The Art of Courts and Lies (Book 1 in The Gifted Trilogy)

10- Ready to Bite

 "Leaving so soon?" Nox taunted, leaning casually against the door I just left. Like me, he must have deemed formal wear unnecessary for this type of ball. He wore pitch black pants as well as a fitted black shirt, the darkness contrasting greatly to his pale skin while also complimenting the darkness of his hair. "I know this type of company isn't your preference, but you could at least pretend to have a good time."

I cocked my head to the side, challenging the dark king. "And why would I find the need to pretend? It appears there are enough lies and empty gestures in this court already without me adding to it."

The deadly man chuckled at my words, stepping closer to me. I did not dare step away and give him any hint that he could intimidate me.

"Little Wren" he cooed. "You know, I'm curious. Why has our darling Kess taken such a liking to you? Why did he deem your involvement in the games important enough to provoke the anger and power of the other five kings?"

I focused on steadying my breathing. "That sounds like a question for him. Trust me, I want to be here just as little as you want me here."

Faster than any normal human could move, Nox rounded on me, appearing right in front of me so quickly that I staggered back in surprise. As soon as my back hit the stone wall behind me, Nox's hands were on either side of my head, enclosing me in.

"That's not true, little Wren" he purred, his breath fanning across my face. Unlike Marlowe's, his somehow smelled of nothing at all. Pure mist and shadows and nothing more. "I like having you here. I see that spark of defiance in your eyes. I see the way you twitch when someone gets too close, an instinct probably created by a past of pain inflicted upon you. I see the way you scowl at my city, at the luxuries of it all because you come from a place where you knew nothing but the bare necessities for survival. I see the way you look upon mine and the other kings' faces with far more hatred than fear. I see it all. You can't hide anything from shadows and darkness. The darkness of night is when people's true nature comes out to play. And my, do your true intentions appear to be quite the little monster."

My breathing faltered but I managed to find the energy to straighten my spine, looking fear straight in the face. "It's striking to me how young most of you kings are" I replied coldly, examining a face that couldn't be more than a few years older than mine. "It's almost as if something is working against you. Fate, destiny, or maybe something much, much darker; with much crueler intentions."

I expected him to at least bristle slightly from my words, but I am rewarded no reaction from the Shadow King other than a soft and dark chuckle. "Don't you fret, little Wren." he crowed, his black eyes searing into me as if they could rip all of the light out of my life in a single moment. "Our kind fears the deadliest threat above all else. Lucky for me, it appears I'm the most frightening thing inside these castle walls."

I swallowed hard but continued to glare right back at him. "For now you are. But don't forget; you just invited eighteen complete strangers into your house and I know you are clever enough to realize that some of us don't care for our circumstance in the slightest. Some of us are angry and ready to bite."

But my threat didn't arouse any reaction out of him except a small brow raise as he leaned in even closer to me, those soulless eyes captivating my attention despite how much I wanted to look away.

"Then what are you waiting for, little wolf?" he whispered, the voice of inescapable death. "Sink those fangs right into me."

And for a moment I considered it. For a moment I thought about our close proximity and how easy it would be to reach out and strangle him. How delightful the pulse of death's incarnate would feel beneath my fingers and how I would reminisce in watching the life fade from those soulless black eyes.

But before I could take the bait that he so carefully set out for me, another voice called out from behind Nox.

"Is everything okay out here?"

I didn't dare break Nox's gaze first and stared right back at him, trembling with fury, as he slowly moved his face back from where it had rested so close to mine to cast a look at whoever interrupted us. I had no doubt that to any onlooker we must have looked like two lovers who had sought out a dark place for some privacy, not two predators ready to rip out each other's throats.

I finally dared to glance away from Nox to find Kesserian leaning on the doorway with his hands in his pockets. Everything about his stance was casual except the burning fire in his eyes, such a stark difference from the black nothingness I had been staring into only a moment ago.

"Everything is fine, my friend" Nox replied casually. However, his tone as he said the word 'friend' had a ring of mockery in it. I knew Kess wouldn't miss the jibe and let out a breath of relief as he stepped closer to us, causing Nox to pull back further from me. "We were just getting familiar with each other."

"I bet" Kess replied dryly, none of the usual humor and playfulness in his tone. "I was sent to get you, actually. It appears Lux requires your assistance in finding the bell to pronounce the beginning of the feast. You know how he gets about his superstitions and traditions."

Something was tense enough in Kesserian's tone to let me know that there was something else playing a hand in this noticeable tension between him and Nox. It appeared to work though, as I watched Nox's jaw clench ever so slightly, the only sign that something in Kesserian's words was a slight meant to provoke him.

But just as soon as the flash of anger appeared on Nox's face, it was gone. With a simple nod, he replied "I guess I better go see if I can help then" before walking back into the ballroom, leaving Kesserian and I alone in the dimly lit hallway.

"What did he say to you?" Kesserian demanded, his tone a mixture of concern and the desire to know exactly what words were exchanged between Nox and I.

I stared back at the ballroom door. "You know, for six kingdoms that are supposedly at peace with one another, you seem to have made a lot of enemies among your fellow rulers" is all I deemed to give him as an explanation.

His gaze burned through me at my non-answer. "Nox is not like the other kings" he whispered sharply.

"So I've noticed" I hummed.

At the grasp of Kesserian's fingers around my arm, I turned sharply to glare at him, my nostrils flaring. But either he didn't notice or deemed the reaction meaningless.

"Listen to me when I say that you need to stay away from him" his voice was threatening and held a spark of something I couldn't quite place. Fear? Panic? "No good can come from playing into whatever little games of his he is creating. I am telling you this for your own good. I don't want to see you get burned by him."

I wrenched my arm out of his grasp, backing away from him. When he didn't prowl after me I allowed a short breath to escape my lungs. "And here I thought," I breathed out slowly. "That burning was one of your specialties."

A flash of irritation crossed his face at my snide remark. "Silvertongue-"

"Keep your warnings!" I snapped back. "I have no use for them. You expect me to follow the advice of the man who captured me? The man who threatened to burn me in front of representatives of every kingdom in Naturian? The man who slaughtered his entire family?"

My last accusation ignited a flame of fury in his eyes that was almost scary enough to make me stop speaking altogether.

Almost.

"Whatever responsibility you feel to keeping me alive, forget it" I growled. "Burn it if you must. Because I would trust the advice of fallen soldiers before I ever took any of your warnings into consideration! A snake does not teach a lion how to defend itself just as you do not tell me what's in my best interests!"

I didn't allow the King of the Ember Court time to reply before turning away and starting down the hall towards my bedroom, a set of guards who seemingly came out of nowhere flanking my sides.