do not wish to share a meal with the slave master of my people,” Drustan growled at him.
“It is the safest place for you at the moment, I assure you. Visiting the Shifters’ camp was a foolish decision. I should have warned you, but—” His mood changed instantaneously from serious to jovial. “We have some spectacular food planned for you, spectacular indeed. It will be quite the event. Follow me.” He turned and hobbled away. Again, he did not wait to see if they would follow.
Drustan stood there without moving, every muscle tense.
Kiora turned, gently setting her hand on Drustan’s shoulder. “We need to stay close together until we figure out what is going on.” Drustan’s eyes flitted over to the shadowed Shifters and back to Kiora.
Emane stepped in front of him, forcing Drustan’s eyes away from the other Shifters. “We don’t have a choice right now, Drustan. You have to come. Kiora and I will do everything in our power to protect you.”
Drustan’s eyes softened slightly, the flames dying. “You would protect me, Prince?”
Emane gave a shallow nod. “I would.”
Drustan’s eyes flashed between Kiora and the prince, both now acting in the role of protector. “Then I place my safety in your hands,” he said weakly, looking more vulnerable than Kiora had ever seen him.
* * *
THEY WERE OBVIOUSLY LATE when they arrived for dinner. Everyone had already taken a seat. There were three empty chairs near the head of the table. Lomay sat at the exact head, with Alcander on his right. Next to Alcander sat one of the empty chairs. And directly across from him on Lomay’s left sat two. Alcander rose, pulling out the chair next to him with his eyes locked on Kiora. It was obvious whom he intended to have next to him. Emane chose the one closest to Lomay, and Drustan sat stiffly in the third chair, his fingers wrapping tightly around the arms. Kiora had never seen him like this. Drustan was always so strong, so secure. To see him unnerved sent her stomach rolling.
Lomay tapped his glass three times with his fork and the feast began. Shifters soon flooded the area, carrying large platters of food. They all chose different forms, but one thing was the same on all. All wore a silver band around their wrists. At first glance it looked like a thick silver bracelet. But as some of the Shifters placed platters close to her, Kiora could see and feel that the bands were made entirely of magic. They glowed with a metallic sheen and consisted of maybe twenty thin magical bands interweaving to make a thick bracelet.
Drustan could not peel his eyes off them. As one Shifter leaned past him to leave a platter of food, the bracelet brushed his shoulder. Drustan flinched. Kiora noticed that while Drustan was watching the bracelets, the Shifters were stealing glances at him—the one who was not enslaved, the one who sat for dinner instead of serving it.
Once the food had been delivered, the slaves disappeared as quickly as they had come. Drustan relaxed slightly and Kiora began to glance around the table. It was hard not to stare. The very small people with the large ears were seated in chairs taller than the others at the table. Those with black skin stood out even more when seated next to the Taveans, whose skin was the lightest. One breathtaking woman stood to adjust her chair, revealing that from the waist up she was a human-looking woman. From the waist down she had the body of a large, round bird with short, fat wings that sat atop two thick, brown legs. Her feathers were beautiful red, green, and gold.
Alcander’s voice brought her back to dinner. “You need to eat, you will offend them,” he murmured.
Kiora began dishing up some of the food that had been placed before her. Some she recognized, others she didn’t. She was used to unfamiliar food from the Hollow. Her first mouthful was piece of beef bursting with flavor.
“That is wonderful,” Kiora commented. “What is it?”
“Dragon,” Alcander answered.
Kiora forced herself to swallow despite the tightening in her throat. Tears welled up in her eyes as she fought back the urge to vomit, the dragon scale suddenly heavier under her shirt. “Dragon?” she choked out.
“A rare treat, usually not worth the risk,” Alcander said as he shoved another bite of dragon meat into his mouth.
Kiora continued with her meal, blinking back tears and desperately trying to shove down the