Total pages in book: 134
Estimated words: 127026 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 635(@200wpm)___ 508(@250wpm)___ 423(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 127026 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 635(@200wpm)___ 508(@250wpm)___ 423(@300wpm)
Kerrigan broke into a smile and dashed off of the stage to her friends. Clover enveloped her in a hug. Hadrian and Darby jumped in as well. Screw propriety.
“You did amazing,” Clover said. “You said that to everyone. Thea is going to be so proud.”
“Truly,” Darby said when they pulled back. “It was incredible. Trask about had a fit, but I couldn’t even care. I stood and applauded, even as he scowled.”
“I love that,” Kerrigan said with a laugh.
“Brilliant,” Hadrian said, squeezing her hand. “I always knew you were going to make a splash.”
“Not upset that I was reckless?”
“Can you be anything else?”
“I guess not.”
Clover snorted. “We’ve known that for ages.”
“Are you staying for the party?” Kerrigan asked.
Clover shook her head. “It’s Society members and family only. We could probably force our way in, but I’m just glad we got to see you conquer.”
“Still a whole week left of this before we know whether it did anything.”
“It did,” Darby said with certainty.
Hadrian even nodded his head. “You changed more than a few minds today.”
Kerrigan wiped a tear from her eye and pulled her friends in for one last hug. They laughed with her and congratulated her and then disappeared. For a brief moment, she was all alone in a sea of people, and it felt great.
Then, the moment was ruined.
“Quite the spectacle,” March said as he appeared at her side.
Kerrigan recoiled from him. It had been a blissful few weeks while he was at the House of Medallion back home. She hadn’t heard a word from him since her abrupt departure, and she’d hoped that it would stay that way. But she clearly wasn’t that lucky.
She would give anything for her illusionary magic to work right now. For her to make herself disappear in her surroundings. For another Kerrigan to deal with March. But despite spending weeks working on her illusions, she was no further than she had been. No, she would have to deal with March.
“What do you want?”
March shot her a charming look. “I planned to escort my fiancée into the party.”
Her eyes widened. “We are not betrothed any longer, March.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. One little argument doesn’t change what we’re both working toward.”
“One little argument? You hit me.” She seethed.
“And you threatened me with your magic after kissing another man. Who is the one who should be upset here?”
“Me,” she snapped.
“You’re being ridiculous. Nothing even happened. You’re remembering it as if it were a whole thing.”
“I’m not crazy. I know exactly what happened.”
“Is that why you ran off? You know I don’t believe that you went to Waisley. Care to share where you really were?”
“No,” she nearly growled. “I want to share nothing with you.”
“Don’t make yourself look bad. That speech did enough of that. You’re going to need my support to survive the rest of the week. So, let’s go.” He grabbed her arm hard enough to hurt and tried to forcefully guide her toward the party.
But they weren’t as alone as either of them had believed. Suddenly, a cane came down hard and fast on March’s forearm. March yelped and pulled his arm backward.
“I’d rethink that,” Alura said with an arched eyebrow.
“Mistress Alura,” March said, bowing at the waist. “May I say how much I enjoyed your speech?”
Alura gave him a once-over. “You may not. And if you put your hand on another woman without her permission again, you will understand why they feared me enough to give me this injury.”
March’s eyes widened in shock at the assessment. “I am a lord of Bryonica.”
“Your pretty titles mean nothing to me.” She nodded her head once at Kerrigan and then walked away, tall and proud.
Kerrigan grinned devilishly at March’s shocked face. He looked half-ready to attack her right then and there. It would be beautiful if he tried. To watch him face off against the entire Society.
But she never got a chance because wings beat on the horizon.
The Society members looked up as one in shock. All dragons had been recalled to the Holy Mountain. There should be no dragons left in all the skies by now. Yet a gorgeous, red-scaled dragon landed artfully against the opening that had been cleared quickly for her approach.
A figure descended her back with all the aplomb that only a royal could muster. He wore full black silk. The silver embroidered on his suit breast revealed him for who he truly was. The dark hair that fell across his forehead and gray eyes, as if staring into the heart of a storm, made her heart skip. When his feet touched the ground, black shadows crept in their wake. A crown upon his brow.
A hush descended on the crowd at his approach.
A female dropped off of the dragon’s back, a few steps behind him. She waved her hand to amplify her voice and announced to all in attendance, “His Majesty, King Fordham Ollivier of the House of Shadows.”