Total pages in book: 161
Estimated words: 153795 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 769(@200wpm)___ 615(@250wpm)___ 513(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 153795 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 769(@200wpm)___ 615(@250wpm)___ 513(@300wpm)
How did he go from marching with The Divine to getting involved with Seferin and the Grim? Why does he want to take Seferin down so badly with the tome?
There are still some missing pieces to this giant puzzle, and I doubt he’s going to explain any more of it any time soon. Staying here with him will be a waste of my time and energy anyway. I have no intention of doing anything foolish, but I refuse to allow Thane to dictate what I can and cannot do.
I settle my expression into one of indifference, face Kelrean, and say, “Let’s give it a try.”
Chapter 24
“Clear out for the prince, won’t you?” Kelrean’s deep voice swims through the broad tent. The individuals inside quickly stand up and bow to him before exiting.
“It’s that easy for you, huh?” I ask, drinking in the interior in awe. This tent is colossal, made of purple silk with a high, pointed ceiling and chandeliers hanging from the center beam. Dripping pillar and taper candles flicker throughout, casting a romantic glow.
“Oh, come on. Why be a prince if not to request a whole tent for myself?” Kelrean flashes me another one of his crooked smiles as he sits down on an oversize floor pillow.
I sit on the pillow next to him as he reaches for a stick of talmoon. A pot of burning coals is on the short table as well. He presses the end of the talmoon on the coals, letting it spark before bringing it to his lips and taking a strong pull.
“Rynthea says she saved your life,” I say when he passes the stick to me.
“Dear Orvena.” He rubs his forehead. “She’ll never let me live that down, will she?”
“Probably not.” I stare at the stick, and Thane’s words run through my head. Not wise.
Yeah, well, neither is hanging out with an assassin.
I raise the talmoon to my lips and take a tentative pull. Smoke instantly fills my mouth and lungs, tasting as hot as pepper. I blow it out just as quickly, coughing and sputtering.
Chuckling, Kelrean gives me a pat on the back. “You all right?”
I nod, despite the fact I’m still coughing.
He smiles. “You get used to it.”
I raise it to my lips again, but Kelrean slips it from my fingers before I can take another pull. “That’s probably enough. Talmoon is powerful and takes effect quickly.” He takes a draw from the stick again and exhales in the opposite direction from me, then reclines back on an elbow. “First, you’ll feel your heart racing a bit, but that’s normal, I promise you. Your body is getting acclimated to the relaxing properties of the plant. Then your body will feel like it’s melting—but in a good way. Your mind will soften around the edges, and everything will feel both heavy and weightless. With a soft mind and soothed body, all your worries and anxieties are allowed to drift away. Seems like you need it after the journey you’ve had so far.”
He’s right.
My heart is racing, but I’m sure it’s due to the rush of the fete and this moment.
Alone.
In a luxurious tent.
With a handsome prince.
But just as quickly, the beating settles, and my limbs feel loose as relaxation takes over. The worries are melting away.
I study my palms.
Then I giggle for absolutely no reason at all.
“About Rynthea,” he goes on, ignoring my silliness. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m grateful she saved my life. But it’s an embarrassing story for me because I’m a shifter, for fuck’s sake, and I couldn’t even shift to save myself because I was quite literally scared for my life.”
Wait. What?
“You’re a shifter? What are you talking about?” My words come out much too slowly. Even my mouth is relaxed.
“Oh, you didn’t know?” He smiles as he places the talmoon down on the table. “My father is a full-blooded shifter. I’m his son, so his genetics are passed down to me, obviously.”
That explains why they have minor lion features but look mortal otherwise.
“So, you choose to look like…this?”
His teeth glisten in the candlelight. “Like a sexy lion heir?”
I burst out laughing. “Sure. That.”
“It’s my father’s choice. Lions are the strongest of the land beastials, and shifters are rare, so we have to display our dominance. He insists I keep this form a majority of the time unless he needs me to leave the kingdom to do some spying.”
“You’re a spy, too?”
“I am, and I make an impressive mouse. Would you like to see?”
My eyes expand as I wait for him to magically shapeshift into a rodent.
“Oh, please! I’m joking.” He chuckles. “We don’t shift often. It hurts too much. Feels like every bone in the body is breaking. We only do so when necessary.”
“Interesting. I’ve heard stories about the king of Bernwood being a shifter but had a hard time believing them. I always figured it was a myth.”