20. Chapter 20
Chapter 20
W hat did he have against Norn elves? And why did he keep staring at her?
Confused, and more than a little defensive, Imani couldn’t tear her eyes away from him.
Kiran eventually looked elsewhere but didn’t relent entirely, his hardened eyes glancing over to her occasionally. Maybe it wasn’t simply Norn elves he hated then. Perhaps it was her . She cracked her neck, trying to calm down.
She needed to be chosen; if he hated Norn elves, it would not be in her favor.
The two Niflheim princes roamed the room like cruel hunters set on punishing their helpless prey. Their choices revealed little about their methods or strategy.
While he pointed at people, Saevel deferred to Kiran. The latter merely whispered in his brother’s ear.
While his fierce magic signature from the palace entrance had quelled, Kiran still aimed a darkly amused expression at all the witches, sweeping his gaze around the room from time to time.
Esa had said their choices would not be entirely about magic prowess. Those deemed worthy based on some unknown criteria were directed outside to the courtyard near the training field and stables to prepare for the first assessment.
Her soul draw pressed against the restraints she’d put on it, and her signature grew increasingly agitated at the sight of the princes. A flare of magic burned through her chest the longer she stood and stared. An elf didn’t have the sense of smell like shifters, but it was heightened compared to other breeds, and if the prey was exciting to them, they sometimes tracked it on instinct, which she did to Kiran now. It distracted her, and she needed to be in complete control.
Minutes passed. Esa was picked, but Lore was not, and he was furious, his face irate as Esa left with the others.
The Niflheim princes had nearly chosen their allotment when their attention fell on the four Norn elves.
Tanyl refused to even look at Imani, directing his attention to anything else in the room but her. Saevel was amiable and inquisitive. His eyes roamed down to her breasts, and he openly stared.
A smirk curled her lips seeing him do precisely what she wanted, but Kiran’s lack of reaction irritated her. Somehow, he still appeared sly and amused, despite his horrifying, disfigured eye. It was more grotesque this close and revealed few emotions, unlike his brother. She glared at it and sucked in a deep breath as something pulled on her core. The kind of warm tug that made a female stand up and take notice. She pressed a hand to her navel, willing the compulsion of his magic to go away and glaring at Kiran for not putting an illusion on his soul draw.
Despite positioning himself in his brother’s shadow again, and his muted elven features, more females than yesterday gave Kiran curious, appraising attention.
Princes who were rejected or mad clearly didn’t want attention from women, especially when they had magic like soul draws.
Something about the Serpent Prince’s magic was catching, too. It moved from his signature to hers, creeping up from her fingers to her chest, where it burst into vibrations of restless energy. He still hadn’t paid her a glance.
Not being able to catch his attention, especially after his glaring earlier, made her feel off-kilter. She wanted to pull her hair, to run around cackling and casting errant magic to catch his attention.
Madness.
Another part of her wanted to simply slit his throat and roar while her shadows danced on his corpse—the more reasonable part of her.
One thing was sure. She couldn’t deny this prince, and his magic fascinated her.
“Only one female? Enchanting creature. What’s her name?” Saevel asked, his voice deep and husky.
Imani tipped her face up at him, keeping her expression blank but her chin held high. His movements were graceful for someone so large.
“Meira Aowyn. A young female and incredibly untrained.” Tanyl cleared his throat and glowered at her. For all his easy smiles and handsome charm, the moment Tanyl’s face darkened, his dangerous side came through.
Tanyl’s protectiveness continued to irk her. She clenched her hands.
“What do you think, brother?” Saevel motioned to Imani.
Lazily, Kiran turned his head to his brother in question as if he didn’t hear him.
Saevel rolled his eyes. “The female Norn; what do you think of her?”
The youngest prince finally let his gaze fall on her form, and she stared right back. An inexplicable warming spread through her chest at his eyes on her, leaving her greatly unsettled.
Kiran hadn’t said a word until now. The sound of his voice took her by surprise. She had expected it to be unpleasant. But it wasn’t at all.
“She’s perfect,” he said without an ounce of emotion, letting his voice slide over her skin like silk. It made her shiver. He blinked and pierced his odd gaze at her again. In that instant, with his full attention on her, she was oddly less irritated. “But isn’t it the point of her breed? So, really, she’s not special.”
All at once, her annoyance rushed back.
“Rare to observe a female like her without a heavy illusion outside the Draswood, though,” Prince Kiran said to Tanyl and looked around in mock confusion. “Surely, this can’t be all your high-bred elves? I’d hate for us to begin without what we agreed, Tanyl.”
Imani noted the use of the prince’s given name. The animosity between the two men was palpable.
“They were delayed,” Tanyl said. Liar. “I’ll bring word to you as soon as they arrive.”
Kiran pinned his eyes on Tanyl in warning, making her shiver again. “Good.”
