Page 26 of Lightlark
She had no powers to demonstrate.
Grim—he could make the lights go out. He could make her disappear, or at least cause a diversion. If she asked, he would. He would love the chance to cause chaos. And, though his intentions were murky, he had helped her before.
But then she would have to explain why. She swallowed, weighing the risks.
Before she could say a word, Azul said, “Grim. We haven’t had a Nightshade on our island for centuries.” His voice was tight. Untrusting. “Would you go first?”
Grim stayed seated for a few moments, and Isla wondered what would happen if he simply ignored the ruler of Skyling. Finally, he stood.
He opened his palm.
The room changed. Suddenly, there were a hundred Grims, standing between each chair. All smirking. The ceiling cracked open, the floor split, large slabs of stone fell right onto their heads, screams pierced the air—
Everything disappeared. The room was back to normal. There was just one Grim, looking bored, as if the display hadn’t used even a whisper of his power.
The room was silent. Someone dropped a glass.
Nightshades had mind abilities, Isla knew. But this was more, a vision on a grand scale.
How dangerous would that skill be in war?
Ornow,in this game?
She looked over at the king. Oro watched Grim with hard eyes, like his display was a threat. A declaration of exactly what he was capable of.
“Cleo, if you would,” Azul said, a bit less excitedly.
She had to come up with something. Quickly.
Terra and Poppy had prepared her for this very possibility. Buttheircomplicated plan had hinged on her already having gotten close to the king and stolen one of the enchantments he supposedly had in his personal collection, a Wildling flower able to multiply and live forever. She’d had specific directions to get it as soon as possible.
Something she had completely forgotten about, in favor of her and Celeste’s plan.
She hadn’t even spoken to the king directly since that first dinner, avoiding him as much as possible. Perhapstoomuch, in blatant defiance of the first degrading step of her guardians’ strategy.
Now, what would she do?
Admit her secret not only to all the nobles, but to the rulers as well?
She might as well count herself dead the second the clock chimed midnight on the fiftieth day. Not even Celeste could protect her from all the rulers. She had admitted as much.
Celeste.Isla finally looked at the Starling ruler, who was staring her down, clearly trying to get her attention for a while.
Her expression was strained, eyes wide in worry.
Isla was a burden. Always needing to be looked after. Cared for.
She didn’t know why, but she smiled back, easily, nodding her chin slightly as if to say,Not to worry, I have a plan.
Though she never had her own plan, did she? She’d only ever gone along with others’ strategies. Never her own. Not really.
Cleo was in front of their table now. Her arms lifted dramatically.
Wine red as blood shot up from every goblet, into the center of the room. She moved her hands as if petting a wild beast, and from the wine emerged a massive shark with three rows of teeth. It rushed at the crowd, falling from the sky, its monstrous jaw coming apart—but before it could reach Cleo, her hand made a fist, and the shark frozeinto ice. Its teeth became mauve icicles that landed in a perfect circle around the Moonling, digging deep into the floor. The rest became a dizzying steam.
Applause rang through the room, the nobles not looking upset in the slightest that their goblets now sat empty. Cleo looked very smug as she walked back to the table.
“Celeste?”
