Page 36 of The Princess of Nothing
He kissed her cheek and tugged me forward. “This is Winter. Winter, this is my half-sister, Neoma.”
“He always has to mention the half-sister part.” Her laugh tinkled as the few women in the group she’d been in dispersed, leaving the three of us alone. “You’d think he was ashamed.” She winked at me.
I couldn’t help but smirk in response.
Kiros shuffled from one foot to the other. “Ever the jokester.”
“It’s great to finally meet you.”
She looked around us, then brought her blue eyes back toward mine. “You’re too nice. I mean, dear old Dad did torture you. If I were you, I’d burn this whole place to the ground.”
My eyebrows tangled together.
Kiros growled. “Why do you always have to act out, Neoma?” His grip on my wrist tightened. “True rulers like Winter understand their place and duties. She knows why we did what we did.”
I pulled my lips behind my teeth to stop the flow of words that threatened to spill.
Neoma scoffed. “Enough, brother. If you looked up enough from licking Dad’s boots, you’d realize so much more than you see.” She crossed her arms over her chest, then turned her attention to me. “I apologize for his ignorance.” She grabbed a glass of champagne from a passing servant and downed the pink bubbly in one swig.
I wanted to thank her, to tell her I agreed with every word of what she said, but I couldn’t. My stomach twisted as I spoke the words I knew I needed to. “My future husband saved me and has offered me so much. He is a strong and kind man. If you had any grace or eloquence, then perhaps he wouldn’t be ashamed of you. You are a princess, anointed by those in the highest power. Act like it.”
“Wow. You two are perfect together.” She rolled her eyes and walked away, shaking her head. Her curls bounced around her neck. She wore a loose-fitting black dress and ankle-high boots.
Kiros’s eyes lit up. “Thank you for defending me. I knew I made the right choice choosing you.” He placed his hands on my waist. He gazed down into my eyes with a look that made me uneasy.
He leaned in closer.
“Cake,” I spluttered, before he could kiss me. Ultimately, I would have to, but not today. I couldn’t stomach his lips on mine. “I’m so hungry.”
Disappointment swept his features, but he quickly regained his composure. “Yes. Let us go and eat, then I can introduce you to the others. Neoma aside, I think you’ll get along marvelously with the rest of my family. My cousins are here, or so I heard they’d be attending.”
I placed my hand on his chest. His breaths quickened. It wasn’t the kiss I could see he wanted, but I hoped it would be enough to satisfy him for now. “I can’t wait to get to know them, but between us...” I said. “I can’t wait to get to know you more.”
His gaze was drawn to my lips. “Me either.”
A blazing dragon of fire and embers erupted in the center of the room, dousing all around it in a red hue. I watched the flames flicker, mesmerized by the magic. It moved with such rhythm before it fizzled into nothing.
Xenos guffawed, slapping the back of a small, wispy man with a long black beard, styled into a point.
Kiros whispered in my ear. “He’s a famous illusionist.”
“Aren’t you all?” I questioned. “I mean, you can all use magic.”
“We all can control the elements to a point, of course. We’re taught in the academies, but some go on to specialized places that teach greater control, alchemy, water, fire, air, or earth wielding and other masteries. It takes a lot of work and a long time to master the arts in magic. We do believe in only using magic when necessary, but at the same time”—he pointed at the man—“we all love a good show.”
“Who doesn’t?”
“Do you have anything like this in Magaelor?”
I bit the inside of my cheek. “Not like this.”
“Naturally, unless you’re bringing the dead back to life, huh?”
The joke, at the lunas’ expense, had me balling my fists. Quickly, I exhaled slowly, uncurling my fingers. Forcing a small laugh, I looked at Kiros. “Funny.”
He wasn’t laughing. “We’ll get you on the straight and narrow.”
We walked in silence to the food table. A fire raged in the pit of my stomach, wanting to engulf and destroy everything in the room.
