Page 85 of Bearing Secrets
Looking up, Kirell saw the man outlined in the tree. This was going to be much more difficult. He couldn’t approach with surprise. There was no way to climb a tree without alerting the occupant in it. Between the sound of his boots on bark, and the shaking of the trunk, he’d be spotted before he tried.
Kirell hefted the dagger in his hand, testing the balance. This had never been his strong suit, but he was no chump at it either. Grabbing the weapon by the blade, he judged the distance, cocked his arm back and let fly all in one smooth motion.
As soon as he’d recovered his balance, Kirell was running forward, following the blade. The movement alerted the shifter, but it was too late. The blade struck home, sinking to its hilt into the scout’s eye, killing him instantly.
Kirell grunted softly as he caught the falling body, before depositing it lightly onto the ground. His knife came free with a stomach-turning sucking noise, but he clamped down on his system and cleaned the knife. Another turn of the perimeter revealed no further scouts, and he signaled to his Queen that she could approach. He crept out of the woods and hopped into the SUV she was driving.
Neither of them spoke as she floored it to the only cluster of lights visible in the Ursa family cemetery.
Each of the shifter Houses had joined together at some point since they had come to the United States, working alongside one another to build the graveyard. Most shifters were cremated, their remains returned to the earth around the house itself. The royals, however, the rulers, were buried in the ground. Here, they all came together. Wolf. Bear. Dragon and more. No distinction was made over power.
It was a small place, hidden in the middle of a forest on land owned equally by all three Houses. This was one of the few places officially accorded as neutral ground for the three powers.
Klebra hadn’t chosen this place by accident, though. It was a message to Kaelyn. That if she didn’t do as Klebra wanted, she would find herself buried there as well. That wasn’t going to happen, Kirell thought with a silent, teeth-baring snarl. The only person who would die on these grounds tonight would be Klebra.
Kirell was going to make sure of it.
“That sonofabitch,” Kaelyn snarled, breaking hard as the lights of the SUV more fully illuminated the torchlit scene in front of them.
He barely heard her. The sight of his Natalia, tied to a stake, half her shirt missing, her hair a mess and blood flowing from a cut under one eye threatened to unleash the rage he’d been keeping contained.
“Play it smart,” Kaelyn urged, shutting off the car. “Use our brains. We have the advantage, he just doesn’t know it. Don’t push him further than we have to.”
Kirell nodded, but in his mind the only thing he saw was his hands around Klebra’s neck, squeezing tighter and tighter.
“You came!” Klebra crowed, moving to stand closer to Natalia. He looked down at his wrist. “And just in the nick of time too! How convenient.”
Kirell just stared, his face a blank mask of death.
“What do you want?” Kaelyn stepped forward, snagging Kirell by the arm and dragging him with her.
“It’s quite simple really.” Klebra laughed, that same high-pitched noise that seemed to indicate his break with reality. “You,” he said gaily, pointing at Kirell, “are going to relinquish your position, and suggest me as successor.”
He took another step toward Natalia as the pair of them entered the ring of torches. Behind them, the SUV’s lights shut off, giving the whole thing an eerie atmosphere. Behind Kirell, Natalia struggled with her bonds, looking frightened.
Kirell growled menacingly at that knowledge, but Kaelyn’s fingers tightened around his arm, holding him back.
“Good, good!” Klebra giggled. “Keep him under control. This really won’t take long.”
“Why am I here?” Kaelyn asked frostily.
“Isn’t it obvious? To confirm my appointment as Captain of High House Ursa. I will kneel before you, and you will say the words.” Klebra’s expression turned dark. “Otherwise, I will expose these two as frauds, and the fact that you knew about it all along. You will be stripped of your position, and I will ascend to the throne as the one who proved that the two of you were conspiring to ruin High House Ursa all along.”
Both Kirell and Kaelyn stepped forward at that, twin growls filling the circle.
“Ah, ah, ah!” Klebra said, waving a finger as he jumped right next to Natalia. “And if you don’t, I kill her.” His voice became flat, losing its enthusiasm but taking on a promise that convinced Kirell he was telling the truth.
They were in a bind. “If I do this,” Kirell said sullenly, “You let her go. The two of us will leave here. We’ll leave the House,” he said, clenching his fists. “And we’ll leave town. Unharmed.”
“As long as you never return,” Klebra agreed.
“Kirell, we can’t do this,” Kaelyn hissed from next to him.
“I’m sorry,” he said, pulling away from his Queen. “I have to. This is on me. You are needed where you are.”
Klebra chuckled at the exchange of words, and Kirell nearly lost control. But Kaelyn sighed. She understood too. Kirell had to give in. That was the only way she would remain Queen without disgracing herself. Maybe she could figure out a way to bring Klebra down, given some more time, now they knew he was actively scheming against her.
“My Queen,” he said formally, squaring himself up to her.
