Page 17 of Magic Claimed
Crap. If Faris knew that a member of the Shapeshifter Court had delivered this summons on his territory? He would come unhinged.
I turned towards the door, hoping to catch him so I could explain, but I was too late. Tairen finally moved. Like a freight train gathering steam, she brushed past me, yanked the door open, and strode into the room beyond.
Her bellow nearly had me clapping my hands over my ears.
“Hector Ademar, don’t you dare take another step.”
Oh goodie. Looked like I’d just provoked another inter-species incident.
And all I’d really wanted out of tonight was a nap.
FIVE
When I finally made itto the doorway and peered out into the club, it appeared frozen in time—like a movie suddenly paused in the middle of an action scene.
Drinks hovered halfway to lips. Dancers stopped with arms raised, only one foot on the floor.
The only movement came from a figure standing in the center of the room—possibly the largest man I’d ever seen. The guy’s back was towards me, but he was at least seven and a half feet tall and massively built. Basically, a wall of muscle that was taller than anyone else in the bar except for the trolls.
He turned slowly, and I could have sworn the floor creaked underfoot. His face was broad, tanned, and scarred, amber eyes flashing beneath craggy dark brows that matched his long, dark ponytail.
“You miserable traitor,” Tairen hissed. “How dare you betray your king like this?”
Betray his king? He was clearly a shapeshifter. Presumably,he was the one who’d just slid the envelope under the door. Which meant Tairen was assuming Callum had nothing to do with the summons I’d just received.
Interesting.
Hopeful.
But I couldn’t explore that thought until after I convinced them to take this little disagreement outside.
“You are no longer queen,” the giant rumbled. “You cannot command me.”
“I can still make you regret your decisions,” Tairen responded, taking two more steps into the room.
The crowd, recognizing that the environment had suddenly grown a great deal less hospitable, split down the middle, leaving the dance floor empty and silent. The only movement was Seamus behind the bar carefully setting down a glass, while Oliver—Faris’s bouncer—took a resolute stance between the giant and the door.
We were all holding our breath a little when Faris finally showed up, bursting in from the kitchen so forcefully that the swinging door ricocheted off the wall behind it and smacked into his shoulder on the rebound. He didn’t even flinch—just took one look at the scene and swore, his tone sharp and vicious.
“The summons has been executed,” the giant said. “With witnesses. You cannot change it.”
“But I can change whether you ever betray your king again.” Tairen’s voice had gone deep and harsh.
What if he hadn’t betrayed his king? What if Callum knew about the summons and hadn’t had a chance to tell me?
What if…
No.
Callum had chosen me. Trusted me. Had my back when it counted. It was time to prove that I trusted him too.
“Can we discuss this outside?” I requested, trying to sound calm, confident, and completely in command of the situation. “There’s no need to ruin everyone’s evening.” Though if this turned into a fight, it wasn’t only the evening that would be ruined.
But the giant was clearly from out of town, because he didn’t seem to recognize the danger he was in.
Instead, hesmirkedat the former queen of the dragons.
I’d only met her five minutes ago, and I already knew that wasn’t going to turn out well.
