I let her talk freely about all the things that angered her while I ate. Her attention roved over my tattoo, the amulet, and rested on the ring on my finger, but she never asked about them. Thus far no one was straying to any topics of note and I doubted I’d learn much aside from idle gossip. Tonight the court would be on its best behavior.
I wasn’t sure I was pleased but at least the food was worth the trouble. My meat cut like butter and tasted as rich. I did my best to concentrate on conversations and not lose myself in the flavors. Whoever cooked this meal was immensely talented. I’d love to watch them in the kitchen, taking notes. Perhaps I might tinker with my own sauce variations. Add a bit of sea salt and herbs to the flaked pastry to round out the flavors the meat had been marinated with.
Several times I felt an intruding stare and glanced up to find Lord Makaden’s attention fixed on my chest. His hungry expression indicated he wasn’t looking at the amulet. I ignored him as Wrath had done. Worms like him should remain beneath notice. Though that comparison was hardly fair to the poor worms.
The woman next to me, Lady Arcaline, she’d finally informed me, stopped regaling me with her wrath-filled complaints long enough to ask, “Have you met anyone from the court outside of this evening’s dinner?”
“Yes, I met Lady Fauna in the library.”
Lady Arcaline made a dismissive sound and turned to the demon to her other side.
With everything that had happened, I forgot about Fauna. I sipped my wine and looked around the room, surprised to see her chatting with Anir and another young demon at the end of our table. It was too bad they weren’t seated closer; it would have been much more enjoyable.
Before I could reflect on feeling camaraderie with anyone in Wrath’s court, Lord Makaden leaned across the table, boldly ogling my lips. It was an improvement over his not-so-subtle perusal of my cleavage. It was fortunate for him that Wrath was still engaged in a discussion with the lord to his left and hadn’t noticed his crude stare. I was willing to overlook his idiocy in favor of keeping the peace tonight. Tomorrow would be a different story.
I tasted another bite of meat and a bit of the herbed vegetables. They really were divine.
“Indulge me, Lady Emilia.” Makaden’s grating voice drew me away from my meal. “Have you ever experienced something as pleasurable as demon fare before? With each bite, you look as though you’re in the throes of ecstasy. I must admit, it’s captivating. I’m envious of your fork.”
The nobles seated nearest to me kept politely chatting, but I sensed their attention shift to us. It was a leading question, almost skirting the line of propriety. One detail I’d been picking up throughout dinner was that certain topics were as scandalous here as they were in the mortal world. Only the scandal seemed to involve overtly referencing other sins.
I didn’t balk at answering the question.
“Tell me, Lord Makaden, are you always this preoccupied with the mouths of others? Perhaps you should reconsider what House of Sin you align best with.”
He sipped his wine, then ran a finger around its rim, his attention never leaving my lips. The anger I’d been fighting to keep at a low simmer slowly began to boil the longer he stared.
I wondered what sort of impression I’d make on House Wrath if I maimed him before the next course. Given Wrath’s banishment of “guttings at gatherings,” I imagined it had once been a fairly regular occurrence. As the future queen, I might escape any true punishment. Facing Wrath’s ire might be worth it just to wipe that repulsive look from Makaden’s face.
“I’ve been cautioned against speaking of your tongue, my lady, so I won’t comment on its sharpness. However, since you’ve brought mouths up, I can’t help but wonder. You seem to be enjoying the meat well enough, but has that perfect little mouth of yours ever tasted cock?”
My jaw clenched so tightly, I was surprised Wrath didn’t hear the grinding of my teeth. Lord Makaden was not referencing a chicken dish, though his words were clever enough he might pretend otherwise. I slowly exhaled. He was trying to get a rise out of me.
I refused to let him succeed.
“If not, we’ll have to remedy that soon. Tonight, perhaps?” He dipped his finger into the wine, then slowly sucked the liquid off. The wide smile he gave me didn’t reach his hate-filled eyes. I briefly fantasized about popping those beady things from his head. “I’ll even prepare it for you myself. I’ve been told, on more than one occasion, how good mine is.”
My grip tightened on my dinner knife. I wanted nothing more than to shove it into his heart. Without giving much thought to the consequences, I lifted the blade and stood, my beautiful chair scratching along the stone in shrill warning.
The room drew in a collective gasp. It was the last sound that was made before Lord Makaden’s garbled screaming began. Warm liquid sprayed across my chest and face. I was so startled, I dropped the knife and wiped at my cheeks. My fingers were coated in red liquid.
A second later the metallic scent hit my throat. Blood. Blood was now splattered across the evergreen garland on the table, across me. My attention fell to the source of gore.
On the place set before the vile lord sat a severed, impaled tongue.
I stared down at my dinner knife, unblinking, unsure if I’d attacked him. Then I noticed Wrath’s House dagger. It still vibrated from the force he’d used to shove it through the plate and then that far into the table. I let out a quiet breath, unable to look away. The lavender gemstones in the snake’s eyes glowed in fury. Or maybe bloodlust.
I’d forgotten how the dagger gloried in its offerings.
“Dinner is over,” the demon prince declared, his voice dangerously low. He yanked his bloodied blade free. “Get out.”
TEN