A Trial of Sorcerers: Book One by Kova, Elise (universal ebook reader .txt) 📕

she was just in a good mood in general, these days. Anything was better than the complex and ugly feelings that the revelation had placed in her. And she clung to any distractions from thinking about her family. The dress Cullen had procured for her certainly further helped her mood.

Its long sleeves tapered to points over the backs of her hands, loops around her middle fingers holding them in place. The skirts were a bit looser this time, which afforded better movement. Though the top was more constricting and…

“Was the neckline really necessary?” Eira asked as she opened the door. With one hand she trailed her fingers down the V of the dress—just a bit more scandalous than she generally preferred.

Cullen leaned against the opposite wall in his formal clothes. He straightened at the sight of her. “It, uh—” He cleared his throat. “I’m told it’s the upcoming fashion.”

“I don’t have the breasts to support this look.” Eira adjusted the shoulders of the dress once more.

“You most certainly—” He stopped himself short. A scarlet blush streaked across his cheeks. Eira grinned. She hadn’t been trying to set him up for embarrassment. But seeing Cullen squirm was too much of a delight to not enjoy. Perhaps the tension with Ferro was overflowing into a mix of more confidence and flirtatiousness than Eira had ever possessed. “You look great once more. Shall we?”

“I don’t have anywhere else to be.” Eira hooked her arm with his. “I’m yours for the next few hours.”

He glanced at her from the corner of his eye, expression unreadable and in distinct contrast to the smile quirking his lips. “Thank you again for doing this. I couldn’t go alone today.”

“Why not?” Eira followed him into the same passage as before, heading toward the main part of the palace.

“Because of who will be there.”

“Who will be there?” He didn’t answer and Eira stopped, holding him in place. “I’m fine to do this, Cullen. But you need to be honest with me. Is it someone I should worry about?” Because if this person made Cullen nervous then Eira certainly felt like she should be as well.

“No, no. You’ll be fine. It’s…” He trailed off, unable to meet her eyes when he spoke next. “My father will be there today with his wife.” With his wife—not “my mother.” “I hate it when he’s there. Doubly so when she is.”

“Then we’ll keep you distracted.” Eira squeezed his arm lightly and Cullen gave her a clearly skeptical smile.

Entering the court a second time was a role reversal of the first. Eira, even though she wasn’t experienced in this world at all, was fairly calm. At least today there wouldn’t be any sneaking around. And when it came to family issues, well…she was swiftly becoming an expert in those types of messes.

Cullen, however, was tense from the moment they crossed the threshold. The muscles in his jaw bulged. His eyes darted around, scanning every corner as if he were walking into a battlefield and not a fancy hall.

“He’s not here yet,” Cullen murmured. “Mother bless, hopefully something came up with the senate.”

“Your father is a senator, right?” Eira asked. The senate always made her prickle since the incident. She could still feel their eyes on her, judging her, awaiting their verdict…

“Yes. Before that he served on the Eastern Council.” The origins of the senate stemmed from the East—formerly Cyven. When the first Emperor Solaris took over the East, he adopted the senate. It was intended to be a bridge between the emperor and the people as well as to handle minor affairs of state with the emperor having the final say. Really, Eira just saw it as a platitude with little real power.

An opinion she usually kept to herself.

“Can we go look at the painting of Risen again?” Eira suggested.

“I’d love to.”

As they started over, they were interrupted by a familiar woman, still bedazzled with western rubies. “Lord Cullen, you brought your friend again today. Airra, was it?”

“Eira,” she corrected. “AYE-ruh.”

“Yes, of course.” Lady Allora scrunched her nose slightly. Eira got the impression that she wasn’t accustomed to being corrected so brazenly. Allora turned her attention back to Cullen. “Are you and Eira an official item?”

“Eira is a good friend, and one of the eight remaining Waterrunner candidates to be a competitor in the Tournament of Five Kingdoms,” Cullen said with what Eira would dare say was a defensive note.

“I can see that.” Allora took note of the pin on Eira’s breast. “If you are chosen, I do hope you’ll do your best to support Cullen in his glory.”

“I’ll do what I can.” Eira smiled thinly. As if Cullen’s glory was the only thing she and the other candidates were focusing on.

“Please excuse us,” Cullen said stiffly, pulling Eira away. His usual grace was lacking today. No doubt due to stress.

“It’ll be all right.” Eira squeezed his arm lightly.

“I know; I really can’t stand her sometimes,” he murmured. “And I don’t have the patience for it today.”

Eira laughed softly.

“What?”

“You surprise me is all, Cullen. You’re not the man I thought you were.”

“That’s mutual,” he said softly. “You’ve surprised me countless times.”

They came to a stop before the painting. Once more, the rest of the court was content to ignore the art, leaving them alone. Eira stayed focused on the canvas. But Cullen’s eyes were on her. She pretended not to notice. She wasn’t sure if he had intended for her to realize it or not.

Eventually, the tension became too much for her. “She likes you, you know.”

“What?” Cullen seemed startled.

“Allora. She’s interested in courting you.”

He grimaced. “I know.”

“You’re not totally dense? Surprising for a man.”

Cullen actually chuckled. “That’s a fair assessment I suppose.”

“You…don’t return her affections?” Eira met his eyes.

“I thought I did once, but…”

“But?”

“She’s the type of woman my father would want me to marry—that he tried to force me to marry.” A dark shadow crossed Cullen’s expression. “He claimed it’d further secure our position in society. That I have to because…”

“Because?” Eira