Page 45 of Stray
And here Ella had expected Marissa’s underhanded remarks to be the most unpleasant obstacle of the evening.
“I should hope so,” Tessa said, taking a long sip of her wine. To Ella’s relief, the conversation soon drifted to safer topics, like the upcoming Unveiling ceremony and the impending arrival of the King and Empress.
The last Unveiling had been held within the Meyer pride’s territory, but it was the Hills’ turn once more, and there was no hospitable duty held more sacred among their kind. Emily had been preparing for the event for the better part of the last year, and Ella already knew the arranged place settings by heart. She still wasn’t sure ifshewould be in attendance, and at the rate the evening was going, she would consider herself lucky if she didn’t end up sleeping in the broom closet.
As dinner finally drew to a close, Ella found herself dreaming of the moment she would finally be able to return to her room and lock herself away for seven or eight hours at least. Beatrice would want to know all the details, despite the fact that she was listening in at that very moment, but all Ella wanted to do was curl up in a ball and go to sleep.
It was hard to resist the temptation to shift at times like these. No matter how long she’d been among civilized shifters, her early life as a stray had cemented her feline form as the one in which she was most comfortable. Even now, it was hard to resist the call of the moonlight shining through the window and the hunger for cool pavement and soft grass beneath her paws.
“That was a wonderful dinner,” said Tessa. “My compliments to your chef.”
“She’s surprisingly talented for a human,” Blake agreed. “Where did you get her, again?”
Ella bristled at the way the woman spoke of her friend, as if Beatrice was some novelty to be procured from a shelf or ordered online. It was a rare human who knew about their world, and rarer still one who could tolerate living among shifters.
“Her mother worked for us, around the time we found Ella,” Emily answered, sipping her wine. To Ella’s relief, she’d had a few glasses and seemed considerably more relaxed. She was sure that would change come morning, but for now, all she had to do was hope Tessa and the others left soon.
“She’s decent enough,” Axel muttered. He had been brooding all night, and Ella was beginning to suspect it had to do with more than just her unwelcome presence. He hadn’t spoken more than a word to Marissa all night, despite her increasingly desperate attempts. If she wasn’t so awful, Ella might have felt sorry for her. After all, she knew firsthand what it was like to pine for the frigid tom’s attention.
“Well, when you’re a Sire, you can make any changes to the staff as you see fit,” said Emily.
Ella looked to Axel, searching for a sign that he was joking. When she found none, her heart sank. He had been different ever since his father’s death, but it seemed that each time he came home from the Academy, another layer of his soul was stripped away.
“And the colony, for that matter,” Daniel added, raising his half-empty glass. “To our future King and Empress.”
Marissa gave a tight-lipped smile and pretended to be embarrassed by her father’s words, but there wasn’t a hint of blush on her cheeks that she hadn’t applied diligently herself.
“I’ll drink to that,” Emily said proudly, raising her own glass.”
Ella was debating whether or not she could get away with bowing out of the toast altogether when she realized Tessa was staring at them all with barely veiled disgust.
“My, how presumptuous we are,” the priestess said in a curt tone. “Should I be concerned about my position as well?”
“Don’t be silly,” Blake said with a nervous laugh. She seemed to be the only one who didn’t understand the priestess’ sarcasm.
Ella knew as well as anyone that even the Empress and King didn’t have the power to choose the priesthood. That was reserved for the moon herself.
“Call me a traditionalist, but I would wait until the Unveiling before you go picking out new drapes,” Tessa quipped.
“We don’t mean to be flippant,” Emily said with a smile that was growing thinner by the moment. “But I’m certain you would agree there is an obvious element to these things.”
“That’s right,” said Daniel. “Everyone knew Natalia would become Empress, from the time she was young.”
The mention of their Empress was still capable of ruffling feathers and old jealousies, if the look on Emily’s face was any indication.
“That’s true enough,” said Tessa. “But Natalia was an extraordinary case. She was always unrivaled among her generation in wisdom and kindness, the qualities that make a true Empress great.”
The table fell silent once more. There was no amount of pleasantry that could disguise the insult for what it was.
“Are you saying I’m not those things?” Marissa asked, her voice breaking with agitation.
“I’m saying that is for the moon to decide and for you to prove, my child,” Tessa answered.
Marissa didn’t seem to know what to make of her remark, but Tessa rose before she had the chance. “Thank you for a lovely dinner. I’m afraid I must retire. There’s much to be done before the Unveiling, and I wouldn’t want to keep these promising young candidates from their studies.”
Ella pursed her lips so she wouldn’t be tempted to laugh. She’d never heard anyone stand up to Marissa. Not even the pride elders. It was as plain as day on the young queen’s face that no one ever had.
“I’ll show you out,” Emily said, making no attempt to hide her relief. She and the Watersons followed the priestess out of the dining room and Ella found herself stranded with Marissa and Axel.
