Page 27 of Forked Tongues Are Fun
“And the other kids?” I asked.
Léas’s gaze fell to the golden bar still in my hand. “If that’s your desire...they’re free to go.” Fiery magic lit up around her fingertips and then faded. “The rest of them have been returned to their homes.”
The crowd stirred, and an angry tension hardened their stares and tightened their fists even more.
Rio’s eyes widened. “Your Holiness, the children are for your appeasement. It’s your full-moon ritual—”
“The children have been spared. I really don’t care who dies, but I’ve already had my blood offering this night,” Léas said. “All of you will get your power.”
Mixed reactions rumbled through the shifters, some smug and others confused.
“Whose blood was offered?” someone whispered.
Léas looked to me expectantly. “What say you, Yara? Will you be the dragon shifter queen or not?”
Vance touched my waist, a comfort, a reminder. I would have the three of them, too, for counsel, protection, and yes, copious amounts of the best sex I’d ever had.
It sounded fucking amazing, but there was a darkness seething underneath all of it, as black as the pond under the goddess’s feet, as depthless as the rage curling off the other shifters. Being queen would not be easy.
Still, though, I had to do what was best for Asa and his future.
The back of my throat soured at the taste of the words I was about to say. “Okay. I’ll be the dragon shifter queen.”
That sure sounded like a death sentence.
Chapter Nine
“Just this once, yourharem doesn’t need to be here for the transfer of power. They’ll still get theirs while they take you to your castle.” Léas waved at the night sky. “You’re free to go.”
The three dragon shifters at my back began to usher Asa and me in the direction of the edge of the rooftop, but I stopped so suddenly that Asa ran right into me.
“We aren’t flying to the castle.” I blinked at the three of them. “No way.”
The other shifters tittered and rolled their eyes, obviously finding my fear of flying hilarious.
“Not with Asa,” I hissed, folding him even closer to my side. “It’s too dangerous.” I mean it sounded dangerous, and I wasn’t about to let him even hiccup wrong. Not when I had him back. I gave Vance a meaningful look. “We can take the long way and take care of our...business.”
