Page 76 of This Shattered Star

But it was Kodhan that unsettled me the most. He usually wore his anger with a pride I almost envied. Now, I couldn’t read his expression at all. The complete and utter stillness of him raised the hairs at the back of my neck.

Unable to look at him any longer, I turned away.

Despite the growing distance between us while I followed the guard, I almost felt his presence, trailing at my heels like a building storm. It was as though he himself followed invisibly, hand in hand with the fiery depths of the Underworld.

And he was ready to unleash it upon everything in his path.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

The stairs of the winding tower were just as unwelcoming as the first time I greeted them. Air still reeking of mildew, we tip-toed around cracks and divots, hands against the walls to keep steady.

It didn’t take long for my competitors’ clothing to transform, threads of magic weaving into the leather material to replace it with soft swaths of silk and lace. Within moments, an elegant ruby gown draped itself over my body, bodice snug while the rest of it flowed loosely around my legs. Without any slits in the sides, it made it nearly impossible to keep climbing.

Goosebumps prickled along my bare arms and shoulders as the cold nipped at my skin.

We stopped at floor number five, which revealed a dining room large enough to sit fifty people. But the table pushed off to the right was set only for two.

Small candles floated around the room, suspended by a magic that allowed them to roam as they wished, casting the space in a soft glow. Black stone composed each wall. Encrusted with diamonds, like the outside of the castle. They were all bare, save for the flickering light of the candles, and a lone portrait to the left, whose white-haired muse I could not bother to name.

His silver eyes followed me while my footsteps clacked against the polished floor, courtesy of the heels that had replaced my boots.

Comforting scents of roast venison wafted through my nostrils, mingling with spiced vegetables, steaming on a nearby rolling tray.

The guard did not breach the threshold, leaving me to face Maverick alone. He noticed me at last, halting his pacing on the wide balcony that peered over the kingdom. With a flick of his hand, the door shut behind me. A nail in my coffin.

“You look beautiful,” Maverick commented, slowly making his way to me. His hands slid into the pockets of his loose fitted pants. Paired with a black tunic and simple fitted overcoat, he was the picture of laid-back regalia. But the tightness around his eyes indicated anything butrelaxed.

Nevertheless, his compliment hit home. Warmth blossomed in my stomach. But I had to be careful. One wrong word, and I would doom us all.

It was an effort to keep my head completely clear as I stiffly took a seat at the table, dropping my gaze to my already filled plate.

This wasn’t all that unfamiliar. We’d dined countless times in the past, just him and I. Some meals as formal as this one. Others in the late hours of the night, where it felt like we were just two people, unbound by titles and curses.

He’d been the only one to make me laugh other than Gideon. And I was the only one that managed to crack the mask he so carefully upheld.

On my birthday, he always made sure to have dessert served first, since he knew I preferred sweets over anything else. But I cared little for the food. Only about the fact that he was the only one that celebrated it.

His shoes glinted in my periphery as he stepped to my side. I watched under my lashes, silent, while he grabbed one of the gold-lined cups decorating the table and began to fill it with an overpriced red wine.

He set the cup by my plate. “You’re angry with me.”

I bit the inside of my cheek, fists bunching tightly under the folds of my gown.

“You have every right to be.” He gestured to the food and wine. Aimed for his own seat across from mine. “If you wish to sit in silence, I can respect your wishes. But please, at the very least, eat. Drink.”

I wanted to throw my plate at him. Wanted to tarnish his impeccable ensemble until he looked the mess I felt.

He smirked as though he could sense my thoughts. Like he’d cracked my head open like a book, no more than some light reading.

Gingerly, I plucked a knife and fork laid out amongst twelve other utensils. And with a white-knuckled grip, I cut into the roast.My favorite roast.Took a bite. Chewed.

Cheerful music drifted in through the window, courtesy of the festivities happening below. Almost mocking.

Maverick deftly cut into his own meal. He paused once, taking a long drink from his cup. My eyes followed the movement of his throat.

The single bite I took churned heavily in my stomach.

“Do you like the music?” he asked over the rim of his cup.