Page 41 of Seduced By Darkness
This is the single most embarrassing way to make my official welcome to the alliance, and I can practically feel my mother’s glare searing the back of my neck as Edain sets me to rights.
“Iskvien?” Edain murmurs.
“S-sorry.” I brush the velvet nap free of the indentation of my face and then realize I’m rubbing my stepbrother’s chest right in front of everyone.
His eyebrows shoot up.
He freezes.
Please, please swallow me whole, I silently beg the Hallow.
A shiver runs through the slate beneath us, gravel skittering across the ground. It’s enough to tear everyone’s eyes from my face and I dart behind my mother’s throne, not daring to look at anyone as I hide behind Andraste.
Especially the Prince of Evernight.
I scrape a trembling hand over my mouth.
What am I going to do?
I bedded the enemy.
I fucked the Prince of Evernight, and in doing so, I gave him the gift that my mother has promised Etan.
Myvirginity.
Even if he didn’t know who I was, he knows now and I am drowning so deep.
Oh, I understand the rules of the game. Of court. My mother and Thiago are enemies. And he knows she wouldn’t approve of what happened. He holds all the power right now. A single smirk, a handful of words, and he has my mother over a barrel. Worse, he has a knife atmythroat.
* * *
There is torture,and then there is an hour spent furiously staring at my toes as the alliance barters and bargains.
Evernight was curiously quiet, and I justknowhe spent the entire time watching me. I was barely even aware of Etan, clearing his throat at Maren’s side every now and then as if to try and capture my attention.
I just wanted it to be over.
And then the gods finally granted my wishes.
“What in the Underworld was that?” My mother hisses as we safely pass through the tent line that marks Asturian territory. “Were youtryingto humiliate me?”
I’ve had an hour to come up with a reasonable excuse and I have nothing. “I wasn’t watching where I was going and I tripped. I’m sorry.”
“I intended to present you to my fellow queens officially, and you bumble in looking like some pathetic milkmaid off her family’s farm.” She steps into my space, pushing her face close to me. “I don’t want to see you again tonight. Andraste,” she snaps to my sister. “See Iskvien to her tents. She can spend the night inside it, reflecting on her foolishness. No dancing. No singing. No wine. No dinner.”
As far as punishments go, it’s infinitely better than I was expecting.
My sister stays by my side as my mother stalks toward her tents, Edain following like a well-trained shadow.
“Come,” Andraste says.
This is the hardest part, because my sister knows me best. I might have fooled the others, but I can sense Andraste’s curiosity.
She waits until we’re safely inside my tent to look at me, however. “You never trip over your own feet. I’ve seen you with a sword in hand. Your footwork is excellent.”
“My footworkisexcellent,” I admit. “It’s my heart that’s the issue.” I square my shoulders. “The last two days have been one shock after the other, and the second Etan smiled at me….” I shrug.
Her eyes narrow. “Etan wasn’t there when we arrived.”
