A Kiss of Shadow (Court of Starlight and Darkness #2)(8)

She looked toward the window where the dark clouds hovered, her face going pale. “Really? I thought she was coming here.”

“She will. But if we have this chance to defeat her away from my—our—territory, it will be safer for the people.”

Her jaw tightened, and she nodded. I wasn’t sure what the Truth Teller had shown her, but it had thoroughly convinced her to stay and help defeat the witch.

I respected that about her. Immensely.

She drove me crazy in many ways, but her desire to protect my people was something I couldn’t ignore.

“You’re right,” she said. “Better to do it away from here. Is she on the High Court?”

“No. The High Court is only made of rulers of the other fae kingdoms. She is someone else entirely. I don’t know how she’ll get into the palace, but someone with her power will find a way.”

She shivered. “When do we go?”

“Tomorrow.”

Her brows jumped up. “That’s soon.”

I nodded. “Better to finish it quickly. You may choose two ladies in waiting.”

“What, like royalty?”

“You are royalty.”

A wry laugh escaped her. “Good point. But it’s weird, still.”

She wasn’t wrong there. All of this was weird.

“We will leave at eight.” I turned and left, needing to get out of there before I went to her and…

No. I couldn’t think about what I’d do if I got close enough to touch her.





4





Sia



* * *



The next morning, I waited on the train tracks with Meria and Eve. I’d had dinner alone in my room and hadn’t seen Lore since we’d spoken last.

It had been for the best.

The distance hadn’t kept me from thinking of him, though. I hated how much time he spent in my head. I needed to start charging him rent.

Or get a therapist.

“I can’t believe I agreed to this.” Eve’s words snapped me out of my train of thought.

I turned to her. We’d all ridden together in a carriage to the train station located several miles from the castle. It was an ugly day, with a misty rain that filled the air like a bad omen.

“It’ll be dangerous, you’ll love it,” Meria said.

Eve shrugged. “Fair point.”

I’d chosen the two of them because they were two badass bitches who would fight at my side. I needed the backup. And I was beginning to like Eve as much as I liked Meria. She was prickly, but good at heart.

“Thanks again,” I said. “I need the support.”

“Sure thing.” Eve smiled. “Never been to the High Court Palace before. Looking forward to it.”

“Same,” Meria said. “Lots of intrigue there, from what I hear.”

“And the best gossip,” Eve said.

“I wouldn’t think you’d care about that,” I said. She didn’t strike me as the type.

“There’s no television in the fae realm. Of course I care about gossip. There are only so many live-action plays one can watch. Especially when the actors are so bad.”

Meria laughed. “True story.” Her gaze met mine. “It’s one of the reasons everyone in the kingdom finds it so believable that you were living amongst the humans and hiding your ears. Their realm sucks on many levels, but it’s also got some good stuff.”

I reached up to my rounded ears. The story that I was hiding them had worked for a while, but… “They’re going to start wondering soon, though.”

Eve nodded. “I’ve already heard people whispering about it. You’re here now. You’re about to be officially crowned queen at the wedding. It’s strange that you’d still hide them.”

“Once she defeats the witch with the deathly magic, she’ll be a hero. No one will care that she’s a—”

Eve grabbed Meria’s arm, cutting off her words. She tilted her head toward the end of the station platform.

Lore had arrived. Wolf stood by his side.

We’d been accompanied by a team of a dozen castle guards, but they’d stood far enough away not to hear our conversation. Lore traveled only with Vusario and Dain, confident in his ability to protect himself.

He looked magnificent in his midnight cloak. The deep, colorless fabric made his silver hair almost glow, and the perfection of his bone structure was enough to make me need to look away. I’d once thought he was so handsome that looking at him was like looking at the sun, and I still felt that way. I didn’t think I’d ever get used to it.

The dark shadows in his eyes were the only imperfection, but I thought they made him more intriguing. Everything about him was intriguing. It was impossible not to be drawn in by the quiet intensity of him. The pain that lurked inside him made me want to try to fix him, and everyone knew how that kind of thing turned out.

Badly.

Only idiots tried to fix broken men.

He didn’t yet know that I was a witch, though. And given his kingdom’s hatred of witches, it would be ideal if I kept it to myself. Meria was right, after all. Once I got rid of the evil witch, no one would care that I was one, too.

He strode up to us, his cloak blowing in the wind. The faint breeze had increased, almost as if his presence had stirred up the weather. The rain drops glittered on his shoulders like diamonds.