Page 95 of The Court of Secrets
“Kiros is almost here,” he said as one of his men whispered in his ear. We’d spent the day wrapped together, not wanting to go back to our duties, but the king of Berovia arriving wasn’t something either of us could ignore.
Bile bit up my throat, and I pulled a face. I willed it away, then tensed as I sat forward. Blaise toked his cigar, making little o’s in the air.
“I’m nervous,” I said.
In an instant, his hand was on mine, resting over the arm of the throne. “You have nothing to fear. If he makes even one move to hurt you, I’ll have his head cut from his shoulders.”
My breath hitched. I didn’t know how to explain that I wasn’t anxious because of what he might do to me. I was nervous because the last time I’d seen him, I’d broken his heart. Morgana kept telling me I had nothing to apologize for, that I had been held captive and forced to marry against my will. I had only done what I needed to, to survive, but there was a clawing need to make it right, still. Xenos had been responsible for my being held captive, and while Kiros was arrogant, he reminded me of, well, me in many ways. He wasn’t bad, not like his father, and he had tried to ease my pain. I was going to make things right with him because I wanted to. I didn’t care if it made me look weak.
A guard in clothes I recognized to be from the Berovian court walked in. The doors were closed behind us. He unrolled a parchment in a dramatic display and held his hand out. His blue ring glittered, and fire erupted in the shape of a crown, then fizzled and sparked to nothing. “King Kiros of Berovia.” He projected his voice, silencing all of us who’d gathered to meet him.
I held my breath when he entered the room, followed by Cedric, Neoma, and several others from their royal court.
Kiros’sglacier-blue eyes found mine, reminding me of when we first met. His strong jaw was clenched, and his arms bulked under his gold tunic. Two rings shimmered from his fingers, but not the marriage finger. One was the sovereign ring, I was sure; the other used to channel magic. My curiosity burned again when I saw it. I had lost the nerve to ask Bella, as it went against everything I had ever stood for, but now the desire to know what elemental magic was like to practice burned brightly.
Cedric’s golden eyes flicked from Blaise to me. Blaise squeezed my hand as they all stared at me. “Welcome,” Blaise announced, not letting me go. “We’re glad to have you as guests at our court.”
Panic widened my eyes. Anger wavered Kiros’s tight smile, and his gritted teeth stayed hidden behind his lips, but I could tell by the curve of his jaw.
Neoma looked at me with hooded eyes. Her thick, curly black hair hung around her shoulders. She wore fishnet stockings and a black knee-length dress with red roses embroidered on it. She ran her fingers along Cedric’s shoulder as I looked from her to him.
He noticed me watching and parted his lips, then sighed.
I swallowed thickly, pulling my hand out from under Blaise’s. Entwining my fingers together, I stood. I didn’t like the elevation and walked the three steps down to face Kiros. Morgana, who was standing nearby at a table, gave me a look telling me I’d done the right thing. His gaze searched mine, and a sting of pain flashed his eyes.
My heart panged, and I licked my lips. “Kiros.” I said his name on a breath, closing my eyes for a moment. I felt terrible, and standing there reinforced it.
He just stared at me, unmoving.
“I’m sorry,” I said, not caring who heard.
His brows quivered, then furrowed. He parted his lips, but Blaise appeared at my side.
“How was your journey?” Blaise asked.
Kiros blinked twice, then turned his attention to Blaise. “Long and cold.”
I rolled my eyes to his frostbitten blond curls. “I’m glad you decided to come.” I looked over his shoulder at Cedric. “All of you.”
Cedric shook his head, giving me a hint of a smile when he looked up. He passed Kiros and pulled me into his arms. I held him tightly, not realizing until then how much I’d missed him.
“Hey, sweetheart,” he said.
I almost cried as I rested against him. “I’m glad you came.”
“I almost didn’t.”
“I know.” I pulled away and looked him up and down. “You look good.”
He glanced back. “I’m doing good.” He looked at Blaise, and his lips pressed into a hard line.
I jumped in before they could publicly tear each other down. “Perhaps we can catch up with a walk later.”
Neoma joined his side. “We would love to catch up.”
I smirked as I looked from her to Cedric. I always assumed it would hurt seeing my ex-boyfriend with someone else, but it didn’t. It was then I realized I cared for him, deeply, but it wasn’t necessarily romantic. “I’d love that.”
Cedric held his breath when someone else entered the room. He had golden hair like Cedric’s, but he was inches taller, with green eyes instead of gold, and had rougher features. He tensed when he saw me. It wasn’t until I spotted the crown hidden among his waves that I realized who I was looking at: Cedric’s brother, the light fae prince who’d killed my brother.
