In the time that Haven had known Stolas, she’d never seen him appear so . . . torn between amusement and terror. As if he didn’t know how to catalogue this creature.
For a tense breath, all eyes watched to see how the Shade Lord would react. The guards were halted around him in a circle, ready to protect the princess, while her parents were frozen in fear.
A memory of the Bane floated uninvited into Haven’s head. One of the captive girls in the Devourer’s camp had stumbled and fallen into the pit where Damius kept a poor snow leopard he’d bought from a Solis trader. Haven could still remember the absolute silence from the girls as they gathered around the pit, unable to move or do anything but pray the cat had been recently fed.
It hadn’t.
She saw the same paralyzing fear on Neri and Eros’s faces now, and she widened her stance, prepared for all hell to break loose.
14
Before Haven could say a word to calm the king and queen’s fears and prevent the guards from doing something rash, a hoarse laugh boomed across the room.
Laughing—Stolas was laughing. His eyes lit up in a rare shade of green she’d never seen before as he leaned down until he was on the little girl’s level, opened his palm, and released a spark of dark magick. The fiery blue flame broke off into a school of silver and orange fish that raced around her. The girl squealed with delight, smashing as many of the fish as she could with her tiny little fists.
Cursing in her native tongue, Neri chased after her daughter while Eros shook his head. “My son never gives us a moment’s trouble, but that one?” Eros’s sharp gaze softened as it drifted to the little girl, who was still somehow evading both a very agile Neri and at least ten flustered soldiers. A flicker of pride sparked inside his eyes. “Goddess help the man she marries.”
“And if she doesn’t want to marry?”
Eros blinked in surprise. “What sort of female doesn’t dream of becoming a wife and having children?”
It took everything in her not to snort. From across the room, she felt Stolas’s attention sharpen on her. “Some of us have other dreams, King.”
“Even a princess cannot escape her duties to her kingdom.” The king ran his thumb over a gold button just below his collar. “Surely you know that?”
“Are you still speaking about your daughter or me?”
“I am merely pointing out that in chaotic times such as these, great sacrifice is required from everyone.”
A stab of disappointment throbbed in her chest. What was she expecting? This was the mortal realm, after all, and the entire continent was in massive upheaval. Securing alliances through marriage was the quickest, most efficient way to shore up power and protect territories.
And yet, the idea of being forced into marriage with a stranger. Worse. Someone you despised . . . “Who is your daughter promised to? Dune or Drothian?”
A muscle in his neck jumped. “Dune. My son is promised to the Drothian ruler’s daughter.”
That’s how he took control of all three territories so quickly. A flicker of anger sparked inside her. How was using children to control territories any different than King Horace using food and resources?
“I suppose it’s fortuitous then that you have two children to marry off to the two territories under your control.” Her tone was razor sharp.
“Yes.” He held her stare, unflinching. “The Goddess blessed us in that regard.”
Haven stiffened. She believed Eros was an honorable man, but just like any ruler, he had to be cunning to survive. Until they knew why he risked both Archeron and Renk’s wrath by meeting with her, she couldn’t trust him.
“Why did you invite me here, King Elhaem? You know the risks of this meeting and you have much to lose.”
Xandrian and Bell raised their eyebrows at the bluntness in her question, but she was tired of dancing around the subject.
A fleeting emotion too brief to catalogue—vulnerability? Fear?—darkened his visage. Then he swept out an elegant arm toward the mainland behind him. “Take that tour of the city. We will speak again tonight during dinner, Haven Ashwood.”
Not Goddess-Born, but Haven didn’t feel as if the name was meant to slight her. Rather, Eros seemed like someone who gave respect after it was earned, and she had yet to do anything but break into his throne room and insult him.
“We look forward to it. In the meantime, where should we start on our