Chapter 36
Dante and Cinder were still dancing when trumpets blared. Everyone stopped and turned to the dais.
“His majesty the king.”
The announcer took a step back, and the Dark King stepped through a door near the throne into the ballroom. He was a portly man with broad shoulders and a stout build. He had the red nose of someone who drank often, but his eyes were sharp and clear.
Everyone bowed deeply to the king. People glanced at each other beneath their eyelashes. The Dark King had a way of unnerving people.
He stood before the crowd in his famous cloak. It was trimmed in luxurious fur, but Cinder could see the seams where the material had been sewn together from large patches of hide. The patches were mostly various shades ranging from light tan to dark leather, but there were a
