Page 73 of The Shattered Kingdom
Mason extends his arm, reaching for me, and I flinch away. I do it without thinking, and Mason wordlessly drops his arm back to his side.
“She murdered Queen Gitta,” he points out. “She’s not as innocent as you want to believe.”
Kie grabs my shoulder, physically turning me toward him. There’s panic in his violet eyes, and they flicker up and down my frame in rapid, flighty movements. Is he listening to my heart? It wouldn’t surprise me.
His lips twist as his gaze lands on my palms.
“You’re hurt.”
I hide my hands behind my back. “Hardly.”
Kie sucks his cheeks into his mouth, visibly contemplating, before nodding to himself and turning toward Mason. “Call a council meeting.”
“Yeah.” Mason waves a hand through the air. “I’m not looking forward to this.”
It’s a short walk to the chambers where the council meetings are held. It’s in the same building as Kie’s office, and the room is just as elaborate as the others I’ve seen. I’ve yet to leave the estate and visit the faerie capital, and I wonder if it’s just as beautiful.
Probably.
Anox and the other council members are already waiting inside. None stand as we enter, nor do they look pleased to see us. I suspect they know we left.
Mason takes a seat at the head of the table. Kie and I take the spots beside him. I’m not supposed to be in these meetings, but it seems another exception is being made.
Anox is the first to break the silence. “We came by your house first thing this morning,” he says. “We wanted to give you space after Abby’s attack, but we needed to discuss Alpha Theon’s response.” He taps his fingers against the table. “Where were you?”
“Kie and I decided it was best to meet with Alpha Theon alone.” Mason doesn’t sound the least bit apologetic. “Alpha Theon has confirmed our suspicions that Callie’s alive and hiding on his lands, but it doesn’t appear he has Lillian within his possession. He’s anxious about my rule, and he wanted to hear how I intend to move forward with our land agreements.”
Anox puckers his lips. “What else?”
“We ran into some complications. Ourmeeting was cut short.”
“What complications?”
Kie shrugs. “Nothing of importance.”
Is he not going to share how the shifters attempted to sneak up on us from behind? Is that for Mason’s benefit? I spare a glance at Mason, but he avoids acknowledging my look. I suspect it’s intentional.
Lady Cassandra clears her throat. “If Alpha Theon’s unwilling to give Callie up, we should send troops into Redstall to retrieve her. We’ve never had enough proof to outright accuse the shifters of orchestrating the attack against King Malcolm and breaking the Sylvan Harmony Treaty, but their harboring Callie is an act against it.”
Kie groans. “We can’t break the treaty over a hunch and a fugitive. They need to take definitive action against us.”
Lady Cassandra points toward me. “They tried to kill your human, did they not? She’s not a faerie, but she’s here as an esteemed guest of the crown.”
It’s a good point, but not one I wish to use. There’s so much bad blood between the faeries and shifters, and I have no interest in being used as the catalyst for a war that will undoubtedly result in thousands of deaths. That would weigh too heavily on my conscience.
“Technically,” Anox says, “faeriestried to kill Abigail. We can’t prove the shifters had any involvement.”
I’m still waiting for answers to that. Kie claims that Jackie is digging into it and several faeries are being put under close surveillance, but the unknown makes me anxious. It’s scary to think that somebody out there tried to kill me. Somebody who may still have access to me.
“We should consider announcing your bonds with Abigail,” Anox continues. “It will offer her an extra layer of protection. Due to the circumstances, we can rush her coronation. The sooner sheholds the title of queen consort, the better.”
My heart pounds, and I force myself to breathe evenly despite the raw panic coursing through my veins. I haven’t even decided whether or not I want to stay here, let alone become a queen. I don’t care about the faeries, not really.
They don’t care for me, either.
“We’ll consider it,” Kie says, dismissing the question. “We’ll discuss the matter privately and get back to you soon with an answer.”
Anox nods, but he looks to be sucking on something sour while he does so. I don’t get the impression his recommendations are often rejected.
