Page 68 of The Iron Fae
My eyes widen but he’s the only one who comments on that.
"Oh, I can't get over her beauty." Someone else says.
"I'm so eager to make her my queen. Gah, I'd be devoted if only because of how gorgeous she is,” Another praises.
The praise rains down on me. I'm not able to hold eye contact with any one of them for long. I bounce my attention from one face to another, giving each of them a polite smile until I finally land on Kai. Just as we look at each other, he doesn't hold back his sly smile.
Kai ushers himself from his seat, moving swiftly towards the bar. "Let me get you both a drink, I think you could use it."
Don't overthink it,Lincoln reminds me.Remember, we as Fae celebrate our sexuality. Honestly, we're lucky they didn't listen in, and then we’d come out to an orgy.
In a church? Oh, God. I just had sex in a church. Maybe I do need that drink.
"Relax." Kai strolls over to us, two glasses in hand, a knowing smirk lighting up his face. "Take a seat. We were just talking about how Queen Cordelia is planning another cleansing."
Kai places his hand on the small of my back, wheeling me into an empty seat in front of the gathered court. Lincoln steps quickly behind us. I lower into the chair, my body stiff despite the soft cushion of the seat.
Lincoln snatches Kai's arm, holding his gaze. "No more touching."
Kai grunts a shallow laugh, pulling out of Lincoln's grasp. The prince gives Lincoln a mocking bow. "Drink up, brother. You're much too rigid."
Awkwardly, I laugh too. I hold the new cup and lift it up to Lincoln. He tips his cup toward mine, letting our glasses chime together before we bring them to our lips. His eyes never leaving his brother. He hovers behind my chair. Together we both down a large portion of our drinks.
Kai pulls a chair over to my other side and leans forward on his seat, eager to listen. I scout the room for Rowan. The brothers who are supposed to protect me, as King Dravid had said. Rowan has perched himself on the arm of a high back chair that one of the ladies of the court has curled into. She chats fondly with him while he shamelessly flirts back. Their whispers, though each one is more cringy than the next, are almost soothing. Notallthe attention is on me.
And at least he isn't trying to make advances on me.
"I thought I ended the cleansings once and for all?" I try to start the conversation again.
"You standing up to her did quell it for a time. But after you fled the court, she's lost her mind all over again." The woman with far too long arms and legs says.
"She's spiraling into madness." The man at her side confirms.
"More madness than she already existed in." His plain brown suit is stuffed with muscle, stretching taunt against him as the short man leans forward. "The seer she found should be arriving today after her long journey."
"Could she not portal to her?" I whisper to Ziko.
"She's not fond of portals." He shrugs.
"We'll fix this all soon enough!" Kai reminds everyone. "Firstly, we'll have to go out into the court and make sure they are aware that she is here. Then we can build her following, grow her support, rally the army against the queen!" He cheers.
The court claps gleefully along with him. Their faces mirror their excitement.
Then their features blur. I close my eyes tightly then open them again hoping to blink away the fuzziness. Lincoln puts his weight into my chair, leaning heavily against it.
"I'm making plans to dispatch my nephew into the city." Someone says, a male voice, but it sounds underwater and I can't pinpoint the location.
I think my anxiety is getting to me. Something's wrong. The thought floats in the back of my mind.
My arms and legs go slack, my head dizzying, so I lean back into the chair. Lincoln's hand falls to my shoulder, his fingers fumbling against my skin until he finally is able to hold onto me.
I think... we've been drugged.Lincoln agrees.That or this bubbly is just... good.He sighs loudly, with a content smile.
"Are you okay?" I recognize Jase's voice but the last of his question is drowned out.
Wood splinters fly as the door explodes.
And a battle cry roars as the sound of an army barrels into the room.
