For several moments, nobody in the room moves. I don’t think Lu is even breathing. We’re all waiting to see if he’s going to explode, to finally throw that fist he’s making and aim for my face.
But he doesn’t.
I’m not sure who’s more surprised.
Instead, he turns and stomps out of the room, letting the door slam shut behind him. The moment it’s closed, my tense shoulders immediately slacken, hands dropping away from the table.
“Well,” Judd says, breaking the awkward silence. “That didn’t go so well.”
Lu sighs. “You know how he is. He’s protective of the army.”
“We all are,” Os replies. “And the rest of the kingdom. Doesn’t mean he has to act like a little shit about it.”
She glances at the door. “He’ll come around.”
Os grunts.
“So…is anyone else feeling a little Wrathy?” Judd prompts as he rolls back on his heels with a grin. I appreciate the gesture—appreciate him trying to lighten the mood. “When you give Manu your answer, they’re probably going to have some retaliation planned,” he says to me. “Does that mean we get to go fuck shit up for the other kingdoms?”
“Absolutely.”
His grin widens. “I was hoping you’d say that.”
“While you go off to First Kingdom to make this deal, I need someone to be my eyes and ears in Sixth. I want to see what Queen Kaila is doing.”
“I can go,” Lu volunteers.
I give her a nod of thanks before my eyes track to Osrik. “Can you pull some of our best soldiers to watch the borders?”
“Of course.”
“The first sign of anyone approaching, I want to know about it,” I say.
“You gonna go all King Rot on their asses?” Judd asks, rubbing his hands together like the idea thrills him.
I give a slow nod. “If they push me, then that’s exactly what I’ll do.”
CHAPTER 55
AUREN
I’ve been practicing my magic.
This morning I was in the bedroom, plating the pillars, practicing making the gold reach up in swirling patterns and then sinking back into my skin. I’m getting better and better at it, and there’s some pride in that, which is something I’ve never been able to have when it came to my magic. It’s a quiet thing, soaking through my spirit and reinforcing the changes I’m trying to make, the confidence I’m trying to build.
After a couple hours, I decided to go outdoors to get some fresh air. I spotted the gardens from the roof, and now that I’m here, I think it might be my new favorite place. It’s protected by a high ashen wall on the east side of the castle, so it feels private, especially with the mountain standing watch just beyond.
There seems to be only one guard that passes by on his rounds about every thirty minutes. Even so, I’m careful, which is why I like this little spot, where I’m mostly obscured by the shrubs. Since the rumors about me stealing Midas’s gold are so fresh and rampant, the last thing I want to do is make a spectacle of myself or give anyone cause to fear me.
Plus, I like working out in the sunlight.
There are divots of glass stonework in the grass, like flat blue marbles bigger than my foot and spread a step apart. They trail from the doorway, past the first row of flowers, curve with the twisting turns around the bushes, and lead past the walls of shrubs all the way to the very center of the garden where there’s a fountain and a wrought iron bench.
Though the ironwork is pretty, the bench isn’t the most comfortable, so I sit on the grass instead. With my back against the base of the onyx fountain, I work with my gold, experimenting with different textures. I ball it up like dough, roll it around in my hand, and then liquefy the pliable sphere.
Slade’s been busy with his Premiers, with his Wrath, and with his army, so I’ve been trying to use all my spare time to work on my magic. Meanwhile, Digby has taken on helping me with the physical training part of it, since Judd has been busy and is set to leave on a mission for Slade. Digby doesn’t do anything physical since he’s still healing, but he instructs me on my stances, helps me run through strengthening drills, and has taught me a few blocks.
I haven’t even had Slade alone for more than a few minutes at a time since our ride in the carriage. I can’t truly comprehend even a sliver of the amount of responsibilities he has as a king, but I can tell that he handles things much differently than Midas.
The biggest difference for me personally though, is that he tells me all about what he’s doing. He keeps me involved. Answers my questions. Encourages them, even. It’s strange to get used to.