CHAPTER FOURTY: QUEEN NALANI'S STAGE

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THE NIGHT OF THE QUICKENING:

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THE NIGHT OF THE QUICKENING:

Angry mutters and stares from the Radurons and Arrons follow Queen Nalani as soon as she arrives on the beach and she feels the poisonous eyes of Andrea Arron in particular still glaring daggers into her even though she's been standing here with Vivianne for a a good few minutes. 

She is late. She had been talking with her friends, Hestia and Kali. And even Morrigan. The hellcat and her are on better terms these days.

"We've been waiting here for some time," Andrea says coolly addressing Nalani as she has casually slithered her way through the busy crowds of people with the stealth of a snake. Most don't notice the Arron matriarch but a few do and observe the exchange with curious glances.

Some poisoners look on eager to see if Andrea would dare publicly stand against Nalani and continue to berate her. But she won't. It would be foolish at such a time, especially with Pele Murtra around.

Nalani ignores Andrea's words for a moment as she looks at the poisoner's attire. Not her extravagant jade green gown, not the pearls that are scattered and woven into her beautiful ice blonde locks or how she's dripping with white droplet jewels. No.

Nalani looks on her rather peculiar scarf that is wrapped around her neck. It is rather strange. A mix of yellow and white that curls around her neck and collarbone is large coils. The texture is almost reptilian.

But she looks to Andrea's face as she goes to reply. 

"My apologies," Nalani says, void of tone and expression as she turns away quickly, waiting calmly to be called to the stage as if Andrea is of no importance whatsoever. It makes the poisoner seethe with anger at this insolent fiery brat. 

Vivianne moves from where she flanks Nalani's side and faces Andrea with a cool stony expression, "Andrea I do believe your poisoned queen and her stage are over that way, it's not like you to leave her unattended." 

Vivianne almost spat the word 'poisoner' like it was a disease. Nalani supposed that the Arrons used to be.

Vivianne points a long slender finger towards Carina's stage across the other side of the beach, where the icy blonde heads of several Arrons surround it and are patrolling like bloodthirsty hounds. 

Almost in response to Vivianne's words, Andrea's strange scarf begins moving, almost slithering and Nalani watches in both horror and curiosity as a snake's head pops up from behind Andrea and flicks its tongue lazily. Nalani scoffs. Of course Andrea Arron would choose to adorn herself with such a grand snake as this. As if the jewels weren't enough.Though the snake is beautiful, an albino python by the looks of it. 

Vivianne raises her eyebrows at Andrea who has still not left and gives her a look that would send most running for the hills. But not Andrea of course, not when she invented such looks. 

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