Aden’s hand on the small of my back made my skin crawl, and I had to force myself not to shake it off or step away. His men had surrounded me until I could not see anything beyond their stocky figures as they marched me toward a large, opulent entry to the palace. The eyes of the men on either side of me kept sliding over the exposed flesh as we moved past the sentries stationed outside of the dining hall.
I swallowed the uneasy feeling creeping through me as Aden’s palm touched the exposed flesh on my lower back. The brush of his skin against mine was abhorrent, and again, I had to remind myself not to step away. Until I could get a better idea of how powerful they were, I was stuck playing the docile princess.
It wasn’t until Aden began throwing out taunts that I knew for sure that Zyion had followed us. Aden said something to the warrior about training exercises scheduled for the morning, but Zyion didn’t take the bait. Lowering my focus to the floor, we moved over. I noted Zyion’s black combat boots, which were unlike the ones these men wore. After rolling my gaze up his muscular thighs outlined beneath the chausses, I let it linger on the cloth material between his tights.
My brow furrowed as I forced myself to keep my eyes moving up to the hauberk that reminded me of what the Templar Knights had once worn into battle throughout the Crusades. I wasn’t certain what emotion Zyion had churning inside of me, but his presence made me feel safe. As if he’d defend me if the men sought to manhandle me. When I finally made it up to his face, striking, turquoise-colored eyes with flecks of gold scattered throughout the irises met mine.
Aden stopped before an expansive set of double doors and issued orders for the guards to open them for us. The sound of them closing behind us forced fresh unease to flutter down my spine.
The hall we entered was immense and filled with opulence. High ceilings were decorated with stained-glass threaded throughout the stonework. Crown molding the color of obsidian ran the length of the chamber, and blood-red marbled flooring with silver veins laced throughout was under every footfall. The large stained-glass windows reflected the silhouettes of both dragons and phoenixes throughout the space.
I felt my uneasiness grow as I felt the eyes seeking to find me. My heartbeat thundered loudly in my head, even as I caught the eyes of a small child and offered him a smile. The boy squealed with delight, which caused his enjoyment to be contagious, even with how overly tired I was. The scent of roasted meats, sweet bread, and a bevy of other savory and sugary goods had my stomach rumbling.
“I discovered the princess wandering the gardens alone, Griffon.” Zyion snorted in response. “Something to add, Vicious?”
My gaze wandered to Zyion, expecting some kind of reaction to the title. If it offended Zyion, he brushed it off completely. The warrior’s attention remained on Griffon, who ignored both men as he waited for me to speak. I stepped forward, but when he spotted the armlets I wore, his features tightened. Esme, on the other hand, was sitting on the opposite side of the table, glowering at me with two burly guards behind her.
I eyed the guards, then scrunched up my face. Esme merely shrugged, then grabbed a leg of meat, and bit into it, still glaring my way.
“I’m sure you’re starving, Aria. Please, sit with me and eat,” Griffon offered. Aden and Zyion continued to glare at one another while the king worried himself with seating me.
“Thank you, Griffon.”
“His title was earned, Aria. You will address him as such,” Aden reprimanded. “It is considered a slight to ignore titles. We have much to teach you, my darling.”
“I do believe you addressed him by such a moment ago. I was merely following your lead, my dearest Aden,” I said in a saccharine tone, which had Zyion’s lips twitching in my peripheral. Griffon moved toward one of the guards, and the moment he did, I looked Aden dead in the eyes. “I’m so sorry. The lack of sleep must be getting to me.”
“I am ashamed of my behavior, sweetest one,” he gushed. I turned, making a face, smiling at Zyion. “You must let me make up for my rudeness. I’d love to show you the gardens. Alone, of course.”
“I’d rather choke on a dick.” I whirred beneath my breath. Zyion’s shoulders shook, which caused Aden’s face to redden. He might not have heard what I’d said, but it was obvious he knew it wasn’t kind.
“What was that, darling? I didn’t catch what you said over the noise of the room,” Aden inquired.
“The bugs are rather thick, so after I eat, I’ll be retiring for the night,” I supplied. As Griffon took his seat again, another chair was brought over to the table for me. Zyion moved to sit opposite of me on the other side while Aden sat beside me, with Esme seated on my other side.
The moment my ass hit the seat, Esme hissed, “Where the hell have you been? I was about to make a huge scene before they explained what had happened. You fucking vanished into thin air!”
“I don’t really know where I went,” I admitted, still uncertain how I’d ended up sucked into a crystal. Aden had said something about my using magic openly, but that wasn’t me at all. How could they not tell the difference between magic use and mana-charged enchantments? I’d bet even Fennix and Fennia could tell the difference. That thought had me wondering where they had scattered off to. I’d seen the little traitors in the garden when they’d been rubbing against Zyion’s boots, but then they’d both vanished.
“You can’t just disappear on me,” Esme susurrated in an angry tenor. “I seem to remember you promising to stay with me.”
Frustration grew until I exhaled a long, irritated puff of air. “It wasn’t as if I had a choice. How was I to know touching it would send me elsewhere, Esmeralda?”
The aroma of cooked meat hitting my nose had my stomach cramping with hunger. A sideward glance at the pile of food lathered high on Esme’s plate had my attention sliding to the platters covering the table with piles of meat, fruits, breads and pastries. Without waiting for more of an invitation, I forked a large, juicy sausage from the tray of them. Another platter had a pile of strange green berries and white berries resembling strawberries. Adding a few of them, and then a piece of spiced bread to my platter, I wasted no time before digging in with delight.
When Zyion handed me a napkin, I realized that I had an audience watching as I devoured my platter. Had I known they would all be so rude, I might have breathed between bites of the perfectly baked meal. Next, Zyion passed me a mug of ale, and when I glanced at him in thanks, I found him smirking. Yup, he was amused that I had the juice from a sausage dribbling down my chin.
Whatever.
After I’d dabbed it away, Griffon cleared his throat beside me.
“I’ve set you and Esmeralda up in the west wing of the palace. There are only a few others who live in that wing,” Griffon explained.