Page 58 of Shadow Wings
“I’m sick of learning today.” I stood and picked up my flower crown, knowing I would be stepping into more games the moment I left theroom.
With a heavy breath, I jammed the stupid crown on myhead.
22
Dyter openedthe door for me and proceeded to threaten the four guards in the hallway until I interrupted him. The Phaetyn looked familiar, but I dismissed it. They all wore those purple aketons, and with their long silver hair, a lot of them lookedalike.
Dyter stopped menacing the soldiers and held his arm out, but when I just peered at him, he took my hand, like Kamoi had, and tucked it into the crook of hiselbow.
I half turned to him, arching abrow.
“You’re a lady now,” Dyter said, red creeping up his neck. “You need to be treated assuch.”
I laughed and snorted. “Right.”
He chuckled, and we walked through the quartz hallways to the front entrance. I’d already seen the rows of cushions and low tables out in the clearing by the queen’s dying ash tree, but Dyterhadn’t.
The old man whistled low. “How many are coming to thisparty?”
“I don’t even know how many Phaetyn there are.” There were at least two dozen long tables, the height of my knees, surrounding the tree. Shiny silver cushions lined either side of each of the low tables. My best guess was there was seating for forty or fifty at each of thetables.
“Four thousand,” hesaid.
I peered at him and decided not to inquire how he would know that. He was an ambassador; I shouldn’t be surprised he would know his job. After all, he was Dyter. Instead, I did the math of tables and cushions in my head. “I would say at least a quarter of them then by thelooks.”
Kamoi crossed the clearing, weaving in and out of tables towardus.
His gaze dipped to my chest, and I pushed my hair forward. Lacing the corset tight was great for keeping it on but did have otherconsequences.
The prince’s eyes widened as he took me in. I may not have any binding designs on him, but his response wasgratifying.
“Kamoi,” Dyter bitout.
I knew that voice, and a glance at my mentor confirmed what I’d thought. Dyter’s jaw was clenched, and he was glaring at the Phaetynprince.
Kamoi missed the look or ignored it—his eyes never left me. He held his arm out to me with a warm look of appreciation glowing in his violeteyes.
A few Phaetyn stopped to watch, their conversations drying up as they focused onus.
I nodded at Kamoi, wary of what his attention might cause. “Good evening, Kamoi. I’ll walk with Dyter. But would you show us where we’ll be sitting? I don’t know how you have the tablesorganized.”
His gaze traveled down my dress, his lips parting as he pulled in a deep breath. He met my eyes and flashed a rakish grin. “Ryn, you’re absolutely ravishing. You strike me speechless.” He clasped his hands to his chest and winked at me. “You will not sit on a cushion. You’ll sit with the royal family at thetable.”
I followed his pointing finger to a table just under the tree. I scrunched my nose as I noticed the fence surrounding the large ash, the distance enough to make touching the treeimpossible.
“You are not agreeable with this?” he asked, his browfurrowing.
“The cushions look like more fun,” I explained. “I sit at a table all thetime.”
Kamoi hesitated. “Well, if you wouldprefer. . .”
Dyter led me around the prince, squeezing my hand in a now familiar warning. “No, Prince Kamoi. We would not want to alter your plans. We’re happy to sit at yourtable.”
I kept my mouthshut.
Kamoi fell into step beside me. “Ofcourse.”
Phaetyn were already taking their places, apparently sitting at random at the low tables. They were the calmest I’d yet seen them. Perhaps Queen Alani was wise to have a gathering to unifythem.