Crown of Moonlight (Court of Midnight and Deception #2) - K.M. Shea Page 0,85
“But everything looks delicious.”
The Paragon swatted my compliment away. “Does your pumpkin latte happen to be from Starbucks?”
“Nope—I got this one from my favorite local coffee shop, King’s Court Café.”
The Paragon perked with interest. “I have not been there before. I shall have to amend that.” He stood and refilled Fell’s teacup, and then Solis’s, the teapot still magically containing enough for both of them, and some leftover. “Here, Queen Rime, allow me to top you off.”
“Thank you, Paragon,” Rime said in a relaxed tone I had never heard her use before.
“Back to the point of this afternoon tea. I must inquire to the source of this constant strife between you all. I don’t understand it—you all face a similar set of problems.”
Similar? He’s got to be joking.
I hid my scoff in a sip of my latte.
“Paragon, you wound me!” Fell held a hand to his chest. “In what way am I like them?” He glared openly at me and then Verdant before sipping his tea like a prim-and-proper grandmother.
The Paragon—ever a gracious host—eyed everyone’s teacups. He got up to add a splash of tea to Verdant’s and Birch’s cups. “Have some self-respect, King Fell.” He eased himself back into his chair and affectionately rubbed Aphrodite’s head. “Everyone knows the fae realms are shrinking—not just in the Midwest, but nation-wide.”
“The Autumn Realm has stood strong!” Fell set his teacup down with a clack. “I’ll challenge anyone who says otherwise.”
“Oh, sure it was strong—decades ago, before the rate our realms were attacked dramatically increased.” Birch sighed morosely and moodily stared at his reflection in his tea.
“The shrinking realms are certainly a problem,” Queen Rime said.
“A problem? That’s easy for you to say,” Verdant scoffed.
Queen Rime narrowed her eyes. “What do you mean?”
“Everyone knows the only reason the Winter Court hasn’t shrunk in years is because your siblings come and help you whenever your ward falters!” Verdant tossed back the rest of her tea. Before she even set her cup down the Paragon was at her elbow, refilling it.
“I’m not ashamed of the support my siblings and I offer to one another,” Rime said.
Birch traced the edge of his cup. “Except you’re too high and mighty to help any of us do the same.”
“Oh please.” Rime snorted like an angry horse.
That got my attention—because Rime was usually as emotional as a snowman.
“It’s hardly my fault the lot of you are a bunch of warmongers,” she continued. “If I offered to help, you’d use it as a chance to exploit me.”
“How could we exploit you when you have all the Winter Courts in North America backing you?” Solis asked.
Chapter Nineteen
Leila
I held my pumpkin latte to my chest as I looked up and down the table.
The heck? Why is everyone suddenly being open and airing out their dirty laundry?
“You really should try the tea, Leila,” the Paragon encouraged. “I think you’ll quite like it.”
“Still not done with my latte, but thank you.” I held up my half-filled cup—which I was going to make sure I never finished. This might be special fancy tea prepared by the Paragon, but tea was tea—not coffee!
“It’s an unfair advantage!” Fell nodded with enough force to make his upper body twitch, then downed the rest of his tea—which the Paragon promptly refilled.
“As if you have anything to worry about.” Verdant bit into an éclair, then took another swig of her tea. “Queen Icey over there might be more powerful, but she’s let you run free and grind the rest of us under your heel even though she could blast you into last week.”
“Hey, I leave Solis alone,” Fell said.
“Only because you’re terrified I’ll take back my sun stallions if you anger me.” Solis held out his teacup for the Paragon to top him off. “Which would put you at the mercy of your Court griffins if you needed to do any kind of portal traveling.”
Fell puffed up his chest. “The control I have over my Court is obvious!”
“That’s why no one outside the Autumn Court has seen you near an autumn griffin since you were crowned—because you have such excellent control over them, is it?” Solis asked.
Fell sputtered, and Verdant ate a mochi cake and looked on with interest. “That’s why you’ve left Solis alone? Here I thought you were just scared because he’s managed to hold on to all of his realm’s land despite the Night Court bottoming out and dragging the Day Court down.” She glanced at me. “No offense meant.”