Page 115 of Her Feral Beasts

That will soon change.

Alas, our little blood covenant has saved me trouble for the moment.

I shake hands with the other council members, say the pleasantries and talk as little as possible. The animalia royalty generally leave me alone, for fear of me getting a read on them, but their efforts are in vain.

There are seven seats of the Council of Beasts, and the marine seat is the only one that is not permanent or up for election, since there are none lucid enough to vote in the first place.

There is a seat for the regent of each of the major courts: dragon, feline, canine, feathered and marine. Tigers get their own place, and they save a single seat for the lesser courts to fight over. For the last twenty years, Mace Naga has held it for the serpents.

The dragon regent approaches me first. King Flores Drakos sort of looks like Xander with long black hair, almond-shaped eyes and striking green irises. He wears a deep green suit, and as a beast of fifty-five, he’s still a force to be reckoned with—and will be, for another fifty-odd years.

“Scythe,” he booms, offering me his hand. I doubt he’d be so polite with me if he knew I was his son’s star-born brother. I barely suppress the urge to crush his fist into pieces.

Next, Ablo Obon grins at me, shaking my hand enthusiastically. The African king lion has always been the least corruptible of all the regents, but he’s not above the old deal or two. He’s brilliant in a white suit and heavy gold rings on his fingers, the long twists of his black hair stylishly kept with golden ornaments on the ends. He might be one of the council members who actually votes in Aurelia’s favour.

The other might be the wolf matriarch, Queen Lunissa Darkfang, in a long flowing skirt and loose purple top. Her three long crescent moon necklaces chime as she breezes toward me, an aloof smile on her round face. She inclines her head, politely requesting entry into my mind. I allow it.

Her voice is as soft as an ocean breeze.“The moon says much, Scythe Kharkorous. A joy to see you on land again.”

I respectfully bow my head.“The moon listens to all, Your Highness.”

“Indeed, she does.”

Queen Irma Goldwing turns her nose up at our telepathic communication. “Mr Kharkorous,” she says sharply. “A pleasure.” Her tone indicates anything but as she shakes my hand professionally. The space around her glimmers red and burnt orange, so I know she less than appreciates my involvement in the Halfeather business. And my other businesses.

“The pleasure is mine,” I purr. She shivers at the sound of my voice and it’s purely against her will.

Lastly, I shake the hand of the regent who holds the seat for the combined lesser courts. My hand tingles with recognition as Mace Naga silently shakes mine, staring me down. My blood thrums at the reminder, and the shadowed eyes of the Serpent King’s flash.

“Shark,” he states.

“Serpent King,” I reply.

Mace and I pretend not to know each other, indeed few know my brothers and I were even at the Halfeather fire.

It doesn’t matter that his daughter is involved in this murder, or whatever malicious games the Serpent King is playing, the council follows the Old Laws, and the regents are violently territorial about their claim to their seat. Whatever the ethics of it, right now that means Mace gets to speak on this case. As a result, two of us on this table know the truth of what happened the night Aurelia’s supposed ex-husband’s mansion went up in flames.

At least three votes will be cast against Aurelia, not including mine. But Albo’s power now pulses with a blood red stain as he glances at Mace, and I know then that they have a deal. He will have been paid or coerced to vote against her. So that makes four.

As I take my seat at the long table, I discreetly sniff my glass of salt water for any poison.

There’s none, luckily for them, and I scan the room to see who else is here. A spirit or two linger around those seated, but I’m not interested in them.

Beak sits with Halfeather’s people. He’s to testify as a security guard and pretends not to know me either, though really he’s been on my payroll for the past four years. Even Savage and Xander didn’t know that Beak was a double agent for me at first. He’s an intelligent kid, and that means he’s loyal to me at all costs.

Except for the fact that he lusts after Aurelia. Though I can hardly blame him, or the other unmated animuses who stare at her. She’s a stunning girl and they sense there is something unusual about her. Beasts are naturally enamoured by reginas, especially if they have not mated to one. Even if itisnatural, I have to stay the irrational urge to snap necks during classes.

My mind skips to Friday night when I marked her with my teeth. She has a unique power over me, andthatis dangerous. She has influence overallof us, and that is a level of power that no beast should have.

Sitting with Beak are Dirk Halfeather’s widows among some other males and females who are distant family, nieces and nephews. Some of them glance darkly my way, likely hateful that I’ve taken any possible inheritance from them. The defendant’s side is empty apart from some reporters and an artist who will paint Aurelia for the nightly news.

Lyle strides in with his personal lawyer, George Fontaine, behind him. A step behind them is Aurelia. Under the bright lights of the courtroom, time seems to slow down as my eyes hone in on her with a predatory acuity that my shark only manifests around our regina.

She’s carefully dressed in a light blue dress. Her makeup is impeccable, though I can still see the dark circles under her eyes peeking through. I observe every perfect, black lash, covered in mascara, the powdered slope of her regal nose, the fine dark angle of her brows, the plush lines of her lips which she’s tinted. She’s smudged her lip-gloss a little, either from the ride over or from nervousness, but it’s only something I would notice.

Her slender neck, ears and wrist sparkle with surprising additions that I know she didn’t purchase herself. The power I sense in them is as familiar to me as my own and my animus rises in recognition.

Aurelia’s shoulders are tense, her walk stiff, and her beautiful features are stuttered. But even then, she bears an unusual quality of light that should be impossible. And it’s more than the fact that she is my regina. Phoenixes and dragons have a similar light, but hers is more nuanced, the fractals less defined.

---