centaur guards, and her expression is somber as she watches us.

King Celzar continues to examine me, and a look of distaste crosses his face when he peers at Shade on my shoulder. “Why you insist on having that rat close to you is beyond me,” he mutters, his voice thick with disgust.

Shade bristles, her feathers puffing up.“Girl, what the hell did he just say? That’s it, he’s clearly not using his eyes anyway, so he won’t mind when I peck them bloody.”

Anger heats my blood, but I stroke Shade’s feathers to calm her down, and somehow, I manage to keep my own cool. “What can I say, it’s called having a friend, King Celzar. You should try it sometime.”Maybe then you wouldn’t always look likeyou have something stuck up your ass.Thankfully, I’m smart enough to keep that last part to myself. I wouldn’t want the king simply deciding to kill me and get it over with. Or worse, have him kill Shade.

King Celzar’s back goes ramrod straight, his eyes narrowing to slits, but a humorless smile curves his lips. “Perhaps when I have your power, I can entertain such a notion. And speaking of friends, I presume your other male companions are here as well. Not to mention my brother…” His shrewd gaze scans the ballroom, but I don’t give anything away.

When his gaze cuts back to me, frustration makes his temple pulse, and I smile. “Looks like it’s just you and me, buddy. If you can’t count on your own family to attend your wedding, you must be doing somethingwrong.”

His hand twitches, and for a moment I think he’s going to strike me, but he only reaches up and straightens the collar of his suit jacket. “Not to worry,” he says calmly. “I’m sure he’ll show his face in due time. Mason is nothing if not predictable. But now that you’re here, let’s not waste the precious time of our guests.” He turns to a male who’s dressed in white silk robes and standing close by. “Proceed with the ceremony,” he commands, clicking his fingers, and the elder dips his head and steps to one side of us. The robed male addresses the crowd, and he launches into a long talk welcoming everyone and discussing the topic of commitment and devotion, and the importance of marriage. The male must think it’s his time to shine, because I’m pretty sure he’s gone on a tangent, and he’s busy talking about the fundamentals of a good relationship when King Celzar barks, “Get to it! I think we’ve all waited long enough.”

“Geez, he really is a ray of sunshine,”Shade comments dryly.“Now, I’m glad I didn’t get him a wedding gift.”

I have to work hard to suppress my laughter.“And the fact he’s about to kill me has nothing to do with it?”

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