Page 92 of The Shattered Kingdom
“Wonderful,” Anox says, bringing his hands together. “We’ll hold Abigail’s ceremony this evening, and tomorrow, we will begin a plan of action against the shifters.”
Mason sucks on his front teeth. “The shifters are primed for war.”
Anox nods. “As are we.”
“Are you sure about that?” Jackie asks. “We have no means to fight against delysum, and the border cities will bear the brunt of their attack. If the shifters strike, thousands will die.”
This was briefly discussed yesterday, and I stare at the table as Anox explains everything the council spoke about during the last meeting. It’s hard to believe it was just yesterday that we met with Alpha Theon.
Anox and Jackie argue, the two rehashing the same argument Kie and Mason had with him last night. They come to the same upsetting conclusion, too. There’s no avoiding this. The shifters have spent years priming for war, and the time for passive action has passed. They don’t care to negotiate with us, and if we let them set the terms for the fight, we stand no chance.
The faeries have to act.
Anox and Jackie leave. I remain seated, still staring at the table. I’m going to be a queen, the faerie who tried to kill me is probably going to be executed, Kie’s ex-lover is now part of the council, and my mates are preparing to go to war.
Kie stands and paces the length of the room. Mason’s the only one who appears calm and collected, which is a surprise. It’s usually the opposite.
“My family doesn’t know that faeries exist,” I say, shifting their focus to something less unsettling. “I’m nervous to see them.”
Kie leans against the wall, his arms crossed over his chest and his shoulder pressed against the plaster. “Why are you nervous?”
“They’re going to be upset with me. I left without warning, and I should’ve reached out sooner.”
Mason shrugs. “You can blame us.”
“I intend to.”
It is mostly their fault, after all. I decided to leave the humanrealm, but they decided to trap me here after discovering my relationship with Lill.
“I’m nervous, too,” Mason blurts out. He joins Kie in his pacing. “What if your parents don’t like me?”
“I won’t tell them everything,” I promise.
Mason drops his head, staring at the ground. He kicks his foot out, scuffing it along the floor before giving a jerky shrug. “You don’t have to do that.”
“I know.”
I listened to Kie when he said he’s afraid of his mistakes being held over him for the remainder of our lives. I want to move past this as much as he does, and I don’t care to revisit it with my family. They won’t understand, not that I blame them. They haven’t seen how hard Mason and Kie have worked to fix things.
There’s a knock on our front door. Is that them? Already?
My heart lurches, and I spring forward and rip open the door.
The second I see my mom’s long, brown hair and damp eyes, I burst into tears. I don’t mean to. I told myself I wouldn’t cry, but I can’t help it. For a while, I feared I’d never see her again. I thought I’d be sold to Zaha, forever removed from everybody and everything I’ve ever loved.
Mom pushes past my father and Lady Cassandra, and her comforting arms surround me within seconds.
I knew I missed my mom, but I didn’t truly let myself feel it until now. I was in survival mode, and then I was distracted by Lill, Mason, and Kie. Being in her arms and smelling her muted vanilla perfume is a sharp reminder of how much I’ve missed her. It physically hurts, like a knife between the ribs.
“Baby girl,” Mom chokes out. “My baby girl.”
She’s sobbing into my hair, her cries so heavy her chest is heaving against mine. A second pair of arms wraps around me, and I turn and bury my face against my dad’s soft shoulder. I don’tthink I’ve ever felt so safe.
My brother clears his throat. He’s moved closer, but he hasn’t joined in the hug. He fiddles with the hem of his ratty high school football t-shirt, nervously tugging at the small hole in the corner. He looks worse for wear. His dark brown hair is unusually messy, and it’s been a few days since he last shaved.
My dad doesn’t appear much better. Dark bags sit below their matching brown eyes, and my dad in particular looks like he’s lost a few pounds. Is this because of me?
Aaron licks his lips. “I suppose you and Lill weren’t lying about faeries, after all.”
