Page 63 of Ira

Andrus stationed himself at my back as I took my seat, and I couldn’t tell if he was guarding me or supporting me. I was beginning to think Andrus was less of an asshole to males thanhe was to females. It didn’t make him less of an asshole in general, but I supposed I understood him a little better now.

“Welcome back,” the king said dryly. Damen flashed me his customary grin, but it didn’t seem as carefree as it usually did. Recent events appeared to have aged him.

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

Captain Soren shot me an impatient glare, and I sat up a little straighter under the force of his disapproval. I’d always admired the captain’s leadership, and an ache was building behind my eyes at the heaviness of letting him down.

“Talk to me,” King Allerick sighed, slumping in his seat, his forehead resting on his palm. The guilt I felt at disappointing him—at disappointing anyone—was crushing, but I’d made my choices and now I had to stand by them.

“Meera had something she wished to do in the human realm.”

Allerick raised his head to give me a disbelieving look. “You cannot possibly believe that explanation will be sufficient.”

“He doesn’t,” Prince Damen volunteered. “He’s clearly protecting Meera. Verner, are you going to tell us anything of value until Meera has given her side of the story?”

“Probably not,” I admitted.

The prince laughed, though King Allerick and Captain Soren looked somewhat less amused. “Well, at least you’re honest about it.”

“We didn’t even realize you were gone at first,” the captain muttered unhappily. “The ex-Hunters in Elverston House were more than happy to lie to cover up for Meera, and you weren’t scheduled for any shifts anyway.”

“I hope it hasn’t damaged the relationship between the palace and the new residents of Elverston House,” I said sincerely. “That’s the last thing Meera wants. They feel extremely loyal to her—they understand one another. She knows she put them in a difficult position.”

“You’re very eager to defend her,” the king noted. “Though she isn’t your mate.”

“No, she’s not,” I agreed quietly. Whatever they heard in my tone, the three of them decided not to pursue that line of conversation, and I was grateful for it. That was a conversation I needed to have with Meera first.

“I don’t know what to do with you, Verner,” King Allerick began. “Technically, you didn’t do anything wrong. Or rather, we don’t know what you did wrong yet since you haven’t told us. But Astrid was watching the Hunters carefully and didn’t pick up on any signs of interference in the delicate negotiation process, which seemed to be something she was worried about.”

I stared back blankly, unable to think of anything to say to that without incriminating myself or Meera. How long would Meera’s contact take to act on the information she’d been given? Everything took so long in the human realm. Even just getting from one place to another was an arduous ordeal.

“We don’t have any real cause to hold you in the Pit,” the king added, the frustration in his voice clear. “Meera has been extremely clear that she never felt coerced in any way. As a high-ranking member of the Guard, youdidhave clearance to go into the human realm, though it was only meant to be for information-gathering purposes and with appropriate permission. Still, that’s not enough to arrest you on.”

The king gestured for Captain Soren to take over.

“You did abandon your post, though. You know there was never going to be any coming back from that, Verner.”

“What are you saying?” I asked, already knowing the answer.

“You have been released from your position in the Guard,” the captain replied heavily.

I nodded, my throat tight. Yes, I should have expected that, though I’d done a good job at not thinking about it.

“In addition, we met with your father, who was very disappointed to hear about your recent actions,” the king added. “In order to encourage you to be a more responsible citizen of the realm, he has stepped aside. Congratulations, you are now the new Earl of Sunlis.”

My stomach dropped to the floor. That position would take me away from the palace on a near-permanent basis—Sunlis was not an estate that ran itself. I didn’t evenwantthe position, and I was meant to have years before I had to think about it.

“But—”

“It’s not the Pit,” Andrus cut in, giving me a pointed look.

I fell silent, swallowing thickly.No, it wasn’t. As far as punishments went, being banished to a grand estate that I had the running of wasn’t exactly something I could complain about, though it was a banishment all the same.

“What about Meera?”

The captain gave me a long-suffering look. “You know we’re not going to answer that question, Verner. Don’t mistake the fact that you’re not under arrest for leniency—the ground beneath you is very unsteady at this moment.”

I dug my claws into the arms of the chair for a moment before slowly releasing them with a long exhale. There was no world in which I never saw Meera again. It wasn’t possible.

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