Page 13 of Hearts on Fire
Music filled the air. The musicians sat on a narrow platform by the entrance. High under the dome, a myriad of colorful crystals were suspended from thin golden chains. Prisms, diamonds, and pyramids swayed and turned in the wind, painting the walls and floor with a kaleidoscope of sparks.
Despite the mesmerizing light show, the place appeared rough and neglected. Scorch marks and ash smeared the interior. Deep grooves marred the floor and the walls. Parallel in sets of four or five, they looked like the scratches left by dragons’ claws.
The king sat in the wide throne in the middle, leaning against one of the fur-covered armrests. Stone perches were arranged on either side of the throne, forming a wide semi-circle. Each platform looked like a double-wide lounger carved from stone, then covered with feather beds and animal hides. Placed between the perches, low wooden tables had been set with all possible kinds of food.
The king’s men occupied the loungers. Some were sitting. Others were reclining in the pillows or leaning against the thick armrests carved on each side of the perches.
As if on its own, my gaze went to the place on the king’s left.
Elex sat in the position that reminded me of the night I first saw him as a statue. With his one foot propped on the perch, he rested his forearm on his bent knee.
Without the long coat this time, he wore only a wide-sleeved red shirt with its ties open at his throat. A matching red sash was tied around his trim waist, the tasseled ends of it draping down one hip. The short, suede boots matched his black pants, stitched with dragon scales along the side seams.
His pose was relaxed and casual, but his gaze was scanning the row ofsalamandrasintently. I drew my head deeper into my shoulders, glad for the robes and hoods that made us all look the same.
The women kept close to the door. Only Mother took a step forward.
“It’s an honor to be here, Your Majesty.” She bowed her head in greeting and supplication.
The women did the same, bending their knees to make themselves smaller. Not wishing to stand out in any way, I did like the others, dropping my head low and sinking into a curtsy.
The king grabbed a huge bone with meat that dripped with sauce and raised a goblet in his hand for the servant at his throne to refill it.
“One of the rebels, Lord Orirel, was poisoned yesterday.” By the glee in the king’s voice I gathered he must be talking about one of his worst enemies. A boasting note in his tone also hinted that the king had something to do with Lord Orirel’s misfortune. “Today, we celebrate.”
Taking a huge sloppy bite of the meat, he snapped his fingers at Zenada, who had slid her hood back to show her face. She sucked in a breath of excitement before rushing to him. The king slapped his thigh in invitation, and she lowered her bottom into his lap.
Mother quietly exited the room, leaving the rest of us at the mercy of the king and his men.
Some of the women lifted the lace from their faces. One by one, the men raised their hands, clicking their fingers at thesalamandraof their choice. With a varied degree of eagerness, the women then joined them on their loungers.
Elex squinted at the few of us remaining by the wall unclaimed. I jerked my head down, keeping my hood low. But his features relaxed with recognition. Lifting his hand, he clicked his fingers, making the light blink in the stones of his rings. He had one on each finger now, having replaced many times over the ruby ring he’d given me.
The woman next to me shoved her elbow into my side.
“That one wants you,” she hissed from under her hood.
Somehow, he had recognized me, even with my hood on and the lace down. Since I didn’t move, he clicked his fingers again, flicking his wrist impatiently.
Clearly, I was expected to run to him, literally, at the snap of his fingers.
“Well,” he scoffed, with a glance at the king. “That one is either blind or stubborn.”
The king guffawed loudly. “Either way, she needs help to obey.”
Zenada glanced my way, her eyebrows pinched into a frown of concern. I was attracting too much attention for my liking, but I simply couldn’t move a muscle. I couldn’t go to him. I couldn’t sit next to him. I couldn’t…
“This is going to be fun.” Elex got off his perch and sauntered my way.
I hiked up my shoulders to my ears, planting my feet into the floor, and held my breath as he approached.
It didn’t help. His warm scent reached me. It was both new and familiar. He smelled like spiced hot chocolate and a warm night by the fire. Magical and so disarmingly cozy.
He threw one arm around me, pressing me to his side.
“If not me, it’ll be someone else,” he whispered in my ear. “Is that what you want?”
I flicked my gaze between the available men. The High General’s silver-blue eye peered at me with cold curiosity. The rest of the men focused on the remainingsalamandrasby the wall.