Page 43 of The Shattered Kingdom (The Cursed Kingdom #2)

ABBY

WE RECONVENE WITH Mason and my family outside the doors of the meeting hall where the coronation will take place.

Mason is on his last bit of patience. He wears his agitation on his sleeve and is not very good at hiding it.

He tries, though. He nods politely as Aaron speaks, and he doesn’t react violently when Mom loops her arm through his, her fingertips accidentally touching his exposed wrist. She pulls away the moment she notices, and Mason maintains his forced smile.

It’s a sweet attempt.

They like him, and Mason has no idea what to do with that.

He’s not familiar with loving parents. I don’t get the impression that Alpha Theon or Queen Gitta were the most nurturing, and Mason has never brought up his mother. I suspect he’s never experienced a healthy family dynamic. He needs time to adjust.

He hasn’t been given much affection in his life, but he’s about to be showered in it. My family is welcoming, and they’re going to suffocate him.

“Are you ready?” Mason asks, smoothly pulling away from my mom .

He closes the distance between us in three long strides and only stops once he’s hovering over me. I used to find this position so menacing. I look up, meeting his intense gaze.

“Yes?”

Mason’s nostrils flare, and he shoots Kie a sharp glare before pulling me in for a chaste kiss. I’m afraid Mason will say something crude in front of my parents, but he holds himself back.

“I did not enjoy being away from you,” he says instead, his voice low so only I can hear.

Mom peeks around Mason’s shoulder. “You look beautiful.”

“Thank you.” I flush. “Did you enjoy your tour? I’m sorry I couldn’t join you.”

I hope Mason put more effort into this one than he did with Lill and me.

He took confusing routes, which I still suspect was intentional, and he rushed me through the most interesting parts.

I’ve had to learn everything myself, and I’m sure there’s still a lot I don’t know.

The property is enormous, and there’s so much to explore.

I suppose I will have a lot of time to learn it, though. If everything goes according to plan, I’m going to spend the rest of my life here. I haven’t had a lot of time to digest that.

Mom smiles, patting Mason’s shoulder. “It was fantastic. Mason is a wonderful host.”

She seems genuine. That’s good.

“I’d love for you to stay here with me,” I admit. I planned to wait a few days before bringing this up, but I lack patience. “If you don’t want to live on the property, we can find something nearby. Anything you want. We can give you anything you want.”

Dad purses his lips. He’s never loved change. Mom’s opinion is relatively easy to sway, and Aaron will be on board. He’s lazy like me, and he won’t turn away from a life of luxury.

Getting him to leave would be more challenging than getting him to stay.

Dad scratches his chin. “I’m not sure if that’s—”

“We would love to,” Mom interrupts. “Wherever you go, sweet girl, we will follow.”

Aaron gags at Mom’s compliment but then bobs his head. “I’ll stay, too.”

Obviously. He has nothing else going on in his life. He’s finishing up his PhD in Clinical Psychology, which I suppose he’s passionate about, but there’s no reason he can’t continue that here. I’ve met several faeries—Lord Bishop comes to mind—who could use somebody to talk to.

I turn toward the meeting hall, my heart pounding. I was almost murdered the last time I was here. I avoided sharing that particular detail when telling my story. It would horrify my parents, and they’d be demanding Kie open a portal and send us all home.

They’re going to find out sooner or later. I’m hoping for later.

Kie pulls open the front doors, and I do my best to avoid looking at the throne in the back of the room as Mason leads me inside. The throne taunts me, bringing up memories and feelings I’d rather not think about.

My family follows me inside, and Kie joins them in the back.

Mason guides us toward the small, private room to the left, but we don’t immediately enter. The room is sacred, and only a select few are allowed inside. My family will have to wait out here.

I admire the intricate detailing of the double doors. The architecture here continues to amaze me, and judging by the shocked silence from my family, it amazes them, too.

I turn, sneaking a peek at their expressions.

Mom’s cheeks are splotchy, and she wipes at them to remove the evidence of her tears. Then she huffs and swipes at the air, annoyed by the flecks of magic floating in front of her face. I’ve grown used to the magic, but I’ll never forget how distracting it was when I first came here.

Aaron clears his throat. “It’s beautiful.”

“Isn’t it?”

“Are you ready?” Mason asks. “It’s not too late to change your mind.”

It is, but I appreciate the sentiment. I’m sure word of my new title has already spread, and I want to do this. It will make things easier for everybody involved.

Kie places himself on the other side of me, and I silently reach down and grab both his and Mason’s hands. They link their fingers with mine.

Mom and Dad clock the action, their eyes momentarily darting toward my hands. I can’t imagine how watching their daughter date two men must feel. Even I think it’s weird, and I’m the one in the relationship.

They’ll get used to it. I hope so, at least.

Kie steps in front of me, commanding my attention. “We’ll be by your side the entire time.”

