Chapter 25
Twenty-Five
Hostility bounced between Silt and the princess as they entered an opulent banquet room.
Seemed Kosmina was all out of patience with him. He mused darkly, If I’m not careful, she might even try to decapitate me.
Flickering chandeliers cast light over the roughly two dozen immortals seated along a lengthy table. Most were winged demons or shifters.
Lustful gazes swept over Silt—understandable, because he looked good.
Kosmina’s elegant beauty drew just as many gazes, and her bearing screamed royalty , reminding him that she was far out of his reach. He might be the ruler of sand, but that was a powerless scepter at present. Resentment simmered.
“Our new guests!” Enti called from the end of the table, her ivory mask highlighting her fuchsia eyes. Her dinner dress was typical sorceress garb—revealing and heavy with gold. “Welcome to Princess Kosmina of Dacia and Silt Harea, the King of Sand. See, everyone? I told you more guests would come.” Had that been under debate? She indicated two seats to her left. “Please.”
Kosmina raised her chin and waited for Silt to pull out her chair.
“Do you figure me for a gentleman or a servant?” He sat, leaving her standing. “I’m neither.”
She gazed skyward with a sigh, then took her seat. “Thank you, Enti, for your hospitality.”
The sorceress gave them a warm smile. “It’s my pleasure, princess.” She gestured to a siren beside her. “This is Pearl, my right-hand woman around the castle. She inspired our boiling sea.”
Pearl nodded civilly. She wore a crown of shells atop her chestnut hair, her hazel eyes kohled. A voice-box modulator collared her throat, standard for Sirenae. Without it, Pearl’s raised voice or song would enthrall every unmated male within hearing range, a problematic ability sirens rarely used.
“And beside her is Xodin.” Enti indicated a winged demon next to Pearl who inclined his horned head in greeting. “He’s in charge of security. He’s relatively new here but very capable. The rest you’ll come to meet in time.” In old Sorselan, she told Silt, “I trust you found everything”—she cast him a meaningful glance—“to your liking.”
He answered in the same, “I did. My thanks.”
Her little frown told him she knew he hadn’t slept with the females she’d sent. When Enti murmured, “Sometimes what we dream of isn’t actually what we need,” he commanded himself not to look at Kosmina.
So the sorceress was attracted to the sorcerer. Did he reciprocate?
The owner of Castle Vitis was ravishing, with the kind of smile that made others vie to provoke it, just to be dazzled. And seeing another of his kind, one who spoke his native tongue no less, must be heartening. This entire place would be , Mina thought as servants delivered dishes.
The Queen of Dreams offered abundance, all with that beaming smile. He would surely want to bed her.
Switching to English, Enti asked him, “No mask?” A server set a platter of roasted vegetables before her.
“I only wear them when in pursuit or battle, like the Sorceri hunters of old.”
“I see,” she said evenly. Yet Mina got the impression that Enti considered his lack of a mask some kind of Sorceri gaffe.
Another server approached to pour blood into Mina’s golden chalice. The sight of crimson across gold brought to mind the sorcerer’s nectar and burnished gaze. She feared all feeds would taste like chalk compared to him.
When he covered his own goblet to decline wine, Enti pursed her lips. “You don’t want to sample the vintage? It’s sweet, a Sorceri favorite.”
“I try to stay sharp in new situations.”
“Indeed.” Another Sorceri gaffe? “I would not have guessed that about you. At all .”
Mina didn’t sense malice in Enti, but they would be wise to keep up their guard. She scented her goblet for poisons, as Balery had taught her. Finding none, Mina sipped, then tried to hide her disappointment. Though the animal blood was of good quality, much like that in Dacia’s fountains, it did taste like chalk next to the sorcerer’s.
Had she enjoyed Silt’s so much because he was her first taste of an immortal—or because he was exactly to her liking?
He studied her expression with a smirk. “Not as magical as mine, is it, princess?”
How to answer without the rána’s burn? “No. But it doesn’t bray afterward about how good it tastes, so on balance”—she made a weighing gesture with her hands—“it’s preferred.”
Nearby diners laughed, and Enti and Mina shared a look of mirth.
Silt’s glower was priceless.
In a casual tone, Mina asked the sorceress, “From where do you hail?” as if she’d never struggled to voice a thought. If she found a cure for the plague and removed herself from all danger, would her awkwardness return?
“I was born in the mortal realm ages ago,” Enti said. “Before Nightside, I’ve made my home across all the worlds, as far as the Elserealms.”
“That sounds exciting,” said the sheltered vampire. Previously sheltered. “I’d like to see the Elserealms one day.”
A pall seemed to settle over those seated near her. So everyone already knew about her malady? Gods above, I’m not rabid yet!
A platter appeared before Silt, breaking the moment. He inhaled its aroma, and his lids went heavy. “Desert-deer venison. My compliments, sorceress. With a power such as yours, I’m surprised books haven’t been written about you.”
