Page 54 of Somber Prince
Lin strolled by, cradling a breakfast bowl in her hands.
“Looks like the prince is celebrating a great date he had.” She gave me a sly glance.
Lucia licked her spoon. “That must’ve been a hell of a kiss Dawn gave him. I can’t wait to see what he does once she fucks him.”
I blew out my breath. “I’m not?—”
“Hey, I’m not complaining.” She stuffed another spoonful in her mouth.
“Come, Dawn.” Elaine hooked her arm into mine. “Let’s go sit over there.”
She led me to the sitting cushions under a flower arch. I crossed my legs under me and finally tried our breakfast.
“Shit, it’s really good,” I moaned with my mouth full. “But you know I didn’t kiss him for this.”
“I know,” Elaine easily agreed, eating with gusto. “But does it really matter? Do whatever you want. There is no one to judge you. Just be careful not to fall for him.”
Melanie joined us, plopping down on the cushion next to me.
“Not bad, hey?” She tipped her chin at my porridge. “The Keepers say they’ll also bring coffee later. Apparently, the head chef fucked up the first pot. That guy from South Africa, what’s his name?”
“Sipho?” Elaine offered helpfully.
“Right. He went to the kitchen to help the chef brew another one.”
Elaine finished her breakfast and licked her spoon. “I’m surprised the kitchen staff even managed to pull off the yummy porridge like this after cooking mostly tasteless gruel for most of their lives.”
“It’s because we aren’t the only humans in the kingdom,” I said.
Melanie snapped her gaze to me. “You did learn something more from him, didn’t you?”
“Not much. And I would’ve told it all sooner if you didn’t start yelling at me. But there are twenty-four humans in the queen’s palace in the city called Kalmena. They came about a month ago.”
“And before that?” Elaine asked.
I shook my head. “That’s it. There aren’t any more, just them and us.”
“But Ciana would’ve come here years ago.”
“I guess she didn’t.” I sighed. “Rha said the portal had only been opened twice in all known history of the kingdom. Once, when they kidnapped us. And another time was a month or so ago.”
“How many humans did the prince say the queen has?” Melanie asked.
“Twenty-four,” I replied.
“Are they all just hers? How about her husband, the king?”
“Rha didn’t say anything about the king. His mother is the ruling queen. I’m not sure if she even has a husband.”
Melanie pursed her lips, clearly disappointed in me once again.
Elaine studied the remaining porridge in my bowl. “I wonder where they get all this food from.”
Her random comment was clearly meant to change the subject and discharge the heavy weight of Melanie’s disapproval hanging in the air.
I grabbed the chance to do that. “Well, the city is located largely underground. Rha said there are entire farms under there with houses and such. The shadow fae don’t like sunlight or the heat of the day. Many prefer living under the surface.”
Other inhabitants of the sarai moved closer, overhearing my words.