“Yes, yes, of course!” Wind whipped through the air as an invisible figure began pulling the table apart.
A figment?I guessed. Like at Acaward?
Figments, Shade replied. And yes.
I almost asked why it was plural when another female called, “No, no, over here.”
“Yes, just like that,” added a third.
“Drinks? Snacks? Blood?” a fourth offered.
“Blood coffees,” Zakkai said. “And scones.”
“Oh, he’s fancy. Fancy, fancy, fancy. I like fancy.” His white strands blew around his face as the figment did something to his cheek.
Did she just kiss you?
Unfortunately,he muttered, glaring at the space.
“Grumpy, too!” the figment giggled and repeated the action against his face.
“Careful,” Zeph drawled. “He belongs to the Midnight Fae Queen.”
“Oh, I don’t mind,” I said, absolutely amused by Zakkai’s expression right now.
His silver-blue eyes slid toward me. You’re going to regret that later, little star.
Am I?I gave him an innocent look. How terrible for me.
Brat,he accused, grunting as the figment placed a third kiss against his face with a loud smack before tittering off into the distance. Pretty sure she just grabbed my groin.
I’m sure it impressed her,I replied. She’ll probably kiss you again now.
Laki cleared his throat, I thought perhaps to grab my attention, until I realized it was to smother a chuckle. “Figments are always attracted to power,” he said, his tone not matching the humor in his gaze.
“Then by that account, it’s Aflora they should be hitting on,” Zeph drawled.
The figments all giggled again, chairs and table pieces appearing out of thin air as they reassembled the center of the room. I stepped back as the rug began to grow to accommodate, the area transforming in a wild show of moving furniture and chittering figments.
When they finished, one of them kissed me on the forehead, and another whispered “Lucky, lucky Queen,” in my ear. I suspected that comment was from the figment who had fondled Zakkai.
After a whirlwind of activity, the air began to calm, coffee cups and carafes manifested along a white cloth down the center of the table, and plates of scones appeared at every place setting in front of twenty chairs.
“Enjoy!” the figments cheered, disappearing up into the rafters above, likely to watch and wait for further desires.
Well, that…I swallowed. That was something else entirely.
Welcome to the library, Shade replied, then pulled out a chair at the center of the table. Somehow he knew I wouldn’t want to sit at the head position, but among the others to better hear them all.
He took the position on the other side of me, then Zakkai held out a chair next to me and looked pointedly at Kols.
The Elite Blood stared at him for a beat before taking the offering.
Zakkai settled in the seat beside him, stretching out his arm along the back in a show of clear protection of Kols, and placed his palm on my shoulder.
The Quandary Bloods in attendance watched the interaction with rapt attention.
Laki might be their leader, but Zakkai was their king.