Page 40 of Cruelly Fated (Princes of Avari #1)

Thirty-Six

ALLIE

V alor flashed his smile at the guard in lieu of ID. The man gave a grunt and jerked his thumb, motioning us through.

The driveway curved upward, winding past meticulously trimmed gardens bursting with vibrant colors. Hedges shaped into various shifter forms, predominantly dragons, lined the path like silent sentinels.

I gasped when the estate came into view.

The Voltaire castle—what else could one possibly call it?

—rose from the mountain’s side like something out of a dream.

Positioned at a higher elevation than most of Avari, it mirrored the grandeur of Torian’s estate, but on an even more opulent scale.

Turrets capped each corner, and several sprawling balconies, no doubt designed as dragon landing pads, jutted from every level.

“Impressive, right?” Valor said.

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” I whispered, struggling to find my voice. A surge of unease coiled in my chest. I didn’t belong here, and every part of me knew it. I peered at Valor, panic clear in my eyes.

“Don’t give me that look. We’re going in,” Valor said, hopping out of the car.

Somehow, I found myself climbing the grand stone steps, my arm linked with his. Valor greeted others with nods and effortless charm, while I tried to quiet my racing heart and keep from staring too long at every passing stranger.

I was having a full-blown panic attack and couldn’t even articulate it.

“I need…water,” I croaked.

Valor swiped two champagne flutes from a passing tray. “I’ve got something better. Dom Pérignon.”

I downed the entire glass in a few desperate swallows, eyes scanning the glittering reception hall.

Elaborately dressed guests funneled through a set of mammoth doors ahead, ushered into a vaulted ballroom gleaming with gold accents and soft, enchanted lighting.

Valor and I moved with them, swept into the flow.

Hundreds of high fae filled the room, forming glittering clusters of silk and jewels. I rose on my tiptoes to see past the crowd, but couldn’t see beyond most tall guests.

“He’s not here. Yet. The king loves to make a fanfare of an entrance with his queen and sons,” Valor whispered into my ear.

“Oh.” The breath I released trembled out of me, my stomach winding itself into a tight, aching knot. Valor paraded us around the room, pausing to exchange clipped greetings and polite smiles. He knew everyone, or at least everyone seemed to know him, and they all wanted a piece of him.

The live music ceased, and a hush fell over the room. A herald announced the dragon king and his family.

Two towering servants pulled open a set of ornate double doors across the ballroom. The man who strode in first had Kyon’s commanding presence, broad shoulders, and squared jaw. The room bowed to him.

The stunning woman at his side carried herself with a regal air.

Her tight blond curls formed a halo around her round face, a jeweled brooch pinning it together in the back.

Her rose-gold gown shimmered in the light, and her inviting smile seemed to mesmerize the guests.

The circle closest to her sounded oohs and aahs in admiration.

The crowd separated for the dragon king, applauding as the couple proceeded to mingle, finally revealing who stood behind them .

Soft curls of platinum blond came into view first. Then Torian’s flawless grin. He stepped into the spotlight when his parents turned their attention to him. Only him. No sign of Kyon.

“They’re not here,” Valor growled under his breath.

“Who?” I craned my neck, scanning the crowd, half-expecting to see my dragon appear at any moment.

“Fucking Rhylan. I’ll rearrange his face if he tries anything with her,” my date muttered. He hadn’t come to enjoy himself or watch me get humiliated.

I elbowed him playfully and slipped my hand free from his gentlemanly hold. “Go.”

“I can’t abandon you,” he said, though his whole body vibrated with tension, one step away from pouncing on his friend.

“He’s not even here yet. I’ll wait. And trust me, I’ll need your genius when the time comes to draw Kyon away from the crowd,” I said with a reassuring smile.

“I’ll be quick,” Valor promised, then vanished in a flash, leaving a ripple of space where he’d just stood.

I gripped my elbows, feeling glaringly out of place without him. Three women about my age glided past, their gazes raking over me like knives before they bent their heads together, giggling behind jeweled hands.

I rolled my eyes. Apparently, elite high fae had their own version of Mean Girls. Was any social circle free of them?

A server passed by with a tray of hors d’oeuvres and sparkling drinks.

I snatched another tall glass, letting the chilled liquid cool the nerves knotting my throat.

As the crowd surged toward the center for a glimpse of the royal family, I used the opportunity to shuffle in the opposite direction, away from their scrutiny.

“Lovely evening.” A male voice startled me.

I wheeled around and came face-to-face with Torian, the refined brother with a model’s face and the easy perpetual smile.

“Oh…yes, it is,” I managed. Sweat gathered above my lip. I masked my nerves with a long sip of my drink.

He arched an eyebrow. “Are you alone?”

“No, Valor brought me—I mean—I’m with Valor… I’m his date tonight.” What in the actual hell, Allie?

Torian’s gaze lingered, amused. He extended an elbow. “While Valor’s away, allow me to keep you company. Singles are frowned upon, and as luck would have it, I’m without a date tonight.”

I returned his smile, albeit warily. “But you’re the king’s son. Shouldn’t you—?”

