Fool Me Twice (Court of Pain Book 2) by Ariana Nash

Author:Ariana Nash [Nash, Ariana]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Crazy Ace Publishing
Published: 2023-06-29T16:00:00+00:00

Dinner in the Court of Justice was not like the sparkling, fancy affair of those in Love’s court, nor the raucous chaos of War. Pain didn’t host banquets, reserving gatherings for public punishment. Justice’s dinner had us all seated around a circular table. The only status symbol was a throne encrusted with sapphires, not much larger than the other chairs around the table. Queen Soleil’s, no doubt.

I settled in my assigned place with Danyal beside me, and as our wine glasses were filled by silent aides, we awaited the arrival of the remaining guests. All of them were strangers, and all were dressed in blue. Likely Justice’s equivalent of lords and ladies from nearby fiefdoms.

Justice Sonya took her seat and sent her fake smile sailing my way. I was beginning to think she didn’t like me. In fact, most everyone here avoided meeting my gaze, having heard of my reputation. Would they gossip later? Perhaps Theo could be persuaded to tell me what rumors swirled regarding my brother and me.

The door swept open as it had a dozen times, but this time I knew the man who strode in. Black pants, red sash, hair bundled back but with a few deliberate plaits swinging free.

Our gazes met. Draven’s stride faltered. His kohl-lined eyes blew wide, his mouth opened, but then one of the most beautiful women I’d ever laid eyes on swept through the door behind him, demanding every gaze in the room. Everyone stood, including me. She wore a gown of pale blue, with a sheer veil ghosting her face and a sweeping cloak of water-like silk edges in white, as though shrouded in frost. Justice’s sparkling crown gleamed and sparkled atop her head of golden hair, right there in plain sight, for all to see.

Queen Soleil’s beauty was well-known outside her court, but I hadn’t expected the tales to fall short. Her arrival tripped my already spiraling thoughts, leaving me scrambling to catch up, by which time Draven had taken a seat far across the round table and was making a concerted effort to ignore my efforts to catch his eye.

If he was here, where was Arin?

There were no more spaces at the table. If Arin were visiting Justice, he’d be among the nobles at this table. Had Draven met with Arin at the Overlook and something transpired between them, accounting for Arin’s absence? Was it because of the documents I’d found featuring his name? I had to speak with him.

Soleil took her place at her modest throne, and in a soft, musical voice she said, “Balance is all.” And with that, we sat.

Soleil announced me as a Prince of Pain. All gazes obligatorily turned to me—all but Draven’s. Why was he avoiding me? I narrowed my eyes at the warlord. What was he hiding? I thanked the queen, my fellow guests, and we began to dine.

“Danyal, after dinner, I need you to track that warlord down,” I muttered so only Danyal heard. “I must speak with him urgently.”

“The one in red and black?”

“His name is Draven and since arriving, he’s been desperate to leave.

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