A Kingdom of Blood and Betrayal (Stars and Shadows #2)(9)

We rode through the streets quickly until the palace came into view. The castle was just as large as the one in the Fae Court, but it was different. The stone exterior was weathered with age and covered in mossy patches and climbing vines that beared vibrant flowers.

There was no large wall separating the castle from its kingdom. Instead, we rode directly from the street onto the courtyard, and a young man looked up from his book for only a moment to nod in his royals’ direction before he lounged back on the bench and continued to read his tale.

It was the home of their royal family, but it seemed to fit in so well with all the other homes that we passed.

The queen dismounted easily, and I tried to follow suit, but Evren’s magic refused to let me go. I shot him an angry look just as his feet hit the stones beneath us, but he simply lifted his hands as if he meant to help me down.

“Don’t touch me, Evren, and remove your magic.”

“Let me help you, princess.” He lifted his hands higher, and his magic tightened around me as if it was delaying letting me go.

“I don’t need your help.”

Evren sighed and dropped his hands to his sides, but his magic was slower to leave me. It slithered away from me inch by inch, and I trembled as it skated over my marks.

He opened his mouth to speak, probably to correct me on how obvious my need for him was, but he closed it as soon as the sound of a woman’s voice called out.

“Thank the gods!”

The sound pulled my attention away from Evren just as the woman’s body collided with his, and she wrapped her arms solidly around him.

“Evren.” His name was a plea on her lips, a damn plea of desperation as she clung to him, and my marks burned in a way they never had before.

I watched her as she clung to my mate. It hit me deep in my bones. He was my mate whether I wanted to admit it or not, and I could hardly catch my breath as I stared at the woman holding him.

She wore black leather trousers that fit tightly against her curvy frame and a cream top that highlighted her dark skin that was so lovely it battled with the night sky.

A night sky that was littered with stars.

Her star mark began at her elbow and moved around her bicep until it disappeared beneath her top. She was Starblessed. Her fingers dug into his shoulders, and I watched as some of the tension fell from him.

This woman—she was important to him. She was his Starblessed.

She pulled away from him, pushing her untamed curls out of her face as she stared up and ran her gaze over every inch of him. She was checking him, assessing him for any injuries, and my gut clenched when she reached up and ran her fingers across his cheek.

Jealousy swirled through me like a beast waiting to attack, but it became feral when I noticed the scars that were littered along her forearm. Scars where she had been fed from.

My spine went rigid as I stared at them.

It was just one more lie that had fallen from Evren’s lips. He told me that he had never fed from a Starblessed before. He had told me many things that I had no business believing.

A fool. I was such a damn fool.

Evren took her hands in his and held her out in front of him. “Thalia, I would like for you to meet someone.”

He turned toward me then, but I couldn’t take my eyes off her. And then she finally looked at me.

I could see the surprise in her wide eyes, the bewilderment as she looked back and forth between us. Her lips parted, but no sound escaped them.

“This is my Adara. Adara, this is Thalia.”

“I’m not his,” I quickly corrected him as I dismounted the horse, and this made her smile.

“Aren’t you?” She cocked her head to the side as she studied me. “I can smell his magic all over you.”

“You’re familiar with his magic?” I snapped.

Her smile turned into a full grin.

“I like her.” She chuckled and looked back to Evren, but his attention was on me. Watching, assessing, seeing far more than I wanted him to.

“Thalia is one of my oldest friends in this world.”

“As I can see.” I tried to push down the jealousy, but it was flowing from me like blood from an open wound.

Evren stepped closer to me, but I took a small step back.

“Are you jealous of my friend, princess?”

“Of course not.” I swallowed and tried to make my words sound believable even to my own ears. “I don’t care what you do.”

“Are you sure?” His mouth cocked into the slightest grin, and my stomach flipped.

“Why would I care?”

“Because I’m your fucking mate,” he growled for only me to hear, but she heard him. Her gaze met mine, and I held it. I let her feel the truth of his words even while I was trying to deny it myself.

“I am your prisoner just as I was to your brother.”

Evren jolted back as if I had slapped him. He studied me, calculating what to say, and I hated this game between us. “Thalia will be with you here in the Blood Court, and she will help you adjust to your life here. Allow me to show you to your room.” His words were clipped and full of anger.

He started to turn from me, but my own anger rose. I didn’t want his lover catering to me while I was here. I didn’t want anyone near me. “What? Are you too busy to see to me yourself?”

His shoulders stiffened, and he drew in a short breath. “I must return to the Fae Court within the coming days, princess.”