Page 5 of Lera of Lunos
“No.” River stood to relieve the pressure that his trousers were putting on his enlarging groin. “I little want to walk us into whatever stronghold he has set up, whether it’s elsewhere in Lunos or in Mors itself. We’ll draw him to us instead, make him come to the Slait palace.”
“He’ll have to come home eventually,” Autumn added. “And come alone—Griorgi is too smart to build a portal inviting qoru directly into Slait.”
“Griorgi isn’t the only one who’ll be alone,” Kora said, slipping her arm around Autumn’s shoulders. “The Citadel won’t be able to send quints into Slait to assist you.”
River nodded then, catching Leralynn’s confused look, turned to explain. “The Citadel can’t assist in dethroning a king without destabilizing the whole realm. Blaze and Flurry would believe themselves vulnerable to similar tactics, and before long we’d have everyone protecting themselves from the Citadel instead of focusing on Mors.”
“Plus, overt aggression would give Griorgi the support he needs to rally an army,” Autumn said, pulling her silver-blond braids up into a high bun as if preparing for battle this moment. “Slait subjects would take up arms to defend their homes. Keeping it a family affair means fewer deaths all around.”
“Speaking of fewer deaths,” River said, deftly picking up Autumn’s words even as he braced himself for a storm. “You truly do need to remain in the Citadel, Autumn.”
“No,” she said immediately, her sharp gray eyes daring River to take this line of conversation any further.
River crossed his arms over his chest. For all her brilliance, his sister could be as foolish as a colt. “Stop and think. If I fail—”
“Oh, shut up.” Autumn waved a slender hand at him. “I’ve been trying to see it from your point of view, I truly have, River. But I can’t get my head quite that far up my ass.”
River’s blood heated, shooting through his veins. Jaw clenched, he squared off against his sister, who flicked a bare toe at him, one delicate silver ring flashing on it.
“Unless you’ve hidden another magic mythos scholar up your sleeve,” she said, before he could so much as utter a sound, “you are going to need my expertise. Or did you imagine some scenario where you and Father drag a pair of clubs into the throne room and take turns bashing each other on the head? Granted, I don’t know who’d win that.” She added the last part under her breath.
Kora was up and between them before River’s hand could close around those damn braids. “Perhaps I might offer an alternative solution, Prince River?” the blue-eyed female said, holding up her hands. “If the prince of Slait mightinvitemy quint into Slait Court, we would be happy to provide a protection detail for his sister. I believe such an arrangement would be subtle enough to avoid seeming like Citadel interference.”
“Bodyguards following me around like nursemaids?” Autumn’s fury turned on Kora. “No.”
“The arrangement would have some fringe benefits,” Kora murmured, running a knuckle along Autumn’s flushed cheek—which, ridiculously, just made River long to do the same to Leralynn. Further proof of how hopelessly distracted he was.
Autumn scowled despite leaning into Kora’s touch like a cat. “The answer is still no.”
What leash remained on River’s control broke with a resoundingsnap.His balls ached, his quint mates were brewing secrets, and now Autumn was digging her heels in just to be bloody contrary. After what Griorgi did to their mother, Autumn’s balking at so light a precaution was one step too far. River’s top lip curled up to display his canines. “You incorrectly presumed there was a question somewhere in there.”
Autumn’s face darkened. “You wouldn’t.”
“Wouldn’t what? Pull rank andenforcethat order?” River’s jaw clenched. Blood rushed to his head, the heat of it burning his ears. When he spoke, his voice was so low and dangerous that the males exchanged cautious looks. “You want to test me? Because I don’t think you’ll enjoy the results.”
“Test you?” Autumn slid to the floor, her hands curling into fists as she glared up at him. “Do you imagine for one bloody second that—”
“Stop it.” Leralynn’s voice cut through the air, seizing River’s chest. Climbing to her feet, the mortal put her hands on her hips and glared at River, her eyes liquid fire. River actually took a step back from the force of them. Even Tye lowered his gaze from its survey of the ceiling long enough to glance at her in surprise. “Whatever enforcement you are about to threaten is not going to go over well. Especially for you, River.” Leralynn’s hair whipped behind her as she twisted to Autumn. “As for you, is keeping Kora away just to make a point to River really worth it?” She shook her head. “Maybe instead of arguing about how best to pack for Slait, we can focus on tomorrow’s trial and getting the hell out of the Citadel. I, for one, have been here long enough.”
The stunned silence of the room wrapped itself around Leralynn. Glaring at each of them in turn, the female turned on her heels and marched to her bedchamber, her too-large uniform tunic billowing around her small frame. “Call me when the stupidity wears off,” she called over her shoulder before slamming her door shut.
“Does anyone know what the bloody hell happened to our mortal?” Coal asked, arching a brow at the resounding thud. “Because I like it.”
4
Lera
Islam my palms against the windowsill, grinding my teeth. Removing Griorgi from power is the one vital thing that must be done to ensure Lunos’s future—and we’ve no notion of where the bastard is. Why? Because when we had Griorgi in our sights, I lost control of the echoed magic and let him escape. And now we have a greater mess on our hands than we did before.
“Leralynn.”
I flinch at the sound of my name in the hallway. The door opens and closes behind me as I look out the window. Beyond the glass, the dense forest surrounding the Citadel grounds ripples and flutters with unseen life, white clouds scurrying overhead in the autumn breeze. Everything is so intensely green and red and orange, the grass and plants drinking in the Citadel’s magic. Even the damn foliage has more control than I do.
Behind me, River clears his throat. “Were you challenging Shade for the role of second back there?” he asks mildly. “Or me for the whole quint?”
When I turn, the sight of the sculpted giant’s piercing gray eyes, taut abdomen, and corded arms crossed over a hard chest sends a shiver from my spine to my thighs. His face is a study in smooth strength and intoxicating control.
Stars take me. I know he is the same male who I snapped at a few minutes ago, but that was outside. In the common area. Here in my bedchamber, it is too difficult to wall off my memories of our other activities, when River’s skillful command of my body turned my bones to liquid and had my senses exploding with pleasure.