“Yes,” Saevel agreed. “I’m interested in meeting more of your elusive Norn elves. However, this one is incredibly diminutive. I’ve never seen such small hands before.” He laughed. “And if she’s untrained, we might as well not bother.”
With a curt nod, Tanyl moved to the other Norn witches, pulling their attention away from her.
All three princes spoke to each other in tense, low whispers, darting looks at all the male elves, not indicating they wanted to choose her. She didn’t understand their selection process—it must have something to do with size—but probably more about power. And she wouldn’t get chosen by standing around, acting pretty.
When they were about to overlook her, Imani panicked. She let more of her soul draw out, and tingles shot down her flesh. She fought a smile. The thrill of releasing it made her magic pulse and ripples subtly rolled off her body.
Gods, it felt incredible .
Tanyl narrowed his eyes slightly, and both Niflheim princes turned to her. She stared Saevel dead in the eyes and let the full force of the draw hit him. Choose me. You want me , she said in her head as his eyes glazed almost imperceptibly. “I’m not as untrained as most people think,” she purred out loud.
Imani doubted anyone would question the magic unless they, too, were elves. Her illusion magic tempered it to the perfect amount. Female Norn compulsion magic naturally pulled vulnerable people in, so, unlike Kiran’s draw, the magic would feel instinctive, not intrusive. Subtle but lovely.
However, without illusion magic, hers would run wild in the room. It would cause frenzied chaos as males bore down on her for a chance at her feeding. She needed to keep it highly controlled using her glamour, directing it to only one person.
The combination of magic and the ability to influence thoughts and actions made females of her kind more dangerous than men. Indeed, she could sense the unmated males in the room drawing closer, their interest piqued. All she’d need to do was stare them in the eye and they’d be under her control.
Kiran wouldn’t be able to control them— maybe influence them. But make demands they’d be forced to obey? No.
She played with fire.
Something akin to anger—perhaps suspicion—flashed across Kiran’s face. More magic snaked off him to meet hers.
Her stomach dropped. Did he guess she was manipulating Prince Saevel with her soul draw? Probably.
Still, she held firm, refusing to be cowed from his posturing. He might be an advisor, but Saevel made the final call in whom to choose.
Kiran’s magic backed off.
Shifting to watch Kiran for a moment, he gave her a knowing smirk with his arms folded over his chest, as if he wanted to both strangle and laugh at her. He knew what she’d done, no doubt. But he tilted his head toward Saevel as his brother moved to whisper in his ear. Kiran slit his eyes but didn’t say anything. Saevel let out a low chuckle.
Another inhale of breath passed, and finally, Saevel pointed at Imani lazily. “Her. The female High-Norn elf. She can go with the two other High-Norn elves on the left.”
At those words, she immediately stiffened. Trying to move as little as possible, magic and energy contracted back inside her, and she let out a quiet, deep exhale. She slowed her heaving chest after pulling her soul draw back inside.
Smug and victorious, she sauntered past the three princes, not sparing any of those arrogant bastards a glance.
Kiran’s strange magic trailed after her for longer than she liked.
Imani pretended to cast a few spells outside while warming up with the others, but her real intention was to observe Tanyl and Kiran in the corner.
A smile tugged at her mouth as they stood off to the side together. Two outrageously arrogant princes who hated each other attempting to converse? Either Tanyl was stupid, or he honestly thought he could get under Kiran’s skin. Imani didn’t know him, but she wagered few people rattled Kiran.
Imani tilted her ears to listen more.
“Do drow elves have the same feeding needs as our Norn, Prince Kiran?”
Imani’s ears flicked back and forth, hearing Kiran’s breed. She needed to learn as much as possible about drow elves.
Black and green eyes slid to Prince Tanyl with acute disdain. Then Kiran quickly slipped his mask of boredom back on. Unblinking, the prince stared at the witches and took his time responding.
When he did, there was a lilt to his words she hadn’t noticed at first, a slight accent pleasantly riding his speech. “All elves feed off the essence of others,” he said. “Each breed is different, but make no mistake—all elves are predators. More so than shifters in many ways.”
The wind ruffled Kiran’s thick, dark hair, which was perfectly cut on the sides and slightly mussed on the top. His expression was unreadable as his eyes were locked on Imani. Tanyl noticed, too.
“An exaggeration,” Tanyl said with a cutting look.
Kiran canted his head to the side, amused. “I’m vastly curious. Why would you even care about my needs?”
Tanyl leaned back against the wall. “I’m nothing if not an attentive host, and I didn’t see you arrive with any females of your kind. Surely, you didn’t come here alone.”
“Your concern for my well-being is noted. Rest assured, there are plenty of volunteers for my sustenance. Elves have a penchant for drawing people close,” Kiran said wryly, and for a moment, he stared right at Imani. She kept her eyes focused straight ahead as his voice dropped lower, slinking over her skin seductively. “I couldn’t help but notice your lone female High-Norn elf is unmated.”
Imani’s face heated, hearing them talk about her. But she hid a smile, pleased she had an audience.
