A Kiss of Shadow (Court of Starlight and Darkness #2)(12)

“Whatever, let’s get back to the queen who wants to expand her kingdom.” That had to be her primary interest in my crown. Lore looked too much like her. Dating her would be like dating himself.

Although, judging by her impeccable attire, she might be pretty vain. Perhaps she wanted to date herself, and he was the next closest thing. The fact that he could help expand her territory was just a bonus.

“All right, suspect number one is the Queen of the Mountain Fae.” I looked over at her just in time to see her slap Lore across the face.

“And with a bang,” Eve said.

“What the hell?” Unwelcome anger surged inside me. How dare she do that? And why the hell did I care? Lore deserved it, no doubt. I’d had plenty of reasons to want to hit him.

But that was me, and this was her.

“Someone is feeling a little territorial, hmm?” Meria murmured.

“Oh, stuff it.” I watched the queen stalk away, determined to get to the bottom of this.





By evening, two other contingents had arrived. I’d spent the rest of the day in the sitting room of our car with Meria and Eve, enjoying the view. No one else was in the room. Whether they were in their private quarters or one of the other public cars, I had no idea.

I couldn’t help but think of Lore, of course. And the ice queen.

I shook the thought away and looked out at the view, trying to distract myself. Every time we transported to another realm, sparkling silver magic filled the air outside the train. There was a slight lurch, and we were suddenly in another location.

We went from the snowy mountains of the Canadian Rockies to the deserts of Southwestern America. The last kingdom for the day was one in French wine country. We arrived as the sun was setting in a brilliant display of oranges and reds. It lit up the rolling hills of the vineyard like a painting.

Beautiful chateaus climbed up the hillsides in the distance, and I whistled low. “What a place.”

“Makes you want some wine,” Meria said.

“I know the perfect place to get some,” Eve said. “There’s a bar car. I saw it on my exploration earlier. The bartender said you can order anything in the world, and they can provide it.”

I pointed to the grape vines outside. “Wine from those grapes?”

She smiled. “I think we should find out.”

I nodded. “It will be a good place to scout out the new arrivals, I bet. Everyone likes a drink in the evening. And I bet they all want to catch up.”

“You’re right on that,” Eve said. “I’m not the only fae who loves gossip, and this is prime territory to get some.”

We’d already had dinner brought to our car about an hour ago, so we could head straight for the drinks. I stood and moved toward the door.

“Hang on, there,” Eve said. “Where do you think you’re going?”

I turned around. “To the bar car?”

“Dressed like that?” Meria asked, her brows raised.

I glanced down at my emerald-green trousers and the matching vest and billowy top that I wore. The outfit was similar to what I’d worn during the competitions, so when I’d found it in the closet in my room, it had seemed appropriate. I looked like a proper fae huntress and everything.

Frowning, I looked up at them. “It’s a no?”

“Definitely a no.” Meria stood. “Come on. I’ve got just the thing for you.”

I followed her to the sleeping compartment she shared with Eve, a space so tiny we had to squeeze in shoulder to shoulder. Meria pulled a sparkling sapphire dress out of a bag. When she unfurled it, the fabric flowed like water over her hands.

“Whoa, you had that in there?” I asked.

She nodded. “Did you not pack formal wear?”

“Uh, I don’t know. I didn’t pack. One of the castle staff did it for me.”

“Well, presumably you’ve got some in your luggage, then,” Meria said. “Until you unpack, I think you should wear this.”

“It’s not too much?”

“Did you see the ice queen this afternoon?” Meria asked.

“Fair point.” I took the dress, adoring the smooth feel of the silk in my hands. “What are you two wearing?”

“Something similar,” Meria said. “Red, though. Shorter.”

“Black,” Eve said. “Like my heart.”

I laughed. “You guys just have gowns lying around? I didn’t give you any notice for this trip.”

They both nodded.

“Of course,” Eve said.

“Yep.” Meria nodded. “We fae enjoy beautiful things, and we definitely dress to impress at events like this.”

I looked down at the cloth in my hands. “I’ll definitely impress in this, then.”

“Good.” Meria grinned. “Use your assets as a distraction, and you’ll be ahead of the game. Fae men are as simple as human ones when it comes to a pretty woman.”

“I hope you’re right.” I squeezed my way toward the door. “I’ll get dressed and join you. Not enough room in here for three.”

“Take these.” Meria shoved silver heels at me, and I took them.

“See you in the living room,” Eve said.

My sleeping compartment was at the end of the car, right next to Lore’s. There was a door that connected them, but I hadn’t dared open it. The space itself wasn’t much bigger than Meria and Eve’s had been, and it was filled with a two-person bed and two small chairs. A stack of leatherbound chests sat in the corner.