Page 71 of Black Crown
Another servant passed by with fingerfood on her tray, and Zared stopped her. She held the tray out with a pancake stuffed with cabbage and diced tomatoes.
“What is it?” Zared asked.
“Fish packets. It has a cilantro crema. They’re my favorite,” she said, her gaze raking over our group, and then she shook her head, expression full of pity. “Here. Try one.”
Zared reached for one, and Dyter grabbed the prince’s wrist. “What if they’re poisoned?”
The woman replied, “It’s the queen’s birthday party. She’s all about good things. There’s no way she’s poisoning anyone.” She grabbed a folded pancake and bit into it. “See?”
Holding Zared back, Dyter studied the woman, his scar blanching the longer he stared at her. “How long have you been here in Azule?”
Why was he so fixated by her? I shifted my attention from him to her, examining her features beyond the black tattoos. I recoiled, filled with disapprobation as awareness settled in my mind.
She dropped her chin toward her chest and said, “Five years.” Her lower lip trembled. “I heard Cal was Irdelron’s son. And the crops are growing again.”
Dyter nodded. “Which Zone?”
“Eight. House of Dar.” Her eyes filled with tears as she spoke.
She was from Verald? Had she chosen to leave, or did someone take her? Both options were equally awful.
She held the tray out toward Dyter, her hands shaking enough that the silver platter trembled. “Here, take them all. You’ll feel better if you eat.”
Dyter glanced at the food. He had to be starving—we all were—but he pushed the tray away. “We can’t take any chances—”
“I promise,” she said, pushing the tray closer. “I swear on the house of Dar that the food and drink aren’t poisoned. I’ve been to four of Mily’s parties this year. She doesn’t poison anyone.”
“I’m not eating that,” I said to Tyrrik, shaking my head.
“No thank you,” he said to Dyter.
I could see the condemnation in the firm set of Dyter’s mouth. He was practically screamingshe’s from Verald; have a heart.
I had a heart, but her tray could remain full, in my humble opinion.
The Azule kingdom was creepy, too creepy to eat their fish-pancake thingies. Nothing about this place made any sense.
Queen-Bouncy had agreed to send ships to collect the men at war, and I felt suspicious and oddly deflated.Did that seem too easy for your liking?
Dyter accepted one of the packets, smiling at the Veraldian woman with the sad eyes before taking a bite. I watched him closely, but he swallowed and remained unchanged as he continued to talk with the servant.
Maybe, Tyrrik answered.I’m trying to decide. Maybe it’s a reflection of their general ignorance to hardship. The queen didn’t give any of the tells I’ve seen in liars, and she doesn’t seem old, or wise enough to fake sincerity.
I hummed and nodded, trusting in Tyrrik’s perceptiveness. All of the general weirdness could account for the warning stir inside.Let’s keep our guard up anyway.
Glancing at Dyter again, I saw he’d moved closer to the servant. Or she to him. And her smile wasn’t sad anymore,at all. Dyter drew closer to her, and I wrinkled my nose, leaned in to Tyrrik, and whispered, “Dyter’s not acting that way because of what he ate, right?”
“Why don’t you go ask him?”
I raised my eyebrows and leveled my mate with a flat look that made him grin.
“Will you please go and check?” I asked, avoiding further glances in Dyter’s direction. That woman had been eyeing Dyter the way I looked at Tyrrik, and considering the activity around us . . . “Please?”
Tyrrik cleared his throat with a suspicious twitch of the lips. His eyes were still fixed on Dyter’s head, and I didn’t dare turn to look as my mate side-stepped me to go and talk to Dyter.
I tried to locate our group. Five women had clustered around the twins, and the entire group was now occupied in leisurely pursuits involving taking their aketons off. Dilowa was busy not-speaking to the man who’d distracted her before, and he was frisking her . . . maybe for hidden weapons. I felt like the floor rolled under my feet. How had our entire party lost their minds? And Zarad . . . I threw my head back with frustration, and my gaze snagged—
My jaw dropped, and I squeezed my eyes shut. No way.Noway. That was too much.