Page 101 of The Blood Crown

Ven’s eyes slid to her. This was off to a bad start.

“We’ve come to reaffirm our alliance,” he said, a glimmer of the courtier he hid so well beneath his hard exterior.

Prince Celius stood off to the side with a self-righteous smirk on his face. “You dare ask this after the very public threat you made the last time you set foot in this Kingdom? You laid hands on an Allokinprince—”

Ven cast a look at him that was enough to cut off the words. “And you said some very disrespectful things to my claimed,” he answered with quiet menace. "My Queen."

The prince’s lip lifted in a sneer, bolstered by the presence of two dozen guards flanking either side of the throne room. “Had I known she belonged to you—”

“Shebelongs—to no one,” Ven answered, the violent promise glinting in his eyes enough to make the male take an involuntary step back. “I will not remind you again to speak of my wife with respect.”

The blond-haired king gave a rebuking look at his son, enough that Celius ground his teeth and swallowed back whatever else was poised on his tongue.

“Magick is returning, growing unpredictable and wild,” Ven continued, addressing the Triarchy once more. “The Dark King has used it to his advantage, exploiting rifts in the wards to amass an army—an army that will march on Ravenstone.”

Shehad been the cause of the rift. It was an effort to keep her gaze from falling—to show weakness now would doom them, she could smell it in the air.

The queen shifted in her seat. “Impossible,” she spat. “He remains trapped within his realm—thanks toourmagick.”

Irritation sent a prickle of heat down her neck. Indignation that the Triarchy could remain so ignorant to what threatened their entire world.

“We were attacked by demons just outside of your wards,” Aurelia uttered. Her voice unwavering as three pairs of quartz-colored eyes fell to the crown she wore. “Whatever is happening to magick is threatening the protections around every kingdom—”

“Our magick is a whisper of what it once was. As much as I wish it to return, it does not make it true,” the queen replied coldly.

Lanthius stepped forward, their only ally in this place—palms raised in placation. “In this very kingdom, children have been conceived.” He stretched a hand toward the spotless windows, to the glittering spires of Eisenea beyond them. “New magick—” His voice dropped to a whisper, as if speaking it too loudly might shatter the fragile hope that hovered over their kingdom. “How could you deny it’s return?”

The queen gave a dismissive wave, her frozen gaze falling on Ven once more. “I have yet to see this threat with my own eyes. Forgive me, for being skeptical of the Blood King and his army of hammers looking for rusted nails to feel useful once more.”

“Your majesties,” Lanthius interrupted again, steel in his voice as the kings turned to look at him. “I witnessed the threat myself at the borders of the human realm only months ago.”

The kings exchanged a look, but the queen dismissed him entirely, her dusk-colored mouth thinning into a line. “So let the humans deal with the threat.”

“They cannot face him alone—" Ven pushed, "none of us can.”

The queen’s eyes narrowed, her slender fingers gripping the crystal throne beneath her palms. “So they will fall.”

Ven took a step forward, shadows rippling in his wake.

The guards lining the hall placed hands on the hilts of their swords—as if that would be enough to stop him if he truly meant her harm.

Seth hadn’t so much as moved from where his hands were loose at his sides—Aurelia knew that the casual stance was anything but.

“And where do you think his eye will roam once he’s taken the human realm? The Blood Kingdom?” Venom blazed behind Ven’s eyes, frustration leaking through his words. “We have seen thousands—and we believe he’ll bring ten times that to Ravenstone’s gates. We don’t have the numbers to defend against so many—not by ourselves.”

“He cannot break free from the spells that contain him unless he gains possession of a relic,”The pale-haired king contended.

“What he seeks is far more powerful than a relic.” Ven countered.

“And this—thing—of great power?” The queen drawled.

Aurelia stepped forward, Ven's shoulders dropping as she placed a hand on his arm. His expression softened, searching hers.

If there was any chance of help from the Triarchy, they needed to offer the truth.

“Me.”

The room was silent as the kings and queen studied her.

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