I hold my chin high as Mason takes my arm and guides me through the doors. He keeps me close to his side, offering silent support.

Mason and I walk in first, with Kie trailing immediately behind. Anox, Jackie, and Lady Cassandra are already inside, impatience written all over their faces. We aren’t late, but I’m sure they grew bored listening to our conversation outside.

Faeries, especially the ones here, don’t seem to place much value on familial relationships. If they feel love for their siblings and parents, they keep it behind closed doors. I’m still upset that Kie wasn’t allowed to have a private moment alone with his mother during her observance .

“Everybody can smell Kie on you,” Mason whispers, his voice low. There’s a slight pause before he continues. “It should be me.”

I can’t help but laugh. I stifle it quickly, but not quickly enough. Anox narrows his eyes on me, then shifts his focus toward Mason.

“Your Majesty,” Anox says as we near. The council members bow, showing respect.

Mason releases my arm. My heart rate skyrockets.

The shallow pool is just up ahead, the shiny black stone where I’ll smear my blood floating perfectly in the center. I eye it for a second longer than necessary.

Anox begins. I still may not understand the specific words, but thanks to my diction coach, I know what he’s saying. He’s speaking to the gods, introducing me to them. I highly doubt the gods give a fuck, and I bite my tongue as Anox gestures for me to enter the pool.

I kick off my shoes, then step into the water. It’s frigid, and I wince as it tickles my ankles. Mason lingers at the pool's edge, and I face him and Anox once I’m at the stone in the center.

The council members, Anox excluded, now stand beside Kie in the back of the room.

Anox continues.

I’m so glad I witnessed Mason’s coronation, and I go through the motions and repeat all the proper phrases until we reach the time of the hand cutting. I’m not at all looking forward to this, but I refuse to show my fear as Anox hands over a knife.

Was it this sharp for Mason?

Every eye in the room is on me. The stares feel like tiny bullets piercing my skin. Kie said he would use magic to heal my hand, but this is still going to hurt. I bring the knife to my palm, holding my breath .

I dig in the tip and drag it across my palm, moving quickly. The cut burns almost immediately, and Mason reaches out and snatches the knife out of my hand the moment I’m finished.

He wipes it clean and hands it back to Anox, but I pay them little attention as I wait for the blood to coat my palm. I cut myself deeper than I intended, and the faeries better fucking appreciate this.

Once my palm is coated, I crouch and press it against the stone, proving to the gods and the faeries that I’m willing to bleed for them.

If this gets infected, I’ll be pissed.

I leave a bloody handprint on the stone, and there’s a noticeable warmth on my palm when I finally pull away. The pain diminishes, and my sliced skin pinches together so tightly that the blood stops flowing. Kie wasn’t lying when he said he’d do it molecule by molecule.

It’s almost impossible to see where the cut is, my skin pressed together so perfectly that it looks uninjured. I’m impressed.

I repeat the prayers the linguistics woman taught me. My tongue fumbles around the vowels, but I’m doing my best. I speak slowly, taking my time and thinking through each word.

The room is painfully silent once I finish, and it remains that way. Am I supposed to say something else? Did I mess up?

“Come on, then,” Mason teases, extending his hand. “You’re done.”

I take the offering, letting him help me out of the shallow pool.

Dad stands directly outside the door, his ear pressed against it, and he jolts back as it’s pulled open. Aaron snorts, and Dad’s face turns a thousand shades of red. He was eavesdropping—or trying to, at least.

“Are you finished already?” he asks.

I nod. “Yeah. It’s a quick ceremony. ”

Mason laces his fingers with mine. He’s pressing against my cut palm, but it doesn’t hurt. I hope it’s not hard for Kie to hold the skin together.

“How was my pronunciation?” I ask Kie and Mason.

Mason squeezes my hand but otherwise doesn’t answer. Kie grimaces, also not answering. It’s confirmation of what I already know is true. I’ve never been good at linguistics, which is a fact my Spanish teacher loved to inform me of.

“There’s a small celebration in the park, near the gardens,” Jackie says, exiting the room behind us.

“It was a last-minute decision, thanks to me. The time of you two”—she gestures to Kie and Mason—“celebrating monumental events privately is over. Your people enjoy a lively evening, and it tells them how to feel.”

Kie furrows his brow. “Explain.”

“This is a happy occasion, is it not?” Jackie asks, cocking out her hip. “How are people supposed to know that when you treat it as a dirty secret? They need to be told that this day is one to be celebrated.”

Anox and Lady Cassandra exit the room, shutting the door behind them. They don’t look particularly excited at the prospect of a celebration. Neither do I, if I’m honest. I haven’t spent much time around the faeries of court, and I prefer it that way. Jackie makes a good point, though.

She’s already proving her usefulness. I don’t particularly love that.