Page 11 of Wild Flame

“He’ll announce her as his Hassai at the coronation. Mark my words,” I overheard a Zehvitian woman telling her companion who stood close by. My eyes returned to the woman and the princess. I had no idea what Hassai meant, but I could guess. They thought Malik intended to make this woman his queen. She was certainly beautiful and beloved by his family, if their reaction to her was any indication. I noted Malik did not descend the dais himself, nor did Prince Amir.

“Tell me about Sohan,” I said, leaning closer to Nilfren who stood at my side. He seemed surprised at my low command, but he obliged with only a slight hesitation.

“Sohan is the richest territory in the realm, thanks in large part to their jewel mines and vast farmlands. By all accounts, Rajar Salim is a competent leader and dragon rider. He was a member of the late king’s Fangdar. His wife is dead, and his daughter is a respected rider. His son is also a rider, and no doubt remained in Sohan.”

“Are they betrothed, then?” I asked. “She and Prince Malik?”Realms!Why had I asked that?And why did I want the answer so badly? I could tell Leif, who stood on my other side, was paying attention to our conversation as well.

Nilfren eyed me at the question. “Not to my knowledge, Your Highness. It is customary in Zehvi for a ruler to be married, or at least betrothed by their coronation, unless, of course, they are too young.” He turned to face the woman in question. “The Lady Priya is young and beautiful and from a wealthy dragon rider line. Her father is a Rajar, and Prince Malik is friends with her brother. They trained together to become riders, I believe. No doubt the families are close. The prince would be a fool not to marry her, and no doubt both families expect it.”

I still wasn’t sure how I felt about my father’s order to get close to Prince Malik, but it would be harder to do so if he were already betrothed. Part of me felt relieved at the idea that it might already be too late.

As I considered this, my eyes were drawn back up to where the prince himself still lounged. I jolted slightly when I saw Malik’s eyes were on me. A sliver of awareness raced down my spine at that stare. The reaction unsettled me, but I didn’t let it show. I met that look head on and let a few moments pass before glancing away.

But not before I saw the hint of a smirk grace his lips as I did.

Chapter Five

Several hours later I was seated inside the palace banquet hall on a large, surprisingly comfortable cushion. The room was nearly as grand as the throne room. This palace was absolutely massive. I would have gotten lost on my way here had Ambassador Nilfren not been escorting me. Several long, low tables lined the hall, and our party had been assigned seats at the future king’s table.

Prince Malik wasn’t sitting directly across from me, but rather down a few places. Even though I knew I was supposed to be putting myself in his path, I couldn’t help but feel relieved that he had plenty of others trying to engage him in conversation. Of course, that hadn’t stopped Nilfren from trying to garner the prince’s attention at every opportunity, but I tried to ignore his attempts as best I could.

The Zehvitian lord and lady seated near me hadn’t spoken to me beyond a cursory greeting at the start of the meal, and I was fine with that. The only person I was really interested in talking to was Leif, but he was seated several seats down the table fromme. Not that Leif was a man of many words, but at least he was familiar.

So instead of conversation, I focused on the food that was set before me. Many of the dishes consisted of spices and flavors I wasn’t accustomed to. Nothing like what we favored back in Halmar. Some of the meats were the same but were served in colorful sauces and savory pastries. The vegetables were often spiced as well, and more than once I found myself reaching for my glass in order to quell the heat in my mouth. The milder fare, such as the flavored rice and flat breads, were more to my liking. The wine was exceptionally delicious.

I had just decided to give up on trying more of the strange food when a thread of conversation further down the table caught my attention.

“. . . he attacked the town. Just let his dragon blast several buildings to cinders. And the old fool claims he doesn’t remember doing it. Claims he wasn’t himself.” The man speaking was one of the younger territory leaders.

“Lying to save his own skin, no doubt,” another Rajar grumbled. Several of the others murmured in agreement.

Then Harun, the Fangdar member I had noticed earlier, spoke up. “We can’t be so sure.” He stroked his pointed beard. “It does seem out of character for him. He may be aging, but Rishaan still has his wits. At least, he did the last time I spoke with him. What could his reason possibly be for attacking the town? And one so close to his own home?”

“While I see your point,” Prince Amir’s speculative tone allowed from where he sat next to Malik, “he still has no plausible reason for his actions. People will say anything to avoid facing punishment.”

There were several nods and murmurs of agreement.

Then why wouldn’t he flee?I couldn’t help but think. If this rider had done what they claimed—nearly burned downand destroyed a whole town—why would he stay? Zehvitians were known for their severe punishments for any infraction. I couldn’t help but think on how strange a thing it all was. For a dragon rider to commit such a crime and hurt so many innocent people, not to mention risking his own standing, and he and his dragon’s very lives . . . It didn’t make any sense.

“The world has gone mad, it would seem,” a man with a leanly muscled build and a scar over his right eye spoke up for the first time. He had arrived late to the banquet, and Prince Malik had introduced him as Tajan Markis, his spymaster and another member of his Fangdar. “The city Nest was vandalized last night. Apparently, the criminals broke in and destroyed part of the obsidian flooring. Shattered it to pieces in several places. I’ve already talked with several craftsmen and stonemasons, and they say they should be able to repair it if additional stones can be flown in from the mines, but there are still no leads on who did it.”

Shock rippled through me. There was a Nest in every major city in Palasia. They were the sacred sites where the dragon Bonding Celebrations took place each year. Their floors were made of precious obsidian. To wreck one in such a way was akin to defacing one of the Nines’ temples.

“Is nothing sacred?” Rajar Salim grated. “The Nest is vandalized, riders going mad, and nobles being killed in their beds.”

“What are you talking about, Father?” Priya, Malik’s would-be betrothed, asked from where she sat next to her parent.

Salim took a drink of his wine before leaning back, and explained, “A Zehvitian noble in my territory, Amal Uden, was murdered in his bed the night before last.”

Priya put a hand to her mouth. “But . . . how?”

Prince Malik, who was leaning partially back on his seat cushion, was the one who finally answered. “Poison,” he said.That chiseled jaw clenched. “He died in his sleep, with a single cut on his thigh.”

His words made my blood run cold, and a sense of foreboding began to worm its way through me.

“Why do you think it was poison?” Priya asked.

“The healers believed so,” Salim explained. “There was evidence of foaming at the mouth and his lips and face turned blue. Though they admitted the symptoms did not match up with any poison they were familiar with.”

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