With his free hand, he picked up his wine and took a long, careful sip. He acted as if we were enjoying a drink alone together instead of being observed by the lords and ladies of Hell.
He set the goblet down and stared out at the silent, watchful crowd. “You may be seated.”
I was loath to admit it, even silently, but his touch kept my nerves at bay as the royal court all took their seats. It was hard to concentrate on fear when his long fingers stroked the thin material of my gown, drawing all of my attention to that point of contact. I imagined he was attempting to soothe me, but his touch had the opposite effect. My heart raced.
The cursed prince did not appear affected at all. My attention fell to his lap.
“A pleasure to
finally meet you, Lady Emilia. You look goddesslike this evening. A true enchantress for the ages.”
Wrath’s hand tensed on my leg, before he slowly continued dragging that finger along the outer seam of my dress. I yanked my gaze from the prince. Directly across the table, standing behind his seat, a fair-haired demon grinned. It was the royal Wrath had glared at earlier. I did not return his smile. “I’m sorry, I don’t believe we’ve been introduced. You are?”
“Lord Baylor Makaden, my lady.”
It was indeed the demon who’d made crude comments. He sat and immediately began chatting with the lords and ladies to either side of him. More pleasant nobles joined us and trays of food were promptly brought out.
Fileted meats baked in flaky pastry. Roasted root vegetables dressed in herbs. Crusty loaves of bread that smelled of intriguing spices. Serving bowls filled with dark gravy and sauces. None of the food was familiar or reminded me of home, but it wasn’t as different as I’d feared. I’d been secretly harboring worries of strange multi-eyed animals and steaming, raw offal. This was truly a delight.
Wrath removed his hand from my knee only to surprise me with carving the meat and filling my plate with a bit of everything on the table. Other lords and ladies watched from lowered lashes, some bold enough to whisper. I had a feeling this was not typical behavior for the prince. He ignored them, though he no doubt felt their attention and silent speculation.
“Would you care for extra sauce, my lady?” he asked.
I flicked my attention to him, pulse thrumming. He was definitely putting on a show, but I had no idea for whose benefit. Playing along with his scheme, I shook my head. “No, thank you, your highness.”
My use of his title seemed to please him, though I doubted the almost imperceptible curve of his lips was noticeable to anyone else. After he tended to my plate, he heaped generous portions onto his own, then struck up a conversation with the lord to his left.
This was the version I’d expected earlier, the prince with exemplary manners. Not the barbarian who’d kicked in doors. Though both aspects of him were intriguing. Goddess help me. I had no business finding him intriguing or attractive at all.
I politely listened to the noblewoman beside me as she complained of her lady’s maid, then of her sour stomach, and of the bug-eaten tapestry in her receiving hall.
I let her talk freely about all the things that angered her while I ate. Her attention roved over my tattoo, the amulet, and rested on the ring on my finger, but she never asked about them. Thus far no one was straying to any topics of note and I doubted I’d learn much aside from idle gossip. Tonight the court would be on its best behavior.
I wasn’t sure I was pleased but at least the food was worth the trouble. My meat cut like butter and tasted as rich. I did my best to concentrate on conversations and not lose myself in the flavors. Whoever cooked this meal was immensely talented. I’d love to watch them in the kitchen, taking notes. Perhaps I might tinker with my own sauce variations. Add a bit of sea salt and herbs to the flaked pastry to round out the flavors the meat had been marinated with.
Several times I felt an intruding stare and glanced up to find Lord Makaden’s attention fixed on my chest. His hungry expression indicated he wasn’t looking at the amulet. I ignored him as Wrath had done. Worms like him should remain beneath notice. Though that comparison was hardly fair to the poor worms.
The woman next to me, Lady Arcaline, she’d finally informed me, stopped regaling me with her wrath-filled complaints long enough to ask, “Have you met anyone from the court outside of this evening’s dinner?”
“Yes, I met Lady Fauna in the library.”
Lady Arcaline made a dismissive sound and turned to the demon to her other side.
With everything that had happened, I forgot about Fauna. I sipped my wine and looked around the room, surprised to see her chatting with Anir and another young demon at the end of our table. It was too bad they weren’t seated closer; it would have been much more enjoyable.
Before I could reflect on feeling camaraderie with anyone in Wrath’s court, Lord Makaden leaned across the table, boldly ogling my lips. It was an improvement over his not-so-subtle perusal of my cleavage. It was fortunate for him that Wrath was still engaged in a discussion with the lord to his left and hadn’t noticed his crude stare. I was willing to overlook his idiocy in favor of keeping the peace tonight. Tomorrow would be a different story.
I tasted another bite of meat and a bit of the herbed vegetables. They really were divine.
“Indulge me, Lady Emilia.” Makaden’s grating voice drew me away from my meal. “Have you ever experienced something as pleasurable as demon fare before? With each bite, you look as though you’re in the throes of ecstasy. I must admit, it’s captivating. I’m envious of your fork.”
The nobles seated nearest to me kept politely chatting, but I sensed their attention shift to us. It was a leading question, almost skirting the line of propriety. One detail I’d been picking up throughout dinner was that certain topics were as scandalous here as they were in the mortal world. Only the scandal seemed to involve overtly referencing other sins.
I didn’t balk at answering the question.
“Tell me, Lord Makaden, are you always this preoccupied with the mouths of others? Perhaps you should reconsider what House of Sin you align best with.”
He sipped his wine, then ran a finger around its rim, his attention never leaving my lips. The anger I’d been fighting to keep at a low simmer slowly began to boil the longer he stared.