Page 229 of Between Two Kings
Tem didn’t have the heart to tell him her body had been through far worse than the tournament. She decided to change the subject. “Is Damon taking care of you?”
Gabriel wiggled his eyebrows at her. “As best he can.”
Tem shoved him. Some things would never change.
Suddenly Gabriel’s eyebrows rose. Tem followed his gaze to see the last person she expected to see: Vera.
She looked rather worse for wear—her blond hair was ragged and lank, her usually pink lips were pale. Tem hadn’t seen her since the wedding, and it would appear that the food shortage had affected her as well.
“Rumor has it she’s dating Jeremy now,” Gabriel murmured as Vera walked toward them.
“Jonathan’s brother? Really?”
He gave her a pointed look. “You’re not one to talk, dearest.”
Before she could retaliate, Vera paused at their table, staring down her nose at Tem.
“Vera,” Tem said cautiously. “How are you?”
A quick sneer turned those pale lips. “Better than you.”
So nothing had changed, then. Despite her bedraggled appearance, Vera was still a bitch.
“At least I have a husband,” Tem said. It was the one thing that might hurt her.
Vera’s mouth fell open.
“Close your mouth, Vera,” Gabriel said cheerfully. “A bug might fly in.”
Tem held back a laugh. Vera leaned in.
“Your husband is a snake. It’s revolting. You shouldn’t even be here.”
“Excuse me?”
“Don’t think anyone has forgotten what you did. You ruined everyone’s chances with the prince, and then you didn’t even want him anyway.”
She couldn’t be more wrong. Tem still wanted him. She always would. “You don’t know anything about that,” Tem said quietly.
“I know plenty,” Vera snapped. “And I know your husband should watch his back.”
Then she flounced away.
Tem turned to Gabriel. “What did she mean by that?”
“I don’t know.” He stared after her darkly. “But there have been…whispers.”
“Whispers about what?”
“A coup.”
“A coup?”
“Food is scarce again, Tem. Not to mention a man disappeared, and people think it was the basilisks.”
Tem’s stomach turned. The man again. The one she’d petrified. His disappearance had fanned the flame of rebellion, and it was all her fault.
“Jeremy took over when I…stepped down. He’s been leading the charge.”
