Chapter Twenty-eight
NADIR
aking a sip of wine, Nadir leaned against one of the marble pillars andT surveyed the party. He’d flown from The Aurora without a retinue and had no intentions of lingering in Aphelion if he could help it. Amya had declined to come in the end, leaving him to suffer this evening alone.
He glanced at the head table, where the other rulers of Ouranos sat conversing pleasantly like they didn’t all hate each other’s guts. Where was Atlas, and why couldn’t his father have just come? Every other king and queen had managed. The answer, he supposed, was none of them had heirs to order around.
Nadir tried to pick out the Tributes from the guests, just for something to do. They wouldn’t be revealed until the “game” was complete, apparently.
No one had told the guests what would happen, only that the girls would appear as part of the crowd until the end of the event. Nadir shook his head,
taking another sip from his glass, spying a young woman with ebony skin and bright silver hair walking through the throng alone, her hands wringing. She seemed nervous, her anxious eyes darting around.
Nadir snorted. These poor girls were so easy to pick out. Who else would be walking around solo? Nadir spied another girl with dark hair down to her waist, flipping it over her shoulder. She scanned the crowd until her gaze met
one of the Sun King’s guards. He gave her an imperceptible nod. Her warder, then, Nadir supposed.
A moment later, his gaze snagged on another female who walked into the room. Her glittering gold gown floated around her like wisps of honeyed smoke. She stood at the railing, her hands pressed against it, her knuckles white from the pressure.
Though her eyes were covered in a golden mask, he marked their curious and assessing spark as she watched the dancers. She seemed both overwhelmed by her surroundings and yet completely grounded. Determined, if the set of her jaw was anything to go by.
Nadir narrowed his eyes as he took another sip, only to find his glass was
empty. He glanced at the scant contents and then looked up to see the female he’d been watching now talking to a tall male with wavy brown hair. Nadir rolled his eyes at Atlas’s pathetic attempt to appear as one of the crowd. Did he really think he was fooling anyone? He was so arrogant he probably enjoyed everyone pretending they didn’t know who he was.
He led the female down the stairs onto the dance floor, pulling her in close with a possessiveness that suggested he believed she already belonged to him, regardless of the Trials’ outcome. Nadir curled his lip. How
embarrassing to be paired off with someone who was only there for a crown.
When he bonded to his queen, he would settle for nothing less than someone
who set his blood on fire.
“Why are you hiding here in the shadows, Your Highness?” a voice said next to him, and Nadir found Gabriel, who stared straight ahead, his hands clasped behind his back.
“It’s where I’m most comfortable,” Nadir said as Gabriel’s mouth pulled into a wry smile.
“Always the life of the party, aren’t you, Nadir?”
Nadir smirked, turning his gaze back to the crowd. “I’ve heard no complaints.”
Gabriel chuckled softly before the two Fae went silent for a moment.
“You think he’ll pick one this time?” Nadir asked. “No more innocent blood on your hands?”
Gabriel’s mouth went tight. “That was…unpleasant.”
“Still Atlas’s good faithful hound, I see.”
Gabriel cut a sharp glance to Nadir. “It’s not like that.”
“It’s none of my business.” Nadir handed his glass off to a passing servant, taking a full one from the tray balanced in his hand. “Can I ask you
something? And it stays between us?”
“What?”
“You haven’t gotten wind of anyone showing up in Aphelion who doesn’t belong here?”
Gabriel’s eyebrow rose. “Doesn’t belong here? Have you lost someone,
Nadir?”
“You could say that. A girl from The Aurora.”
He watched Gabriel go still, his eyes scanning the room. “No. I haven’t,”
he replied a moment later. Nadir watched the other Fae, his eyes narrowing, sure Gabriel was lying.
“Do you plan to make your presence known?” Gabriel asked, changing the subject and gesturing to where Atlas still danced with the Tribute.
Nadir let out a deep sigh. “I suppose I’ll have to, lest anyone think The Aurora doesn’t take its commitments to duping and murdering young Fae females seriously.”
“The Mirror—” Gabriel said as Nadir cut him off.
“The Mirror is bullshit.”
“Keep your voice down,” Gabriel said through clenched teeth, his back straight.
“Don’t you tire of all this?” Nadir gestured to the head table where the other rulers sat.
“This is my duty,” Gabriel said, his tone like someone who had memorized the words and said them over and over until they’d lost every ounce of
passion or purpose.
“Yes. Duty.” Nadir rolled his neck.
“You know I don’t have a choice,” Gabriel said, so softly that Nadir could pretend he hadn’t heard it. He turned his attention to where Atlas was
beaming at the Tribute in his arms. The Sun King looked over and caught Nadir’s gaze, his smile dropping.
Nadir laughed to himself. He supposed he’d just made his presence known.
“I guess I should go be diplomatic,” Nadir said with another sidelong glance at Gabriel. “If you see or hear anything unusual about a girl from The
Aurora…”
Gabriel nodded. “Of course.”
Nadir clapped the Captain of the Aphelion Guard on the shoulder, tugged
on the hem of his dark jacket, and strode away.