“Stick to my circle?” he finished, voice low. I’d meant to phrase it more delicately, but he got the gist. “Funny. I doubt you offered the same warning to my brother.”

Heat crept up my neck. He was right. Tonight, I planned to ask Kyon the very opposite. Perhaps I was selfish.

Torian took my hand and looped it through his arm. Slanting his head down, he whispered, “Your secret is safe with me.”

He knew? I gulped the rest of my drink and placed the empty glass on a tray drifting past. Kyon must have told him. Or perhaps Torian simply saw right through me. Either way, Kyon trusted Torian with his life, which eased my initial discomfort around him. I could trust Torian.

“Do you know where he is?” I asked.

“He had a rather heated exchange with our father before the ball. So he’s probably cooling off somewhere.

Don’t worry, he wouldn’t skip an event thrown in his honor.

” There was a note of bitterness in his voice, but I couldn’t make sense of it.

He snatched a glass of scotch from a server, gestured for the man to stay, then tossed the empty glass back at him.

The poor guy barely caught it, juggling a tray in one hand.

Unease prickled down my spine. Something was off—his energy, the tension rolling off him like smoke.

As if sensing my hesitation, Torian tightened his arm against mine, making it impossible for me to slip away.

Panic flickered through me. I searched the crowd, desperate for Valor. Where are you, stoic vampire?

Torian led me toward a wide marble column.

“Let go of me,” I hissed, finding my voice.

He scowled but relented, loosening his grip. I stepped back quickly, reclaiming my personal space.

Torian huffed through his nostrils, tendrils of smoke lifting in the air. “I only wanted to spare you from seeing this.”

He turned and strode around the far side of the column.

Applause broke out in the ballroom. I bit my lip and edged after him, heart racing.

The crowd thickened, eager and breathless.

Torian, tall as he was, had a clear view.

I, however, saw nothing beyond the bodies pressing in.

But I could feel the new charge in the air. The center of attention had arrived.

“What is it?” I asked.

“Kyon and his fiancée entered the ballroom,” Torian said, his voice brittle.

I felt blood drain from my face.

No… Had I come all this way to witness his betrothal?

But he’d told me we would talk. He gave no sign that our conversation would be a goodbye. If anything, the pull between us had only deepened, even when we weren’t talking.

“You think I’m lying,” Torian said with a hollow scoff. “See for yourself.”

I would.

I maneuvered my way through the crowd, my heart pounding in my ears.

Two rows back from the center aisle, I stopped, frozen.

Kyon stood with his back to me, facing his parents.

Beside him, a slender brunette draped in a silken gown leaned into his side.

He tilted his head toward hers, an unconscious response like muscle memory.

She glided her hand over his arm, then his back, and whispered something close to his ear, the gesture so natural.

The world blurred at the edges.

A high-pitched laugh to my right dragged my attention. The same girls who’d sneered at me earlier huddled together, gossiping.

“…you saw the ring, right? ”

“Rumor is he forged it himself—out of his own scales, molded in his fire.”

My neck nearly broke when I swung it back to the woman’s hand, marking her territory—my territory. I shook my head. No, he wasn’t mine. Her hand rested lightly on his back, fingers splayed for all to see. And there it was. The ring. Emerald green—the same shimmering hue as Kyon’s scales.

I covered my mouth with my hand and stepped back, putting as much distance as possible between the scene and myself.

I’d been a fool.

Kyon had moved on.

A bulky arm wrapped around my shoulders.

“Let’s get some air,” Torian whispered.

I nodded numbly.

“Allie!” Valor caught up with us at the front door. “I just saw. I’m sure there’s an explanation.”

I dabbed at the moisture on my cheeks, shaking my head. History had a way of repeating itself; at least, that’s what people said. I never understood what that truly meant until now. My mother, left behind by a prince from another land. And now me, blindsided by a prince of Avari.

“Let’s go talk to him now,” Valor urged.

“No! Even if we did feel something for each other, he has obligations…as a prince,” I said, voice cracking. It was over. Mom’s words rang true: you can’t trust men; they’ ll only hurt you.

She had stepped aside when her prince chose his crown over her. At least I wasn’t with a child. I’d get over him. The thought physically ached, and I began hyperventilating.

“She needs fresh air. I’ll take her to the gardens,” Torian said.

Valor hesitated. But when another shallow wheeze escaped me, he gave a reluctant nod. “I’ll find you.”

Torian’s sure hands settled around my waist as he gently guided me down the steps, across the driveway, and into a side garden lit by shimmering lights woven into tree branches. He sat me on a stone bench by a gurgling fountain. The steady rush of water filled the silence.

“If you’re better, I’ll rejoin the party. Valor will follow your scent.” Torian’s voice sounded distant. When I glanced up, he was gone. The sky above had darkened. My mind must have skipped several minutes.

Bushes rustled behind me.

“Valor?” I called, rising from the bench. I was ready to leave and erase this horrid night from memory.

A hand clamped over my mouth, pressing a cloth tightly against my lips.

I screamed into it and caught a whiff of something sour.

The gas scorched its way down my throat, numbing everything it touched.

My legs buckled, no longer able to support me.

No! My eyelids drooped, heavy as dragonsteel, and the world went black.