Wicked As You Wish (A Hundred Names for Magic #1) - Rin Chupeco Page 0,151

you’re naked again.”

“Tangina!”

“Nearly had a heart attack, not knowing where you were, hija!”

“And before I forget, Zoe, what the bloody hell are you wearing?”

Tala felt feathers brushing against her hair, a happy jumble of chirps from the firebird nearly overriding her father’s lower and gruff, but no less emotional, “Well done, Tala. Well done.”

“Your Highness,” Lola Urduja said immediately, moving down to one knee, and the others following suit. The firebird took off and resettled itself on the prince’s shoulders when he neared, beaming with pride.

“We have Maidenkeep back,” was all Alex said, weakly, and then began to cry. This time, he didn’t protest when Tala hugged him tightly, their previous fight forgotten as they clung to each other, unwilling to remember anything else but their friendship.

“I have my kingdom back, Tala,” Alex wept. “I have it back. I c-can’t…”

But at what cost, Tala wondered, for them both? The image of the sword lying forgotten on the forest floor was burned into her brain, and even when she closed her eyes she could see it—still shining, still glittering with all the promises to come, and still waiting for her touch.

34

In Which a King Is Finally Crowned

Prince Alexei Tsarevich, former exile, the seventy-fifth king of Avalon, and its current Firekeeper, paced nervously, while Tala and the firebird watched. He was clothed in jewel-encrusted silks with intricate embroidery, and a rich satiny cape was fastened around his shoulders. The room was almost as big as the downstairs of Tala’s house back in Invierno, and every corner was so richly furnished in frills and fripperies, she was afraid to touch anything for fear of unintentionally ruining something expensive.

The unexpectedly ostentatious displays of wealth were a far cry from her first impression of Maidenkeep. Not for the first time, she was rethinking her original assumption of Avalon as a small kingdom that might not be able to recover from the frost.

Tala herself was dressed in the breathtaking Mai-i dress spun from abaca that her mother had promised to her months ago, and the pretty takmon shells tinkled softly every time she moved. She’d been worried about looking out of place—the other guests had arrived in gowns and tuxes. But her mother had said the Makilings always wore Mai-i dresses in all the centuries they’ve stood in formal ceremony. That didn’t stop Tala from fretting.

There was a large television mounted on the wall, tuned to an American news channel. Tala pointed out that this would only make Alex’s blood pressure skyrocket—not the best thing before his own coronation—but Alex had insisted. Avalon’s thawing had dominated the news cycle for a couple of weeks, but that was well over a month ago, and some new idiocy from the Royal States’ king was once more keeping the media occupied. Avalon was still in the process of rebuilding; the frost had left most of the buildings intact, and the Nine Maidens’ time spell had ensured most were still in working order. Alex was taking stock of his citizens’ health first and ordering his newly formed army, led by the Count of Tintagel, to seek out more survivors all over the land.

But there was one brief report that day that caught Tala’s attention. A Southwest Skies facility in Arizona had been breached, children allegedly missing. It had not been reported in the major news outlets, save one, and it had buried their lede.

Ryker had disappeared when she’d returned for him, the snow mound he’d been trapped underneath melted to reveal no body present.

Alex paused to examine himself in the mirror, and let out a short bark of laughter. “We look like a pair of overdressed sows on auction at the market, about to break records for the highest bidding price.”

“Speak for yourself. I think I look great. You might worry less if you didn’t move around as much, though.”

“You’re not moving, and you look just as nervous as I am.” He glanced back at the firebird, who was doing the closest bird equivalent to snort-laughing. “If you’re feeling out of place, I can always send for the little gold-rimmed cloak the steward prepared for you. Apparently it’s been in the family for generations, so I know you’ve worn it before.”

The laughter died abruptly, and the firebird stuck its tongue out at him.

Alex fiddled with his cape. “Tala…what if I screw this up?”

“You’re not going to screw this up. I thought this was what you’ve been gunning for your whole life? To see Avalon restored, to finally get your throne