Chapter Thirty-Seven Riela #2
to Bria with a scowl. The man with golden skin and the antler crown sat next to Koru. He caught my look and grinned, looking
for all the world like a cat who’d just cornered a mouse.
A beautiful woman with deep gray skin and long white hair sat next to Vastien. She had the faintest hint of wrinkles around
her eyes, and they crinkled when she smiled at Vastien. “Lord Vastien, welcome back.”
He inclined his head. “Thank you, Noble Taima.”
In Yishwar, noble was used as a title by people who preferred not to be referred to as lord or lady, so I adjusted my mental pronouns for them
and gave Vastien a tiny nod of thanks for the help.
Noble Taima leaned forward so they could see around the jurhihoigli and bowed their head to me. “Well met, human.”
I squeezed my hands into fists under the table. Someone really should’ve given me a crash course in appropriate etiquette
before expecting me to dine with Etheri nobility. I slightly dipped my chin and smiled, hoping for the best. “Well met, Etheri.”
Their answering smile seemed genuine, but the man next to them laughed with mocking amusement. His skin was as tan as my own,
a human color in this magical world that cut all the deeper for the similarity. Being laughed at wasn’t particularly pleasant,
but it was better than an attack, so I maintained my pleasant expression and said nothing.
Garrick didn’t raise his voice, but it sliced through the room like a sword. “Lord Cainsian, please share what you find so
amusing.”
Lord Cainsian’s laughter abruptly died as he bowed his head to Garrick with a smile. “Your human pet is a delight, Stoneguard.
You must tell us where you acquired her.” His covetous gaze landed on me with predatory intent before flickering back to Garrick.
“When will you open the door so we might find our own humans? Or are you planning to share this one?”
Garrick’s magic lay still and quiet as he considered the question, but Vastien gripped my hand under the table. I wasn’t sure
if it was in reassurance or to keep me from bolting and throwing us back to Edea.
As the silence dragged on, panic began to claw up my throat, and it was all I could do to remain seated. Perhaps Vastien’s
grip wasn’t so unnecessary after all.
“Steady. You’re safe,” Vastien whispered in my ear, his voice barely audible.
“Lord Cainsian, I realize I’ve been gone awhile and your memory isn’t what it used to be”—there were a few nervous chuckles
from the other diners—“but I believe my stance on humans in my court was made excruciatingly clear many years ago.” Garrick’s
smile had a dangerous edge. “Do I need to repeat the lesson?”
“But your cousin—”
“Is not the king,” Garrick interrupted, a deceptively pleasant expression on his face.
Lord Cainsian must’ve been very secure in his place, because he tried again despite the obvious danger. “Surely your time in the human realm has changed your views, Stoneguard. You did return with a human after all. We only want the same opportunity—one we would pay gladly for.”
There was a rustle of fabric as the other Etheri shifted, but none were brave—or stupid—enough to agree with Cainsian directly.
Cainsian squinted at me. “Is she a mage? I will pay you very well indeed if you allow me to use her for a night or two.”
A low rumble rose from Vastien, but it was drowned out by Cainsian’s squawk of outrage as he was jerked into the air. Thin
ropes or wires wrapped around his arms and legs, suspending him splayed horizontally above the table.
Cainsian struggled, and blood bloomed across his limbs as the wires dug in. He gritted his teeth against the pain and glared
at Garrick.
The Silver King ignored him and addressed the table, as cold and deadly as a winter storm. “My views on humans have not changed.
There will be no human thralls in my court, and any Etheri who has brought an unwilling human into Lohka will answer to me.
Additionally, Lady Riela is my guest, and will be treated as such.”
Blood dripped onto the table and Cainsian moaned in pain. “Forgive me, Your Highness,” he pleaded. “I didn’t know.”
“Apologize to the lady.”
Cainsian’s mouth curled into a sneer. “I won’t apologize to a stupid human cun—”
Sharp, menacing silence cut off the end of the word, and all of the snarled words that followed. Garrick looked at me, and
it was a struggle to hold his piercing gaze. “How long should he atone?”
“I don’t—” I whispered, my eyes wide.
“You’re far too kind, Lady Riela.” Garrick looked up at the bleeding lord, and for the first time, he let the fury in his
expression show. “Perhaps a month will teach him the error of his ways.”
“Please, Your Highness—” Cainsian started, his words audible once more.
Moonlit magic snapped around Garrick, powerful and deadly. “Cainsian Béru, I bind you. I bind your blood and your magic and everything you are. For your insult, you will suffer for a month without food or water or succor. Any who attempt to aid you will share your fate.”
Cainsian moaned in pain and his blood started dripping faster. I opened my mouth to object, but Vastien squeezed my hand and
slightly shook his head. Looking around the table, none of the Etheri seemed the least bit surprised by the punishment or
the duration, but they all were looking at me with something like respect—or at least carefully masked hatred.
After meeting Garrick, I’d thought the old stories of Etheri brutality were exaggerated. Now I wasn’t sure the stories hadn’t
been understated.
My terror slipped away, stolen by the vows that bound us. Garrick flicked a glance my way, then looked at the gathered Etheri,
including those at the other tables, fury and power wrapping him like a cloak. “The next person to insult Lady Riela will
suffer worse.”
