Page 71 of Magic Forsaken
He, too, looked as if he belonged in the pages of a magazine. At least, that was my first thought as I took in the undeniably elegant appearance of the wildkin king.
He was of about average height, with a lean, athletic build that might have impressed had he been standing next to anyone but Callum. Handsome, too, his dark hair highlighted by gray at the temples, and styled so effortlessly that I suspected it had been done by a professional. His dark gray sweater was paired with black slacks and a pair of shoes that probably cost as much as my entire wardrobe, while the watch on his wrist was likely the equivalent of a year’s income for an average middle class office worker.
And when we walked in, his keen dark eyes glanced right past Callum and landed on… me.
“Welcome,” he said, “to my temporary home. I’m so pleased you’ve decided to grace me with a personal visit.”
He sounded elegant, urbane, and mildly amused… and he was still looking at me.
Suddenly, Callum took a single step to the left, placing his considerable bulk closer to the newcomer. This allowed him topartially shield me while fixing the siren with that power stare I’d become all too familiar with since meeting the shifter king.
“So this is where you decided to hide,” he said coolly. “A bit ostentatious for such a short visit.”
The dark-haired man shrugged and smiled mysteriously. “You know I prefer to avoid crowds. And the atmosphere in a private residence is so much more… restful, wouldn’t you agree?”
Callum snorted. “You mean you prefer to taunt the other courts from the shadows. You’re not fooling anyone, Leith.”
The wildkin king merely smirked in response. “Nice to see you, too. And who might your charming companion be?”
“Raine is my assistant,” Callum said flatly. “That makes her an employee of my court and therefore protected by our laws. I suggest you tread very carefully from this point onward, Leith, if you intend to participate in this Symposium without sanctions.”
Rather than appearing threatened, the siren king began to grin, and the expression was as wicked as it was worrying.
“Oh, how delightful.You’rethe one everyone is talking about? The mysterious newassistant? Or is that bodyguard… I forget.” And then he winked. Slowly, slyly, accompanied by a smug look that suggested he knew exactly what Callum’s game was.
Well, crap. Had Talia been gossiping after all?
Leith’s head tilted as his gaze shifted from me to Callum, then back again. “It’s quite curious, though. An elemental and a shapeshifter… I would ask why the subterfuge, but I don’t need my power to know that neither of you would tell me. And if I tried to wheedle it out of you, the dragon would no doubt smash half the city in retaliation.”
Was he genuinely curious, or only trying to provoke Callum? It was so hard to tell, particularly when Callum appeared utterly unimpressed by his efforts.
“Leave her alone, Leith,” the dragon warned. “She is under my protection, and I will not allow you to take liberties with my people just to keep the peace.”
I heard a sly chuckle from Leith. “You seem confused, dragon, about who exactly is guarding whom. Also, you can feel free to stop watching me as if I were a live grenade.” He spoke with an air of mild sarcasm, suggesting he was entirely used to this sort of wariness and scrutiny. “I’m about to be insulted if you believe I’m stupid, desperate, or capricious enough to use my power on your employee simply to satisfy my own inquisitive nature.”
Callum’s raised eyebrow seemed evidence enough of his skepticism. “If only I thought your inquisitiveness is where it would end.”
“I’m not sure what you intend to insinuate.” Leith sounded mildly offended.
“If there’s something you want to know, just ask.”
The smile dropped away. The two men faced each other, appearing utterly relaxed, while the tension in the room seemed to increase threefold.
“Are you here to accuse me?” Leith asked softly.
Callum remained steady. “Have you done something to warrant an accusation?”
“Curiosity is not a crime, even for a siren.”
“Someone would very much like me to believe you’re guilty of more than that.”
Leith let out an aggrieved sigh and raised his hands, palm up, accompanied by a dramatic eye roll. “Something went wrong? Blame the sirens! Everyone knows they’re evil and manipulative.”
“You’re the only delegation leader who was not attacked today,” Callum informed him bluntly.
The wildkin king did not seem notably surprised. “Even you, eh? How veryobviousof them.”
With a wry twist to his lips, he moved to one of the chairs and sat down, crossing one leg over the other and gesturing to the couch across from him. “I assume you’d like to interrogate me?”