Throwing her old strategy of being inconspicuous out the window, Imani figured if she was interesting enough, she might make it through these assessments. Yes, she had secrets to hide, but they were secondary to passing the brutal assessments she was sure the princes had planned.
Tanyl’s jaw worked. “Why would she interest you?”
Kiran rolled his eyes. “Don’t be an idiot, Tanyl. Even in Niflheim, there are rumors about unmated Norn female elves, and she is extremely well-bred. A genuine rarity to spot in the wild, and I’ve always been curious to experience their feeding.”
“We can procure more experienced female Norn elves than her if you’d like.”
“Please. Have you seen her? None of those whores would compare. With both our needs, she and I might be able to reach a mutual agreement.”
How did drow elves feed?
Her hunger surfaced instinctively, and she imagined for even one moment what Kiran suggested—her meeting his needs. The sensation in her chest said to look at the elf, pulling her toward him. It was an inconvenient moment for her hunger and magic to surface.
Damn his draw. Whatever kind of elf a drow was, he certainly didn’t lack one.
Tanyl didn’t admit they were sleeping together, but a satisfied grin spread across his face. “I’d love nothing more than to see you try. She’ll never agree to anything with you.”
She thought a dark emotion swept Kiran’s face after the last comment. It disappeared too quickly for her to discern its meaning.
A moment later, Kiran found the entire exchange amusing again. “Are you protecting her?” There was a mischievous gleam in his eye.
Tanyl ignored him. “High-bred females like her are impossible to find, but I can get you female Norn elves. You’re right; they’re not high-bred, but there’s no comparison to the beauty of a Norn elf woman, no matter her sigil,” Tanyl said.
“Yes, even among my kind, we call them the nakir archones ?—”
“Silver angels. I speak some of your dialects,” Tanyl cut in. “Fitting name as our Norn descended from the angel breeds of the Upper realms.” He leaned closer, lowering his brow. “Protecting her has nothing to do with it. I’m merely informing you she’s just a shade of a true Norn. She has some nymph blood and an unsightly disfigurement?—”
“A disfigurement?” Kiran asked casually. “And she’s shown you this part of her before?”
“Yes. Here.” Tanyl motioned to the side of his face. “Not to mention her powers are unpracticed, at best. I’m sure you noticed the illusion she wears to hide her true form and enhance her beauty.” He picked absently at his nail. “I’m shocked your brother picked her. She’s not ready to pass any ascension assessments yet.”
It took considerable effort for Imani not to storm over and punch Tanyl for trying to protect her by discrediting her. But it would mean revealing how good her hearing was compared to the others and the extent of her powerful magic. She wanted to keep them guessing. She had to give them just enough to keep choosing her and passing the assessments but not enough to reveal all her secrets.
The comment wasn’t entirely unexpected. Tanyl wanted her to remain here, sleeping with him for selfish reasons. Yet, somehow, it was still a betrayal. Most of all, it was sloppy because it was evident he was protecting her, and she didn’t need it.
She was not casting an illusion to make herself more beautiful, and Kiran fucking knew it. She was confident Kiran understood how elves and their illusions worked, unlike Tanyl.
“As it happens, I’ve encountered a High-Norn female once before.” Kiran’s eyes glazed with a faraway expression. “And indeed, she was exquisite—perfect, in fact.”
Surprise—and a bit of jealousy—made her eyes widen. She tried to see more of Prince Kiran’s expression out of the corner of her eye. He watched her with a mix of curiosity and amusement.
Prince Kiran wanted to feed from her, which might be something she could work with later. But could she betray Tanyl? Maybe. He’d just betrayed her by making her seem weak.
These assessments proved to be far more complicated than anticipated.
“I can’t imagine she paid a sixth-born prince like you any mind,” Tanyl said impatiently.
Something like hurt flickered in Kiran’s expression. The change was so subtle Imani might have imagined it because, in the next moment, his mismatched eyes were wild as he pushed off the wall. “Time for you to leave, precious Prince. I have work to do, and I’d hate for the sixth-born bastard to embarrass you.”
“You’re ordering me around in my kingdom? In my own home?”
“You’ll find I do pretty much whatever I want,” Kiran said coolly, winking at him. “And you know there are no Essenheim guards, staff, or royals during our assessments.”
“Shouldn’t you ask Saevel’s permission to even talk to me?” Tanyl lifted a brow. “You’re a pathetic lapdog to your father and brothers.”
“Better to be their lapdog than your mother’s, right? My leash appears to be much longer than yours,” the Serpent Prince chirped, clapping him on the shoulder. Kiran moved to walk away, laughing to himself, but stopped abruptly and turned back.
“Honestly, your lovely elf is probably starving with the selection here.” Cocking his head to the side, Kiran gave Tanyl a lopsided smile. “So, I might take my chances on the rejection you’re so sure of with her.”
With his hands in his pockets, he lazily made his way over to his brother.