Page 34 of Hopeless Kingdom
“Is your magic at all tangible even with the cuffs on?” Her eyes search mine.
For a moment, I consider telling her of course not, that the great and powerful—slightly nonexistent—magic that courses through my veins is entirely shut away with the cuffs on.
But where would the fun in that be?
My hands shift from behind my back and I pull something from the waist of my jeans.
“I have a faded amount of abilities.” I feel the heavy press of attention on me but I don’t acknowledge them. Not even Darrio and Ryder. I keep my eyes firmly locked on hers. “I have the ability to take the things that are near and dear to your heart.”
With a dramatic wave, I bring my hand above her face and let the thin gold chain swing down from my palm. She’s worn it each time I’ve seen her. She’s clung to it like an obsession.
And I’ve noticed.
Her eyes flare as she sees her own gold pendant in my hand.
Her pale hands clasp around it with a gasp leaving her lips. Deliberately I lean into her, my eyes boring into hers.
“Be careful, King’s Mother. Be very, very careful.” I have to physically purse my lips to keep the deranged happiness from spreading across my face from the fearful look she’s giving me.
Without another word, I step past her. Carelessly, I begin to walk the length of the room. My fingers trail over the worn spines of books. Dark ash coats my fingertips. The door closes with a pronounced clicking sound and I continue to pretend to be aloof.
And Tristan indulges my performance.
If I’m being honest, I need space from him. I don’t trust him and the more space that separates him and I, the better.
Plus, there’s that knight’s armor at the opposite end of the room. The promising sword is only a few feet away from me if needed.
Once the span of the enormous room separates us, I pull out a large book from a middle shelf. It’s completely at random and to my surprise, it’sAlice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
Poor fucking Alice always being thrown into bizarre realms before she’s ready.
I flip a few pages and I let my confident voice ring out through the room.
“I want to do this powerful kingdom justice, my King.”
He doesn’t move closer to me. He simply pulls his hands behind his back.
“I think we want the same things, your Eminence.”
Your Eminence.Gods above, if Lady Ivory could see me now. I’m a stumbling juggling act of godly proportions.
“I like you, Tristan.” A smile warms my features as I look up at him. “My magic is most powerful on the seventh eve of the full moon.”
The moon. It can barely be seen among the smoke and clouds any more. It’s barely even noticed in this burning city.
Does he know how to tell precisely how many eves we are from a full moon? Me fucking either.
I’m counting on our high and mighty king to be as clueless as I am.
“Really?” he says in an excited breath. “When exactly is the seventh eve? Have we missed it this month?”
That smile on my lips raises a little higher, a little more genuine. I knew I could count on his ignorance if nothing else.
I’ll need a little time to actually put a plan into place. Currently I’m just bullshitting my way through this entire meeting. Through life. I’m bullshitting my way through life, if I’m being honest.
“We are in luck.” The book closes with a flurry of gray dust before I slip it back into its proper place. “Two nights from tonight is the seventh eve.”
The seventh, the twelfth, the fifty-first for all I fucking know.
