The Last Dragon King (Kings of Avalier #1)(10)

A slight grin graced his lips for a half a second but then it was gone. “Sure you were.”

Regina sheathed her sword but her eyes did not cease their glowing. Opening her arm wide, she indicated I walk back into the village.

I nodded, stepping past the both of them, praying to the Maker that I wasn’t about to meet my end.

Maybe my mother had been misinformed, maybe the king smelled magic on me because he was the king and he could smell even the smallest amounts but it wouldn’t be enough to actually attract the sniffers. And if they did smell some magic on me, so what? Ninety percent of this village had magic—we were magical mutts. None of us were purebred like the king would be looking for.

Right?

Now I wasn’t sure. Was the highborn woman who’d birthed me really full-blooded?

I hoped not. For my sake, I hoped she’d snuck into Nightfall City and bedded a human man. I walked back into my village clutching the straps of my pack with white knuckles.

If anyone ever detected this magic in her child, that child would be killed.

My mother’s story of the highborn was looping in my mind. Maybe my mother was wrong. Maybe the woman was a raider and had stolen highborn clothing to appear as a noble. Then she’d taken drugs and made the whole story up.

“Why were you sneaking out?” Regina asked me, and I startled a little because I’d forgotten she was behind me.

“I was going hunting,” I pressed.

“Sure. The other girls in Grim Hollow ran off hunting too,” she said with a smile. “You pregnant? Got a boyfriend?”

My cheeks reddened at her insinuation.

“No, I just… I don’t want marriage and I like my life here.” There was truth in that, and so if she had the same abilities as her king, she would smell it. I did want marriage. Kids too. But not with a stranger and not for duty. I wanted to marry for love.

I peered back to see her smiling. “I don’t fancy marriage either,” she whispered. “Hard to find a man who will fall for a woman stronger than him.”

That caused a grin to grace my lips and I instantly liked her, letting my guard down. I knew I would like her based on the stories and gossip that came through town about her, but especially now that I’d met her.

“Arwen!” My mother’s shocked, slightly high-pitched shriek came from the alley.

I spun, my eyes widening. “It turns out that hunting trip will have to wait. I need to be inspected by the sniffers first,” I told her.

The alarm on her face was apparent to me but I hoped not Regina. “Oh. Well, let me accompany you, then.” She reached out her hand to take my pack and I unloaded it, grateful not to have the weight of it any longer.

My mind spun with what she must be thinking. She’d truly acted in fear for my life just a moment ago. I knew she must be freaking out about this. But maybe it would be okay. The sniffers would do their thing, leave all of the magicless women in Cinder Village behind, and be back on their way.

I wondered what anyone from the village would think about the king hiding just outside these gates. Why didn’t he come in? We’d never had a visit from the royal family before. Not as long as I had been alive. The people of Cinder would be honored to meet him and the fact that he hid outside caused anger to unfurl in my gut.

Did he hide because he was too good for the ashes of Cinder Village to grace his royal boots? He wasn’t too good to take the monthly truckloads of coal we dug out for Jade City. Not too good to take our women.

Before I knew it, we had reached the great hall. All of the barren and elder women were outside of it, and Regina had to step in front of me and ask them to move in order to make a path.

“They chose Kendal,” Naomie told me as I passed.

That surprised me. I’d thought she was too weak in power. She could light candles with her magic but that was about it.

My mother looked to Regina. “Oh, wonderful. We don’t even need to continue, then? He’s chosen?”

Regina turned and frowned at my mother. “He’s chosen many potential candidates across the realm, ma’am.” There was suspicion in Regina’s gaze. I wanted to tell my mother to cool it. She was going to make things harder for me if Regina thought I was hiding something.

“She’s nervous for me to meet the sniffer,” I explained to Regina. “We’ve never met one before and I heard it hurts?”

That wasn’t a lie. I had heard that the sniffing of magic was uncomfortable, even painful in some cases. I had no idea if it was true or not.

Regina’s posture relaxed. “Oh, ma’am, don’t worry, your daughter will not be harmed.”

“Oh thank goodness,” my mother said in a convincing tone, but I saw the pinched expression she wore. With that, we headed into the open double doors of the great hall.

When Regina turned her back to us, I met my mother’s gaze and gave her a look that indicated she needed to relax.

She nodded her head, biting at her lip.

“We’ve got one more!” Regina called over the murmuring voices.

I’d never seen the great hall so packed full of people. The child-bearing women of our village were here with their families, some of them even with their husbands. I didn’t think the king’s notice included married women. That was awful. What was the chosen queen supposed to do, leave her husband and family to have a second life in Jade City?