Page 22 of House of Mages and Raven

I nodded to Ethel in acknowledgement despite the icy fire smoldering in her eyes. I hoped the kings and queens would haul her self-righteous white fae ass to jail, but somehow, she’d survived every scandal, untangled all the messy threads, and kept her high position. Even so, she wasn’t my target, and I had bigger fish to fry.

I heard suppressed snickers across the hall. Cade cupped his mouth and coughed as if he was trying not to laugh. But it wasn’t a laughing matter that I’d suffered at the druid’s hands, and I wasn’t done.

“I was just as surprised as all of you that therespecteddruid turned out to be the head of the evil Brotherhood cult.” I raised my voice. “I don’t want us to start a witch hunt. However, I believe someone else is pulling the strings. Yes, the druid was powerful and influential, but he was still a pawn. It’s the puppet master we need to be wary of.”

The audience stared at me as if I had three heads. There were whispers, gasps, some nods, and a lot of snickers. A mixed review.

“The nerve of the creature!” Queen Odette snarled. “Strike her down for her insolence.”

Killian spread his arms, lightning sparking on his fingertips, daring anyone to come closer to me, and Queen Lilith’s face hardened like icy marble. It didn’t look good for their united front that he kept defending another girl. I couldn’t believe that he’d go so far for me.

Believe it.Sy nodded and smiled.

Yet I was worried. Even as an heir, there’d be hell for him to pay later.

“No one strikes down my client on my watch!” Cade snarled, potent power rolling off the mage heir. He swished his wand in a circle, and his wind and mage fire twirled around me to shield me. “Respect the court as a trial is ongoing. And this trial concerns every kingdom in Mist of Cinder.”

The Council members and the monarchs from other kingdoms issued their agreement.

“My client isn’t insolent. She’s bold.” The mage prince sighed dramatically. “As you can see, Barbie has no social skills. She doesn’t think like us or talk like us, as she wasn’t raised in the realm. She isn’t as privileged as us to have higher education. She’s new, but she has raw talent. And I hope you can at least appreciate her authenticity. I can say confidently that Barbie is quite harmless unless you decide to stir up the hornet’s nest.”

He smiled at me, and I glared at him, not liking his comparison of me to a hornet’s nest. He was supposed to defend me, but now he was confusing everyone.

His opening was great, though,Pucker commented.

Killian glanced at Pucker before averting his gaze, obviously not wanting anyone to realize that a poltergeist was milling around.

“Tell the court about the Seed of Heaven the druid slid into your cup in order to kill you during the first trial of the Brides Selection, Barbie,” Cade said.

At the mention of the Seed of Heaven, everyone sat straighter. The mage prince was trying to divert attention from Medea to the druid and make me sound like the victim of a vicious plot and a terrible conspiracy. I’d have been a victim if the druid had succeeded.

I shuddered at the memory of my insides being boiling after the druid forced the Seed down my throat. It’d nearly done me in.

“Go on, girl!” the vampire king encouraged me, and then a few Council members urged me on as well.

And so, I told the tale and bravely recounted my suffering. I didn’t even use flowery prose. Before long, the kings, queens, and the Council all got into a heated debate about the Seed of Heaven and questioned what other weapons forged in Heaven and Hell would threaten the realm. Cade had successfully changed the narrative and made me sound like a fly caught in the web of the dark schemes of the enemies outside and within. Some pointed fingers at CrimsonTide, the neutral zone. Some speculated on the mastermind behind the Legion of the Brotherhood. No one had profound insight or constructive input. And no one agreed with anyone else.

“According to the myth, even a tiny drop from the Seed of Heaven can paralyze a god.” The fae king trained his gaze on me. “A powerful immortal will die an agonizing death within seconds. How did you survive the Seed, girl?”

I stared at his astral projection. Etiquette required me to lower my gaze, but Sy and I were apex predators. Well, I couldn’t exactly tell him that Killian had helped purge the poison of the Seed by fucking me and feeding me at the same time. Also, I had this nagging feeling that the residue of the Seed was still in me, even though the combined power of Killian, wild magic, and my own magic had rooted out the Seed and purged its deadly effect on me. While I was a ticking bomb to the world, the Seed was a ticking bomb in me.

“The report said that you were taken to Underhill for healing.” Cade’s father gave me a hint.

Everyone held their breath, waiting for me to reveal secret knowledge of Underhill, the covert, sentient realm that heldwild magic. Underhill had rejected the rest of the kingdoms for millennia. No one had been granted access until I came. The heirs were allowed in occasionally when I was inside the dark forest of Underhill.

“Yes, High Mage Majesty!” I exclaimed. “But I don’t know what exactly transpired and how I was healed, since I was unconscious and on the brink of death due to being poisoned by the druid. I must’ve been healed in the lake in Underhill, but I wouldn’t suggest a skinny dip there. The water is extremely cold, and Underhill isn’t too welcoming unless it grants you a boon.”

Gasps rose, greed charging the air despite my warning. But I wouldn’t worry too much about the supernaturals harassing Underhill. The wild magic and the shadow beasts could handle them. No one had the power to invade Underhill, except my father, and he’d have to get to Underhill over my dead body.

“That cunning, lying creature is trying to derail the murder trial!” Queen Odette shouted. “No matter what it says, it murdered my daughter, the princess of the Kingdom Chaos and the most promising bride candidate. The creature must be put to death!”

“We’ve moved on from the murder trial, since we’ve established that Barbie wasn’t responsible for Princess Medea’s death,” Cade said exasperatedly. “The rogue druid and his master, whom we have yet to discover, are responsible for all the tragedy and death in the realm. Let’s focus on diligently hunting down the druid, and through him, we’ll get to his boss, who could be the God of Ruin, for all we know.”

The kings and queens of the other kingdoms and the majority of the Council voted in support of Cade and me.

“This case is unprecedented.” King Vasiliy glanced at the other monarchs before turning to his queen. “Let’s dole out another form of punishment instead of a death sentence. Besides, the girl might not survive the second bride trial.”

The king had issued a serious threat. I chanced a glance at Killian. He stared at his father, his face darkening and lightning sparking along his fingertips again.

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