“They have , but bookshops don’t abound in Poly, and tales of my exploits haven’t reached that dimension yet.”
A beat of a pause with a micro frown. “News of the Lore is often delayed in exile.”
Mina had been learning how to decipher the sorcerer, and his pause told her much. He was trying to remember something about this sorceress but couldn’t bring it to the surface.
Silt Harea was a fascinating subject of study, especially now that his behavior had changed so much. Despite the tension at the table and the uncertainty of their situation, he exuded . . . steadiness.
Some devilish part of her wanted to provoke him, to watch him unravel again. I want under his skin , she thought, which was a new experience for her. In the past, she’d only wanted to fade into the walls of court, silent and unnoticed.
When he took his first bite of food with a pleased rumble, Mina recalled his groan as he’d thrust between her thighs and squirmed in her seat. Provoking him would earn her another kiss. Was that why the prospect tempted her?
Over the rim of her goblet, Enti said, “Not a lot of Sorceri savor meat, but then you’re unique in many ways. You possess so many talents that few others can lay claim to.”
Was this innuendo? Mina couldn’t tell.
Currents passed between the two Sorceri. He was taking Enti’s measure and seemed unsatisfied by his progress. But he remained calm. “My root power is enviable.”
“In Poly, yes. Yet Xodin informs me that he’s found no sand in this realm.”
Silt smoothly told her, “With a wave of your hand, you could gift me some, and I’d put it in service to you.”
Behind her mask, her gaze shimmered. “I’m sure we can work something out.”
Usually even-tempered herself, Mina felt annoyed with the sorceress. She peered down at her arm, could sense the plague heightening her aggression.
Or perhaps Silt’s focus on another had rekindled Mina’s earlier jealousy. . . .
Small talk flowed as he continued to enjoy his meal while Mina sipped her own and bided her time. Prolonged food courses and vampires didn’t mix. Between leisurely bites, the sorcerer seasoned the conversation with intelligent commentary.
Xodin and Pearl contributed little, hanging on Enti’s every word. Were the three a throuple? Had they each preyed on humans to earn their way here?
As Mina took it all in, awareness grew between her and the sorcerer. Casual touches felt electric between them. His leg would brush hers, eliciting a shiver. A mere bump of their elbows became a crackling connection.
She couldn’t decide if the plague made her feverish or if it was him .
Yet Silt must be feeling the same. More than once, he cast her a look of puzzlement with hooded golden eyes.
Visions of him in that towel replayed in her mind, when his length had swelled for her. What would he have done if she’d reached beneath the cloth to explore, cupping and weighing? Or if she’d knelt before him for a bite . . .
She squirmed again, endeavoring to focus on the conversation. Having gotten a taste of passion, her body wanted more. She wondered if she would get the chance to experience it with someone she cared for before madness took her. What if Enti was right and no escape existed?
Mina thought of all the places she’d never gotten to see, the adventures and family she’d hoped for; she was in a castle of dreams and hers had never been more distant. Sadness swept over her, dousing her arousal.
Seeming to detect the turn in her mood, Silt glanced over at her, gaze searching. If he discovered her thoughts, he’d probably ridicule her predicament and threaten her brother some more, staying in form.
“Princess, you’ve been quiet.” Enti turned her full attention to Mina. “We have other delicacies and treats.”
Mina wanted to treat herself—to the sorcerer’s blood. So how to answer without a lie? I’m satisfied. No. My thirst has been quenched. Absolutely not. “Thank you, but I’ve had my fill of this blood.”
Enti inclined her head. “I’ve learned much from you about Dacia, a realm I thought was mythical. And now you’ve got an infamous new king.”
Mina regretted that Enti’s mind reading threatened the secrecy of her people. But then, Lothaire planned to reveal Dacia to the Lore anyway. And really, if all Dacians were so committed to observing without engagement, then how had her brother even met Caspion in the first place?
Silt had stopped eating, seeming very interested in this topic. When the server made another try for his goblet, he covered it again. “For some reason, the princess doesn’t see the Enemy of Old as an enemy. Spoke highly of him.”
Not true; any unwarranted praise would have burned her throat to a crisp.
Enti said, “I see that Lothaire sent you away from the safety of Dacia to observe the nymphs of New Orleans. But I can’t tell if he did it merely as a jest or in a bid to get rid of another royal. What say you, princess?”
Everyone at the table quieted to listen. Mina felt her cheeks heating, her old shyness stammering a hello. No, begone!
Xodin, the handsome demon, cast her a flirtatious grin. “There are no secrets in this castle.” He waved a clawed hand at all the food on the table. “We each pay a toll for this bounty with our confessions.”
When Mina still hesitated, Pearl leaned forward, planting her elbows on the table. “Do a deep dive on her, Enti. Plumb all her depths.” Spoken like a true siren.
Before Enti could learn even more about Dacia, Mina hastily said, “Lothaire sent me away because I . . . I had an unsuitable infatuation.”