Page 97 of Wild Flame

That night, when my mother and sister arrived, it went about how I had expected. Helene, of course, dazzled the whole company during dinner. Even Queen Vashti seemed to take a liking to her. Zara hung on her every word, and Amir flirted outrageously with her.

My mother, for her part, mostly carried on a rather stilted conversation with Nilfren while glaring daggers at me and Malik across the table. She had almost sneered at me when I appeared on Malik’s arm in a Zehvitian gown, but to my surprise, she had taken one look at my new husband and held her tongue. I felt her disapproving stare on me throughout dinner, and I began to shrink under the weight of it.

That was until Malik clasped my hand under the table and shot me a reassuring look. He had glanced briefly in my mother’s direction before smiling wickedly and pulling me into his lap and settling me back against his chest. No one else at the table had thought anything of it, but Mother had looked appalled. I had decided to ignore her after that as Malik began feeding me sweets from off his plate, his hands stroking my neck or arm. Little claiming touches that I knew he was doing partially for her benefit, but that I appreciated all the same.

Leif was the only one, besides my mother, who didn’t appear to be enjoying himself. He was quiet by nature, but we hadbarely spoken since before the Marking Ceremony. I had tried to talk to him after his confrontation with Malik about my guards, but he always had some excuse to avoid me. He was distancing himself from me, and I wasn’t sure why. Malik’s words about him having feelings for me came to mind, but that couldn’t be it. Could it?

It wasn’t long before my mother excused herself, and Leif followed soon after.

Deciding I needed some fresh air, I made my excuses to the table, reassuring Malik with a look that I was fine. I moved quickly through the outskirts of the crowd, not really wanting to get entrapped in a discussion with any of the banquet guests. Yesh and Selasi followed behind me and I was grateful that their presence seemed to discourage many from approaching me. When we finally made it out into the hall, I stepped out onto one of the many balconied windows. The night air was warm but soothing as my guards checked that I was truly alone out here before moving to stand just inside the doors, giving me the illusion of privacy.

I moved to stand to one side, mostly concealed in shadow with the palace wall at my back as I stared down at the courtyards and rooftops below. My thoughts drifted to my mother and what I would say to her when she eventually tried to get me alone. No doubt I would have to—

“. . . meet me atThe Red Scaleand I’ll show you.”

The voice, spoken in a harsh whisper, came from a lower balcony to my left. My eyes immediately caught on the figure standing there. Nilfren. Part of him was obscured by a hanging plant, but it was definitely him, and he looked desperate. It had to have been him who had spoken, but I couldn’t see who he was speaking to. The person was standing just out of my sight, and I couldn’t make out their murmured response.

“Tomorrow night then.” Nilfren’s frustrated words drifted up to me.

Again, I heard no response, but the way Nilfren paused before turning and running a hand through his thinning hair made me think the other person had left.

I shifted back, and my foot scuffed against the stone. Nilfren’s head jerked up with a look of alarm, and I pressed myself even more firmly into the shadows. I didn’t think he had seen me, but my heart still pounded as he cursed and stepped out of view. I waited a few more seconds to make sure he had truly left before I relaxed a little.

Who had Nilfren been talking to? And why was I so sure I didn’t want him to know I had overheard his conversation? I would have probably thought nothing of it if not for the look on Nilfren’s face when he had believed he had been overheard. What was he hiding?

I moved back out into the hall as a prickle of suspicion rose in me that I just couldn’t shake. As we headed back towards the banquet, I turned to Yesh. “What isThe Red Scale?”

He appeared surprised at the question, then his brow furrowed. “It’s a tavern in the northeast quarter of the city, my queen.”

A tavern. I had suspected as much.

“Why do you ask, my queen?” Selasi said.

Scrambling for an excuse, I waved a hand. “I overhead a few courtiers talking about it and was curious. That’s all.”

I thought that would be the end of it, but Selasi and Yesh shared a look.

We halted just outside the banquet hall. “What?” I demanded. “What is it?”

“Nothing,” Selasi replied, “it’s just . . .”

“It’s a known drug den, my queen,” Yesh finally admitted. “Fleshfire.”

Stunned by the revelation, I didn’t respond as I considered the implications of Nilfren meeting someone in such a place. And what did he need to show them? It didn’t really surprise me that Nilfren might be mixed up in some shady dealings, but Fleshfire? Was he an addict? Or was he just simply using the location as a place to meet his unknown companion? Did it matter? Either way, it would not reflect well on Halmar if it came to light that our ambassador visited such places.

Regardless, I couldn’t help wondering what Nilfren was up to.

“This suits you,” Helene murmured. It was the next morning, and I had asked Helene to my apartments for tea. We hadn’t yet had the chance to talk one on one, and sitting out on the terrace was the perfect opportunity.

“What?” I asked her as we sat cross-legged on the cushions before an elaborate tea service that had been laid out for us. My mind had drifted to the conversation I had overheard last night. I couldn’t get it out of my head. I tried to force my mind back to the present as I reached to pour us both a cup of the fragrant brew. Nova was curled up on a cushion beside us, sound asleep.

“This place.” She gestured to our surroundings. “Zehvi. Being here . . . being queen. It suits you.”

I blushed and waved her off. “I’ve just made do with the life Father and Malik arranged for me.”

She shook her blonde head. “No, it’s more than that. You like it here. I can tell. You’re different. You seem more . . . relaxed . . . confident. More yourself.” She gestured to me. “This dress, for instance. I never thought I would see you in anything like that. You look stunning.”

I looked down at the sleeveless green gown I wore and remembered how Malik had threatened to take it off me when he first saw me in it this morning. I had scurried away before he could, to the sound of his dark chuckle.

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