As one, the Etheri bowed their heads.
There was the slightest sound of shuffling to my left, then Lord Mar slid into Lord Cainsian’s empty seat. Mar’s head was
bowed, but he peeked at me and caught my gaze. He winked, then without lifting his head, he touched a finger to Cainsian’s
goblet and the wine rose to just above the top of the cup and bloomed into a perfectly formed flower before freezing solid.
I hadn’t felt his magic at all, and I couldn’t decide if the display was meant as a threat—or an invitation.
Would I ever be able to use my magic that effortlessly? Could Lord Mar teach me how?
Vastien leaned forward, blocking my view. By his expression, he’d caught Lord Mar’s display, too, and he was less than happy
about it.
Garrick raised his hand, and servants scurried in carrying covered plates. My eyes widened. I’d expected the castle to magically create the food, as it did in Edea, but apparently this castle had a staff.
The Etheri carrying the plates—if they were Etheri—were only slightly taller than the table, with mottled green and brown skin and pointed ears. They moved with quick,
silent efficiency in a ballet that was mesmerizing to watch.
The main table got individual plates, but the rest of the tables were given shared platters. A dainty green and brown arm
slid a small plate in front of me and whisked away the cover to reveal a tiny piece of crustless toast topped with what looked
like cheese and figs.
This was dinner? Maybe the other castle would take pity on me when we got back to Edea and give me a bowl of stew.
Vastien let go of my hand to pick up the tiny toast with his fingers. He popped it into his mouth in a single bite. Across
the table, Bria did the same. None of the diners seemed at all concerned about the wailing man dripping blood on the table—even
when it fell directly on them or their food.
Luckily, Cainsian was far enough away that his blood didn’t reach me, but my stomach rolled all the same. The terror might
be gone, but the nausea remained. I picked up the toast and hoped I could keep it down.
The small bite was surprisingly delicious—right up until I saw the man next to Koru lick Cainsian’s blood from the back of
his gold-skinned hand. “Delicious,” he mouthed at me.
I stiffened but refused to drop my eyes. I would not show weakness, no matter how much my stomach flailed.
Garrick caught my unease and followed my gaze to its source. “Lord Lotuk,” he purred, “you’ve been a guest in my court for
many years, but perhaps it is time I return you to your cousin?”
The words were obviously a threat, and Lotuk’s eyes narrowed ever so slightly. Then his charming mask slipped into place and
he bowed at Garrick. “King Stoneguard, you know nothing can compare to the beauty and grandeur of the Silver Court.”
“The Gold Queen would disagree,” Garrick murmured.
Lotuk winced very slightly and waved a hand. “She and I are . . . not close.”
I could feel the weight of Garrick’s stare, and I wasn’t even the one pinned under it. “That’s good,” Garrick said, his voice
all the more dangerous for its mildness. “In that case, I won’t have to remind you of the vows you made when you arrived.”
Lotuk’s jaw locked. “No, Your Highness. I remember.”
My empty plate was removed and replaced with a shallow bowl of bright orange soup. It wasn’t steaming, and the bowl itself
was ice cold. No one at the table seemed to think this was unusual.
Above us, Cainsian continued to wail.
I forced myself to eat a bite. The soup was cold and creamy, tasting of tomatoes and something crisp. It was good, but I only
managed to eat a couple of spoonfuls before my stomach knotted.
Voices drifted around me, though our end of the table was conspicuously quiet. Koru glared, Lotuk smirked, and Garrick looked
quietly menacing. Bria and Vastien had tried to keep a conversation going, but my mumbled responses hadn’t helped.
The food kept coming in endless waves: stuffed mushrooms, a salad, a gorgeous cut of roast venison, a tiny bite of sorbet,
a sweet custard topped with crackling melted sugar, and finally, a bit of chocolate and a glass of strong, dark coffee.
I’d barely touched any of it. Every time my plate was taken away while still filled with food it felt like a waste. But I
wanted to keep the little I’d eaten in my belly, and it was a struggle with blood and screams accompanying the meal.
We’d been here for hours, and the ache in my chest now felt like a vise around my heart. My fingers were stiff and icy, so
I kept them out of sight below the table. If this dinner dragged on much longer, I was going to be in trouble.
I drifted in my thoughts until Vastien leaned closer and softly asked, “Are you finished eating?”
I nodded, though the coffee and chocolate remained untouched in front of me. Farther down the table, the pristine white tablecloth was soaked in red while the diners ate and laughed like nothing was wrong.
I clenched my jaw against the roiling nausea. I would not embarrass Garrick on his first night back.
Vastien’s fingers wrapped around my arm, a searing brand. He hissed out a vile curse. “You’re freezing.”
I summoned a smile and deflected. “It’s a little cool in here.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Garrick’s head snap toward me, a frown on his face. “Are you well, Lady Riela?”
“She needs to rest,” Vastien said before I could answer. The jurhihoigli drew me to my feet, then steadied me when I wavered.
Garrick, Vastien, and Bria escorted me from the dining room. I held on until there was a wall between me and the rest of the
court, then I lost my dinner all over the pristine floor.