“Innocent? The Noctuans?”
Aydra did a double-take at the confusion on her sister’s face. “Oh.” She realized she had not taken her to meet them yet. A smile rose on her face, and she reached for Nyssa’s hands. “Oh, I’m so sorry, Nyssa. I should have… We’ll ride out together before the moons set. It is past time you learn of them. I’m sorry I have not taken you before.”
Nyssa’s weight shifted. “To… the Forest? Won’t—”
“We’ll be fine,” Aydra assured her.
“If you’ll not need me, my Lady, I will take my retire of the evening,” Lex said upon reaching Aydra.
“Please do, Lex. Take a Noble with you,” she said with a wink. “Or perhaps my sister. She could use a night to lessen that frustration of hers.”
Lex laughed. “That will be up to your princess to decide. In the meantime…” Her eyes trailed to one of the Dreamer women from the Village in the corner, and Aydra saw her give a wink to her.
Aydra smiled at the exchange. “You always find the prettiest little thing in the room,” she mused to her Second.
“I take it Ash expects to warm your bed after this?” Lex asked.
“That he does,” Aydra replied.
“Sure that’s what you’re thirsting for tonight?” Lex asked with a raised brow.
Aydra frowned, but followed the woman’s gaze across the room to the one standing in the darkened corner. Aydra glared at her upon realizing who was standing there. “Please. I’d never give him the satisfaction.”
“Oh, I’m sure he’d satisfy everything,” Lex mused against the rim of her cup.
Aydra’s jaw clenched. “Perhaps you should invite him to your party.”
“Perhaps I will. I’m sure he’d love to join.”
Aydra almost laughed at the smug glint in Lex’s eyes. “Right. You have fun with that.”
Lex swirled the last bit of wine in her goblet and then drank it, finishing with an audible “Ah,” upon swallowing the liquid. “Well… if you get bored of Ash, I’m sure we will have room enough for one more,” Lex grinned at her.
Aydra laughed under her breath. “I will be sure to knock first.”
Lex sat her cup down on the table. “Don’t bother. Just join in,” she added. “I’ll see you tomorrow, my Queen.”
Aydra raised her cup to her. “Yes. Tomorrow. We’ll get to start our day with another beheading.”
“Oh yes, that’s right,” Lex said delightedly. “Love a good beheading.”
Aydra laughed as she watched her friend wave and then stride over to the other side of the room.
She found herself wandering absently around the room for some time, allowing her mind to wander as councilmen spoke with her about things she cared nothing of. The wine in her golden goblet swirled upon her walking. She chatted with her sister a few more times, but soon, she wandered into the darkened hall, itching to get away from the faux noises of the men and women laughing and discussing politics in the Chamber.
Almost immediately, the smell of Black herbal smoke filled her lungs, and she knew she was not the only one in the darkened hall.
“I believe I owe you an unfortunate thanks,” said the voice she’d dreaded to hear since the meeting adjourned.
Aydra searched the darkness, only to find the Hunter, Draven, leaning against one of the tall open windows halfway down the hall, long pipe in his hand as his eyes met hers beneath the square of his brows.
“Lurking in the dark, Venari. How very… you,” she smarted.
His rippled arm was silhouetted in the light from the torches and moons light coming in through the windows from outside. She noticed he’d taken his crown off and hung it on his belt as though it were an accessory. His long hair was pulled up on his head in a thick bun, stray hairs falling out of it. He struck a match against the stone, the amber light illuminating the strongest features of his handsome face, the pale of his sage eyes, and he lit the pipe once more. The short darkened beard around his mouth and along his jaw did not hide the bite of his lips around the end of the pipe as he drew a long inhale. He allowed it to swim in his lungs and then he extended the pipe to her. A great O of smoke emitted from his lips and fluttered out the window into the wind.
Enemy or not, black herb was black herb. And after her day, she wanted nothing more than the swim of it through her veins.
She took the pipe from his callused hands and sat her wine goblet in the windowsill. The moment the wood touched her lips and she inhaled, she had to close her eyes, allowing it to radiate her muscles and send a chill down her spine. It was sweeter than she was used to, and she felt her brows raise as she opened her eyes to meet his.
“That is not from Dorian’s garden,” she managed as she handed the pipe back to him.
“No,” he replied as he took it. “It’s from mine.”
She nodded quietly and picked her drink up once more, swirling the liquid in the goblet. The twinkling of the torches down in the village danced in her eyes. The lights looked as stars on the ground, sudden patterns emerging as the herb swam in her mind.
“I didn’t do it for you, you know. The hunting agreement,” she told him then. “I did it for the Noctuans. As misunderstood as they are, they do not deserve to starve and die at the hands of those who fear them.”
“Nevertheless, I appreciate it,” he said as he puffed on the pipe once more.
She could feel his eyes on her, and she had to do a double-take upon finding his deep set green eyes deliberately traveling over her, eyes looming at her hips.
“Eyes front, Venari,” Aydra growled with a raise of her brow.
She hated him for his handsomeness and arrogant nature. The fact that they’d
