Page 37 of The Shattered Kingdom
“Am I allowed?” I ask.
Mason hesitates. “You’re technically not welcome to sit in on council meetings, but this is a special circumstance. The other alternative is for you to sit in the living room pretending not to eavesdrop, which will be uncomfortable for everybody present.”
As tempting as lurking in the living room sounds, I choose the less unpleasant option. Mason walks beside me as I approach the table, and he waits until I settle into an open seat before taking his own.
“Lillian isn’t on the property,” Mason begins, filling Kie and me in. “Two scouts have been sent to the outpost in the Redstall Forest with a message for my father—” Anox clears his throat, and Mason shoots him a glare before continuing. “With a message forAlpha Theon. We’re informing him of our suspicions that Lillian Collins is hiding within his lands and an order for him to return her to us should she be found.”
Kie taps his finger against the table. “Are you sure it’s wise for your first decision as acting king to involve communication with the shifters?”
“We’ve considered this,” Anox chimes in. “And we’ve decided it’s in our best interests to do so. Given the severity of the situation, it’s imperative for Mason to exhaust every possible avenue to getting Lillian in our custody.”
“What will you do to her?” I ask.
Kie is the one who answers. “We provide fair trials, Abby. No snap decisions will be made.”
I let out a sigh, beyond happy to hear that.
“We’ve put out a notice of Her Majesty’s death,” Mason continues. “And we’re moving my coronation up to tomorrow morning.”
Lady Cassandra leans forward, and a strand of hair falls over her eye. She smoothly tucks it behind her ear before speaking. “What about…” She pauses, grimaces, and turns toward Kie. “What’s your mate’s full name?”
Why doesn’t she askmethat? Have I suddenly turned invisible? I think not.
“Abby,” Kie answers.
“Abbywhat?”
Kie falls silent.
“You don’t know your mate’s family name?” Lady Cassandra raises a brow. The subtle movement contains a significant amount of judgment.
“My full name is Abigail Williams,” I say, answering her.
She leans back in her chair. “I am not ignoring you to be rude. I am ignoring you because you’re not allowed to participate in this meeting. Despite Mason’s unconventional demand for us to convene outside the chamber rooms, I wish to honor tradition. Especially in a time of unrest.”
Annoying, but I suppose honorable.
Lady Cassandra shifts her attention to Mason. “What do you intend to do about Abigail Williams?” she asks. “Do you wish to have her crowned as your queen consort? As your mate, she’s entitled to the title, and it’ll give her protection should something happen to you and Prince Kieran.”
Mason chews on his bottom lip. “What do you think?” he finally asks Kie.
I’m interested to see if either of them will bother to ask me how I feel about the matter. I have little interest in becoming Mason’s queen consort, mate bond or not.
“I think we should hold off on that,” Kie says. “We can deal with Abby after today’s events have settled.”
Deal with Abby.
“I agree,” Anox chimes in.
Both Lady Cassandra and Lord Bishop let out murmurs of agreement.
I rest my chin on my knees as the topic changes, returning to Her Majesty’s death and Mason’s coronation. There’s a lot to discuss, but the council manages to fit everything into one thirty-minute meeting.
The council members leave immediately after, returning to work. Kie resumes pacing the minute we’re alone, hardly speaking and staring ahead with a detached, cold expression.
Dinner is spent with me curled up in a ball on the couch while Kie and Mason pore over the short list of places I think Lill could have gone. They ultimately decide to send a small unit of soldiers to each location, which I think is overkill.
It’s dark by the time the men are sent out. Four per location. Lill may have murdered the queen, but she’s still physically quite frail. If found, it won’t be hard to overpower her.
