Page 18 of Mortal Queens

I drew my brows in. “I don’t know what that means.”

She sighed. “Mortal girls. It means he’s incapable of love. And don’t think you’ll be the first to crack him.”

I stared through the crowd, already searching for him again. Just one last look. Her hand caught mine. The yellow flecks in her irises blazed with caution.

“This isn’t a challenge, my Queen. This is a warning. A serious one. Stay away from King Bastian.”

The man from last night had been right—his wool was extraordinary. I searched for the tag on the corner to find his name. Lord Winster. I sent him a silent thanks while curling the wool closer. The heat of the fire licked my toes.

Someone knocked on the door. “Come in.”

Talen poked his head in. He’d changed into silver cuffs with his crisp suit the shade of berries that complimented the cool shades of his white hair. I’d discarded the gown for a relaxed outfit from the collection he’d brought yesterday and thrown those dreadful shoes in the back of the wardrobe.

Talen eyed the bed. “Did you just get up?”

I gestured to the window. “It’s still dark. It’s always dark. I don’t know if it’s sleeping time or awake time.”

He tapped on a clock that hung on the wall, one made of wrought iron with bone-white spools. “Awake time, but that’s your call.” He pulled back the sheer curtains over the windows. If I’d paid attention, I would have noticed there were more chariots riding through the sky than there had been earlier, but I’d been too distracted by the comfort of the wool and fire.

“Did you make friends?”

I collected my wild hair away from my face to prepare myself for the day. “I thought you said I wasn’t supposed to make friends.”

“That was a test. You passed. Did you make alliances?”

“No.”

He blinked. “No? You didn’t make a single alliance?”

I stroked the wool. “I have the start of one, though. Lord Winster kindly offered me this luxurious wool.”

Talen inspected it from a distance. “In return for?”

I thought back. “Just friendship, I think.”

Talen sat in a high-back armchair and propped his legs up on the footrest, his hand aimlessly searching through the stack of gift baskets I’d been sent the day before, the sheer number of them too many to count. “Think hard. What were his exact words?”

“‘It’s a token of my friendship.’”

Within a heartbeat, Talen’s feet hit the floor and he leaned forward until his elbows rested on his knees. “I’ve known Lord Winster for a long time, and he always says either ‘gift’ or ‘exchange.’ Think again. Did he say ‘token’?”

I sifted through the memories until my chest fell. “No, he said ‘exchange.’”

Talen ripped the wool from my arms and hurled it into the fire. It crackled with pleasure. “Thea, you beautifully naive creature.”

“Talen, you cruel human. That wool was like a cloud.” My gorgeous wool turned charred as it burned.

“I am not human.”

My gaze sliced to him. “You didn’t combat the ‘cruel’ part.”

He shrugged. “We are what we are. Give me your arm.” He grabbed my hand and ran his fingers over my skin, holding it close to his face. He turned it over to inspect both sides, then pressed the back of his hand to my forehead. “How are you feeling? More mortal than usual? Like you’re about to die?”

My heart sped up. Lord Winster was the only person I hadn’t turned away yesterday, and it might have been a mistake. “I feel fine.”

“You’re burning. Feel.” He pushed my hand to my forehead where it met with fire. I cursed. “He’s done this to you. Stay here while I go see what he wants to fix it, and pray to the stars you don’t die before I return.” He spun on his heel and stormed away.

“Talen.” He poked his head back through the doorway. “Thank you for helping,” I said. “But if you throw any more of my things into the fire, I’m asking for Thomas instead.”