A Slip Of Darkness

Chapter IX

Malcolm teases me when I come back from my dance with Prince Caelinus. He stands by the tables heaped with food, a glass of dark red wine between his slender fingers.

"Your cheeks are so pink! Swept off your feet already?" He laughs, dark eyes twinkling with humour.

"No! I only accepted the dance in order to gain his trust." I protest quietly.

Malcolm raises an eyebrow, a smirk on his face.

"It's true!" I insist. "Don't look at me like that."

"If you say so..." he trails off, still smirking. He reaches for another glass of wine and hands it to me. "Try this. You won't find anything like it in Eoria."

A couple looks over at us, eyebrows furrowed. A man with spiked black hair and a woman with a silver Afro.

Malcolm leans towards them, as if confiding a secret. "Eoria has nothing good, from what I hear. They get stupid-drunk on their cheap wine and think they're drinking delicacies." He scoffs, his acting flawless.

The couple nods in agreement, all looks of concern dissipating from their faces.

"They laugh and laugh and laugh and get nothing done." The woman criticizes, pulling an olive off a toothpick with her perfect, white teeth.

"I heard the oldest daughter of the king was murdered." The man whispers, looking around furtively. "I know I should feel bad, but they deserve it! That should get them off their high horses!" He guffaws.

I can feel my blood start to boil, anger simmering in my veins. I blindly open my mouth to retort, but stop short when Malcolm covertly digs his nails into my forearm.

"Really, they do think quite highly of themselves. How blindly self absorbed can someone be?" Malcolm says, frowning for good measure. He shoots me a sharp look.

"What do you think, sweetheart?" The woman asks, tapping her nails against her arm as she looks at me expectantly.

"Oh, I agree. Their hedonism is going to be their downfall." I comment, trying to put as much sincerity into it as possible, even with my jaw clenched.

The two of them nod approvingly before moving on to talk with someone else.

"How can they say that?" I whisper fervently to Malcolm when they're out of earshot. "How could they possibly joke about her death?"

"I know. I know it's hard, but you have to tune them out. It's important that you don't let your emotions overtake you." Malcolm whispers back, wrinkling his upturned nose in pity. "But no matter what you do, never, ever speak in favour of the Eorians. Even if they talk about Genevive, okay? That was too close."

Don't let your emotions cloud your judgement. TBD's words ring through my head.

I blow out a breath and turn away, the anger that overtook me ebbing away. "I know, I'm sorry."