Page 103 of The Shattered Kingdom
Anox brings his hands together with a loud clap, drawing attention—not that we don’t already have it. Every pair of eyes in this garden is on me. The faeries are openly watching my every move.
“Yes,” Anox says, his voice loud. “Help Queen Abigail tame His Majesty. Jacqueline has this handled.”
I suck my cheeks into my mouth. “Do not disrespect our king.” I push Jackie’s hand off my shoulder. “He has been chosen by Zaha herself, and you will show him the respect he deserves.”
I hold eye contact with Anox. I don’t appreciate anybody speaking poorly of Mason, and he knows that. Only Abby and I are allowed to talk negatively about the shifter.
Anox lowers his gaze, submitting. It doesn’t make me feel better.
“Go, Kie,” Jackie repeats, her voice low. “I’ll ensure Abby’s family is brought to the royal guest suites, and I’ll make sure the faeries leave tonight with nothing but positive things to say about your mate. I was raised to do this, after all.”
I hate that I have no choice but to trust her. I need to secure Lord Bishop, dead or alive, before anybody realizes he’s missing.
“Ifanythinghappens to Abby’s family…” I start.
Jackie snorts. “You’ll personally see to my death. I’m not concerned.”
She spins on her heel and walks away, the gesture beyond disrespectful. She’s letting her council position get to her head, and I mentally curse Abby for offering it in the first place. I don’t think she truly understands the magnitude of Jackie’s ego.
I make eye contact and offer friendly smiles as I make my way out of the gardens. Several people stop and talk with me, and I try my best to hide my annoyance as I answer meaningless question after meaningless question.
Almost everybody pries into my dynamic with Mason, eager for details I don’t care to share. They want to know how we manage affairs and how we intend to move forward with Abby. I avoid most of them, but it’s not easy.
It takes me almost thirty minutes to leave, and I storm through the hedges that will lead me to the abandoned tower. I practice breathing exercises along the way, hoping to calm myself before reaching Abby and Mason, but it doesn’t work.
My blood is boiling as I climb the steps to the rooftop. I hear heavy breathing. Why do I hear heavy breathing?
“Mason!” I hiss.
There’s no response, but I know he can hear me. He has the ears of a fucking bat. The brain of one, too.
I expect to encounter sex when I reach the top, but what I stumble on stops me in my tracks. What is happening? Abby is straddling Mason, but it doesn’t appear sexual. They’re both fully clothed, and Mason’s arms are sprawled out to his sides.
Abby kisses Mason’s neck and shoulders, quiet humming pouring from her throat as she runs her fingers through his hair. Mason throws his head back, his eyes squeezed shut. I don’t understand.
“Mason,” Abby coos. “Do I smell like you now?”
Mason shakes his head. “No. Keep going.”
He’s lying. She reeks of him. I can smell it from here.
Abby chuckles, probably seeing straight through his lie, before kissing along his jaw and scratching his head. Shifters love to rub against one another, but they usually do it in their animal forms. It’s a way of forcing their scent onto things and asserting dominance. Sometimes they even pee on one another, and I’m beyond relieved to see that Abby and Mason haven’t taken that step.
I walk around the pair, and Abby meets my gaze beforeleaning forward and dragging her tongue up Mason’s jaw. What the fuck?
I grimace, and Mason shivers. He’s into this. I can’t fathom why.
“What’d you do with Lord Bishop?” Abby asks, her voice low.
She knows? I’m surprised Mason told her. I thought I’d be the one to break the news.
He doesn’t answer, and Abby scratches his head so hard, I wince. Is that not painful? It’s followed up by a kiss, one I can tell Mason is greatly enjoying. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him so relaxed, and I don’t know what to make of it. She just might get answers out of him.
I press my lips together before sitting, letting Abby work her magic.
The sky is beautiful tonight, and I do my best to ignore the kissing sounds as I admire the stars. I love nighttime. It’s peaceful, and there’s nothing more calming than the quiet that comes with darkness.
The property is almost always sprawling with faeries, and I rarely get to enjoy being outside without being stopped by an overexcited person looking to speak with me about something unimportant. Mason doesn’t have that problem, mainly because the faeries are terrified of him.
