“I understand, and I’ll do my best to make sure I stop making you uncomfortable.” He scooted his chair back and stood. “Excuse me one moment.”
“Of course.” This time my smile was mostly sincere. I glanced down at my now-empty plate smeared with chocolate and fruit juice and wondered who had eaten all my food. I turned to Lani to ask if she’d sneaked some, but she had three empty plates in front of her. I’d really eaten everything already?
I glanced over the other Phaetyn and saw Kamoi at the chocolate fountain. He had two plates laden with berries and cake and was pouring chocolate into a bowl. I could make nice, and I was hungry. I leaned over to Lani and asked, “How much longer?”
She said something else to Kamini before facing me. “A few minutes,” Lani replied, glancing at the sky. “The sun is about to set, and I think we’ll all feel more comfortable if the barrier is in place before darkness falls.”
The barrier should’ve gone up as soon as we got here, in my humble opinion.
“I’m going to grab a little more—”
Kamoi returned with his food and surprised me by setting one plate in front of Lani and one in front of me. “A peace offering. I’ve been an idiot today.”
I was already facing Lani and Kamini which was the only reason I saw the younger sister’s face fall. I stood and smiled at Kamoi. “Thanks, but I think Kamini should have this one.” I pushed the plate at her, and when she opened her mouth to protest, I added, “That’s a Phaetyn-size portion. I need a Drae-size portion.”
Kamini and Lani laughed, Kamoi joining in a fraction of a second later. I excused myself, grabbing an empty platter from the middle to fill so I wouldn’t have to get up again.
While I was busy loading up the plate with all the delectables to eat, I noticed Kamoi filling three tall glasses of lavender lemonade. “Hey Kamoi,” I hollered. “Will you please get me a glass?”
He grinned boyishly. “Already got you covered.”
Mistress Moons, this was going way better than I had anticipated. My lingering juju was clearly unfounded.
I returned to the table and fell into conversation with the royal Phaetyn. The four of us ate and laughed, and I sipped at the lemonade, but the beverage was excessively sweet for my taste. I placed the drink to the side, lifting my glass of water to my lips to take a few sips.
The sun kissed the top of the treeline, and I nudged Lani. “Isn’t it time for you to work your Phaetyn mojo?”
She laughed, and the shrill sound grated on my ears. I reached over and scooted her lemonade just out of reach and said, “I don’t know what’s in that stuff, but I think you’ve had enough.”
Lani, Kamini, and Kamoi all snickered, and it took me only a moment to realize how stuffy I sounded. “Fine. Fine. I'll relax, but you said yourself you wanted the barrier up before nightfall. And don’t get drunk. On lemonade.” I had no idea if they put something stronger in drinks at celebrations.
The Phaetyn in the crowd were also acting strange, like they’d had too much honey ale, and I wondered if there was a separate table of it. Not that I wanted to be drunk, but maybe a cup would help me not feel like such a stick in the mud.
“What’s the matter, Ryn? Don’t tell me you’re having regrets about not being Queen?” Kamoi asked.
What a question to ask. I rolled my eyes and reached for my water glass, but it was now empty, so I grabbed my glass of lemonade and took several long draughts of the over-sweet concoction. Party Ryn was coming to Kanahele o keola. After a few gulps, I coughed on the sickening taste. “Seriously, what is in that horseplop?”
Kamini snickered. “It’s my mother’s special brew.” She blushed and added, “I mean, Alani’s.”
Double yuck. That’s why I didn’t like it. Clearly.
I grabbed Lani’s water glass and drained it in an attempt to get the funny taste out of my mouth.
Ryn? Tyrrik’s voice in my head startled me a moment later. Are you okay?
I gazed out over the throng of Phaetyn and smiled. Absolutely. Party Ryn is here.
Kamini stood and held her mostly empty glass up, tapping it repeatedly with her fork. “My dear Phaetyn,” she said, grinning. “We’ve come together tonight to celebrate the return of my elder sister, Lani, rightful heir to our throne.”
The entire congregation of Phaetyn erupted in shouts and cheers. I whistled, clapped, and bellowed with them, reveling in their triumph.
“If my mother, Queen Luna, were here, she would rejoice with us as Lani embraces her right and responsibility to rule and protect our forest and our people.” She leaned over and hefted the polished elm chest up onto the table. “Dearest Lani—”
An ear-splitting roar reverberated through Zivost forest. Shock blanketed the clearing in silence for a prolonged heartbeat that seemed to last an eternity. The confused gaze of the crowd fell back from the sky to Kamini, but the princess had frozen on the spot.
Panic seized my heart as I lifted my chin, dread forcing my eyes to the sky. The twilight was still streaked with the sun’s setting rays, but the sky was otherwise empty.
Please just be in my head. My mouth dried.
What? Tyrrik asked, and I got a glimpse of him jetting over the mountains.
It took only a moment to process that he was flying and not setting up camp for the night. He’d told me he’d soon be stopping, but the image of the mountain ranges told me he was not the one roaring above the Zivost.
Lani stood, gripping the edge of the table, her eyes wide, immobilized by the same terror I felt. She gasped for breath, her gaze darting around the clearing and into the sky.
“You have to put up the golden barrier,” I said, struggling to regain my wits. These people would be looking to us to guide them. “You have to put it up right now.”
She nodded and closed her eyes. The golden threads appeared around her body. The tendrils slowly stretched toward the sky.
Khosana!
I shook my head, dazed. Drak. Whatever was in that lemonade was potent, way more potent than Dyter’s honey ale. How many times have you yelled my name? I asked Tyrrik. I think I had too much to drink. I don’t feel right.
What’s going on, Ryn?
A deafening roar obliterated Tyrrik’s voice from my mind as effective as a bucket of cold water to the face.
Chaos exploded around me with hundreds of Phaetyn screaming, pushing, and shoving one another. I looked at Lani and then back into the sky, but the golden net meant to protect the Phaetyn was not even a tenth of the way over Zivost.
The heavy beating of wings pounded high above. Another deafening roar blasted through the clearing. My jaw dropped, my chest tightening as I stared at the massive emerald Drae circling over the forest. Horror rooted me in place as he opened the talons of his foreclaw and dropped a dozen Druman.
They fell through the air and landed one after the other in the courtyard.
Through the lingering effects of the brew, I understood this was no longer a matter of protection by simply putting up a shield. We had to defend the forest and the queen.
“Kamini,” I slurred. “Get Lani to safety. Kamoi mobilize your warriors. Remember, the Druman will die easier if you infect them with Phaetyn blood first.” I glanced around. “Kamoi?”
He was already calling the guards to him. Right, he didn’t need me to tell him how to do his job.
Ryn! Tyrrik sounded on the verge of hysteria.
Not now. I needed all my strength and focus to deal with the Druman. And I sincerely hoped Lani’s shield would be enough to deal with the emperor because I could feel the overwhelming menace of his power, and I wasn’t sure I stood a chance against that.