Page 11 of Bane of the Wild Hunt

“Sounds good,” I agreed, wishing he would make good on the promise in his eyes to kiss me, even though I knew it was unlikely now. Even an innocent handhold had been enough to make his mother glare at me.

Riordan smiled, and then I felt the shield around us drop with the faintest tinkle like shattering glass. He took my hand to guide me to Rhea who still looked uncertain, but she linked her arm with mine. I glanced back over my shoulder as she drew me away from her brother and saw Riordan nod at Ares and Helena to follow me.

I faced forward again as we began to climb the steps of the dais where the crowd of nobles drew together at our approach the way they had with Riordan. They reminded me of a flock of perturbed birds with their wings shuffling and their heads tilting as they eyed me in disapproval.

Ares made a menacing sound from behind me which could only be described as an animal growl, and it made even Rhea flinch from him. I had lowered my eyes to the stairs to avoid the gazes of the Imítheos, but I looked up again when they gasped and hissed in offense.

But they moved and averted their eyes.

I heard Riordan’s voice rising behind me, and I could not help halting halfway up the steps to turn back. I saw he was striding into the middle of the courtyard and was looking up at the Ktínos warriors.

“What is he saying?” I asked Ares who had also turned to listen to his king with pure pride in his eyes.

“He is addressing them as brothers and sisters. He says he has missed them, that he is glad to be home, and that it is because of you. He wants them to welcome you in their hearts and to honour and protect you as his intended mate. He says there is much work to be done. His leadership will be different than anything that has come before for our people. It will be a time of difficult healing, but we will all be stronger for it.”

A thundering shout of collective affirmation rose from the Ktínos warriors and made my heart soar with pride. Sadly, I could tell the Imítheos were far less impressed with this speech. They huddled together and whispered, shaking their heads and their hands.

Riordan began speaking again once the overwhelming noise from the Ktínos had dissipated.

“He says we have enemies who have infiltrated our borders and taken fey without consequence. Until now,” continued Ares more solemnly.

Another cheer, this one accompanied by the thumping of fists on shields and armoured chests and the thuds of spears being beat against the stone.

“He asks everyone to remain at their assigned posts until he has reviewed our defenses, and then he will make what changes are necessary. He wishes to speak with the war cabinet, everyone he appointed and anyone who was promoted in his absence. He will eventually speak with everyone who wishes to greet him once he addresses immediate concerns for our borders,” finished Ares.

I watched as Riordan shifted back into his griffin body, and all the Ktínos warriors immediately followed his lead when he flew back the way we came over the waterfall.

“Where are they going?” I asked Ares.

“The war room is in Ergastiri, the war college on the eastern bank of the lake,” Ares explained.

I remembered the beautiful, walled fortress to the right of the waterfall. It had certainly seemed like what I might imagine for the campus of an ancient war college.

“He is very different with the Ktínos,” I remarked as we turned to continue up the steps toward the tower.

Rhea stiffened slightly but said nothing.

“Yes,thárrosi, we loved him as our general, and now he is our king. We trust you both will continue to strive for a better future for all griffins,” Ares assured me.

“And fey too,” I added impulsively.

“Of course,” Ares agreed.

We reached the top of the steps where Rhea had left the companion that she’d arrived with. The other woman looked nervous, especially of Ares as he stepped up to my other side with his wing brushing my shoulder.

“Kassia, this is Amira. My brother’s intended mate,” Rhea advised her companion whose wide eyes slid only briefly to me. “I have been tasked with making her feel safe and comfortable here, so I’d like her to be stationed right next to me in the royal suites. She needs bedclothes and a hot bath right away. I willbring her up the stairs and show her a little of the Metropolis to give you the time you need to prepare her room.”

“But the Ktínos are not allowed in the Metropolis—” Kassia attempted to protest.

“These warriors are welcome. They are the guardians assigned to Amira by the king,” Rhea interrupted with a firm but patient tone. Kassia still looked highly uncertain, but she nodded in understanding.

“As my princess wishes,” she conceded with a curtsy and another doubtful glance up at Ares.

The handsome Ktínos warrior responded with a hostile smile that made the handmaid cringe from him. Then she turned away quickly, and her wings beat hard to carry her up toward the top of the tower.

Rhea released a soft sigh as we continued through the arched entrance way of the mountain tower.

“My brother wants you to have our respect, but you will not have it so long as you are determined to act like wild animals,” she chastised him mildly.

---