Page 13 (1/2)

"Do you knohy Queen Vespaire has sent hi was as it should be That the tension knotting ht, Charlie? You don’t look well" Max frowned, scrutinizing me

But it wouldn’t have mattered what my answer had been, because the moment Maxin front of the congregation ofthe view of the gardens It was hard to iroup had any appreciation for flowers or statues or ornate fountains I iined they’d much prefer armories and taverns and brothels

There were five of the to appraise the situationto evaluate s Not one of the journey, and their worn riding pants and coats were still covered in dust and gri, their skin was equally weathered and sunbaked

Four of the men stepped forward as Max and I approached, aware of my presence at once And all four of them dropped low beforeinto a cadence far ive you Charlaina di Heyse Queen of Ludania"

The fifthjust behind the others, eased forward then, bending as if to follow the lead of his men at the very moment his eyes lifted to mine Eyes so amber they were very nearly molten Eyes that both unsettled and co s,that he was the reason ut This perfect stranger who now held htened, and I ih I was certain he must have Yet if this ambassador--this Niko Bartolo--felt even a fraction of what I was feeling, he gave no indication He dropped into a flawlessly executed bow just as his --wordlessly--at the golden halo of his hair

Inside, my stomach twisted

Or was it soed atfor peristered, but it was all I couldthe way he should It was I as faltering I who struggled to understand my uncertain reaction

He held out his hand toto unravel each siht but perceptible Just enough to get e to watch er’s, almost as if it were soers to his lips, kissing the back of them reverently "Your Majesty," he intoned, his voice perfectly calm Perfectly innocent And then he lowered his voice, and ravelly noise that came up from the back of his throat

Except that it wasn’t just a noise It was a word, spoken in a foreign tongue, one I’d never heard before Yet I understood its

"You," he’d said

I jerked back and watched hi to taer I stood beside hiued as well

You? Was that really what he’d said? What could he have meant by that?