Page 77 of Luca

I dipped my head toward him. “Thank you for your input, Gary.”

The basilisk saluted me with the muffin he held between his pincered fingers before tucking back in like a hound that had been deprived of its dinner.

I caught Luca’s lips thinning with stifled amusement.

“I won’t retaliate until I have spoken, in person, to Teighan,” I vowed. Besides my mate, my brother was the only being I trusted to assist me in devising a course of action. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if he already had several plans lined up. “I want to tear my father apart for what he has done, but I must consider what is best for the people. If there is any chance it can be resolved peacefully, I will take it. However, I highly doubt the king will step aside without fuss, and if he is resolute in his declaration, then it will be war.”

I recalled the conversation I’d had with Luca several days ago. Relinquishing my position as heir to the throne was still a notion whirring away in the back of my mind, and having clocked my mate’s reaction—the subtle, excited hitch in his heartbeat, the trace of hope in his scent even while his mouth told me to wait—I knew I wouldn’t be able to imagine any other conclusion. That said, he had been right to curb my haste. Regardless of my impatience to break free from it all, and my desire to give him the life he dreamed of, I wouldn’t leave the realm in turmoil.

I would be the prince our kingdom needed first, then decide our fate.

“Whatever else he is planning…” Zadok spoke up. “With Luca having lived, we’ve hopefully stalled him somewhat. He may still proceed with this farce, but once he realizes he no longer has the upper hand, he may accept a peaceful retreat. Reluctantly.”

I nodded. “Whatever he has lined up, I’m certain that sending assassins after Luca was only one part of a bigger scheme, but his failure might buy us time while he prepares another strategy. Plus, once word spreads that the king made an attempt on my mate’s life, it will dim any chances of winning that he obviously believes he has. He’ll get nowhere without the backing of his people.”

“I have an uneasy feeling,” Luca said, worrying his bottom lip between his teeth. I barely resisted the urge to beckon him to my side, to caress him until his anxieties subsided, but despite the trepidation creeping into his ambrosial scent, he seemed relatively settled in his father’s company. I wouldn’t uproot him unless he spiraled. “I mean, you were adamant that he wouldn’t dare touch me, and now he has, so… he must havesomethingup his sleeve. He wouldn’t just kill me and hope for the best. He also used my own father’s poison, so he clearly doesn’t care if you or the people find out who did it.”

My brow creased. “That’s true, but until he shows his hand, it’s speculation, and all we can do is prepare ourselves for every possible outcome. He wanted to provoke me, force me into making the first discernible move, but I refuse to give him that satisfaction. It may not make much of a difference, but if he wants to take me down, he’ll have to play the antagonist.”

“Alright,” my mate said, though he didn’t seem reassured. I had a hunch as to why as soon as he dropped his gaze to the floor, lost in his thoughts.

“You are worried for me,” I said, and he looked up, his head bobbing.

“Of course I am.”

“You have no need to be, though I know that will not stop you.” He huffed a small laugh, the sound flat. “You have my word, I will not be reckless, and I will not accept his challenge until I have us in a position to beat him.”

His eyes studied me, those shimmering pools of the most ethereal blue, so gentle and trusting, tunneling into my very soul. He must have found what he was looking for as the tension in his frame eased somewhat, and he sent me a genuine smile. “Okay. I’m with you. Whatever has to be done.”

I fed him my appreciation through our bond, reveling in the love I was returned, before addressing the room once again. “I have Rathe continuing his work to quietly gather our forces and muster my supporters in each province,” I informed them. “Zadok, those outsiders you mentioned that would fight for me? Put the word out to them. As a precaution. We need everyone we can get.”

Zadok nodded.

“The Shades will stand beside you,” Cee announced, her blood-chilling voice drifting from where she perched on a desk in the corner. “Your father is the reason I am separated from the woman I love.My mate.I have waited over a hundred years to see his downfall, so I can finally return to her side.”

A brief glance at Luca suggested that particular anecdote had piqued his interest, and I could almost detect the instant he filed it away for later. I stifled the fond smile tugging at my lips. “You’ll get your wish, I guarantee it.”

“Woah, back up…” Gary cut in, mouth full of cake and his eyes bugging. “You’re mated?! I’ve worked with you for nearlyfive years, and I’ve literally had your fist up my ass, how did I not know this?”

That creature and my human shared a penchant for information, it seemed, though Luca at least had the fine skill of knowing when not to pry.

Or airing out his sexual experiences for all to hear.

Cee glared at him, her hand instinctively reaching toward the dagger in her belt, but surprisingly, it was Flick who spoke up. “Not the time, lad.”

The basilisk huffed, muttering under his breath about how “best buds don’t keep secrets” before returning to his snack, pouting with every chew. Cerila just rolled her eyes, and thankfully, seemed to decide against violence.

I made a mental note to ask Rathe what his vetting process entailed.

Potential bloodshed avoided, Leaf strutted out from her sleeping basket and chirruped. “Your help would be appreciated too, Leaf,” my mate crooned, giving the beast a scratch at the apex of her tail. She snuffled happily in response, arching into the touch before curling back into a ball to sleep.

Silence fell over the room, no one having anything else to say. In truth, there wasn’t much else that could be said. Not yet, at least. I wished I had more to go off, more time, more resources. It frustrated me beyond belief to have so little to work with, but until we discovered the intricacies of the plot, all we could do was be ready to take action at a moment’s notice and make judgments as we progressed.

Only one factor was certain: If I had anything to do with it, whether this ended in war or amicable resolution, my father would not stay on the throne. Whether I took his place or not, the people would be free of him.

We wouldallbe free of him.

“So that’s it?” Luca filled the lull, glancing at everyone before returning his gaze to me. “We gather our troops and wait to see what happens?”

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