Total pages in book: 123
Estimated words: 114925 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 575(@200wpm)___ 460(@250wpm)___ 383(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 114925 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 575(@200wpm)___ 460(@250wpm)___ 383(@300wpm)
I frowned as the statue’s features maybe kinda sorta shifted before my eyes, molding into a profile similar to Roman’s. One of the creepiest things I’ve ever seen.
“I’d like a word with you, Arden.”
The familiar enunciation came from behind me, just as it had done before dinner with the emperor. Roman and the other trainees backed off in a hurry as I faced Felix.
I inclined my head in greeting. “May I inquire about the subject?”
“You may not.” He offered me his elbow. “Come.” An undeniable command.
Great. I glanced at Cyrus, or tried to. He and Lolli were gone. So much for remaining in his line of sight. Clinging to my fraying calm, I accepted the high prince’s arm. “I’m glad you and Cyrus set aside your differences to aid each other.”
“I’ve always loved my brother. I have no wish to harm him.” He guided me forward, snagging a glass from a tray and passing it to me. “This is a special kind of champagne. Taste it.”
Trying to unpack his words for any hidden meaning, I accepted the beverage and took the smallest sip, marveling at the effervescence. I told myself I’d had enough, that I should consume no more, yet I took another sip. And another.
“Good, yes?” he asked with a hint of satisfaction.
“Beyond.” Before I knew it, I’d finished the entire glass. A huge mistake. In seconds, the bubbles migrated to my brain, and my head swam in an ocean of silliness.
“I’ve always loved my brother,” Felix repeated, then dipped his head closer to mine and lowered his volume. “You, I’m not so enamored of.”
Rude. “Thankfully, I’m not dating you.” Maybe a second glass of champagne wouldn’t be amiss.
“Vyle believes you might be Soalian, but I disagree. I know a CURED handler when I see one.”
Me, a handler for CURED? I snorted. “You think I’m with Cyrus to spy for the emperor.” I wanted so badly to build my defense and list all the reasons the prince was mistaken. The champagne said, “A fabulous idea!” But I didn’t do it. I bit my tongue instead, refusing to elaborate and explain I loved Cyrus and would never betray him.
“I wanted you to know that I know.” Felix stopped before Briar Rose’s statue, acting as if he hadn’t just insulted me. “Tell me what you’ve heard about her.”
Wobbling on my feet, I looked up, up and took in her familiar delicate bone structure. Her high cheeks and elegant nose. Her full, heart-shaped lips and slender jaw.
“Not much,” I admitted. “Only that she is Astan’s wife and a grower.” And the ex-wife of Tsuri.
“To the people of Theirland, she was the equivalent of Mother Nature. A beloved caretaker of the earth and its blooms. Kind to many but savage when provoked. Astan touts her as the treasure of all treasures. The prize of all prizes.”
“You speak as if you’ve spoken with him directly.”
Felix continued, ignoring my attempt to steer the conversation. “Before wedding Astan, she was married to Soal’s son, Tsuri. Are you familiar with the story?”
“Hmm,” I muttered, noncommittal. My heart pounded.
“Soalians tout Tsuri as a being of love and light, but if that’s true, why did his wife have a torrid affair with Astan? Why did she choose Astan even after Tsuri died from healing her?”
Questions I’d asked myself. And yet, in that moment, the answer seemed so clear. “Your argument is skewed.”
Felix blinked with surprise. “Is that so? Please, elaborate.”
“You lay the blame for Briar Rose’s unfaithfulness on the husband she betrayed.” I walked a tightrope here. By defending Tsuri, I could get myself into big trouble. But I couldn’t not point out the obvious, now that I saw it. “Whether he is love and light or not, she had a free will, the choice hers. From what you’ve described, it sounds like she had a duplicitous heart. Why not condemn her for the affair?”
Like me, Felix muttered, “Hmm.”
A trumpet blasted, startling me and everyone else. I stiffened, thinking Astan’s horns were responsible, but I breathed a sigh of relief as the reason presented itself via masked servants who opened a set of double doors to welcome the emperor. He strode into the room with Giselle at his right, Winslet at his left, and Mr. Vyle on his heels. What a sight. They each wore a voluptuous black robe, with shadows draped over their shoulders like fur cloaks.
They said nothing, and thanks to the champagne, I almost laughed at the spectacle.
They stopped at the statue of Bala and stepped onto one of her paws, which now faced up with its claws flared, providing the perfect protective railing. That paw raised until the foursome looked down upon us. While others oohed and aahed, I vacillated between shock and horror.
Though silence reigned throughout the chamber, everyone reverential, the emperor raised his fist in the air in a demand for quiet. “Many in this room will soon be presented with the honor of a lifetime. The possibility of hosting a god, their power ours. Those of you selected will have a seat at my table and wield abilities beyond imagining. I know, I know,” he said. “Many of you have only just discovered these gods are real and that they wake.”