Page 49 of Heavy is the Crown
Astrea, to her credit, doesn’t move, but she looks over at Ava. “We might have a solution to your issue of recharging your magic.”
“How?” Ava whispers, simultaneous to Jackson asking the same thing.
“We have been learning a little more from my grimoire,” Ciaran says, then pauses to look at Astrea, who gives a subtle nod. “And Kallen has been helping us.”
“You are trusting that witch?” Shadow spits. “She tried to kill you and Astrea.”
I can’t help but agree with Shadow, but Astrea simply shrugs. “It wasn’t my first choice, but Ava talked me into it.” I cut a sharp look at my mate, who smiles sheepishly at me as Astrea continues. “The fact remains, Ava is vulnerable until y’all get your shit together. Which I’m hoping, after our chat, Shadow, you will have a different view on everything.”
Ava and I both look at him, startled. “That's where you were?” Ava whispers.
“My dragon took us there. I had no idea until I shifted, and he shoved me back into awareness,” Shadow says.
Jackson lets out a frustrated sound. “Tell us how you think you can help my sister,” he demands. He sounds like a king, his power moving under his skin like something alive. It’s the first time I worry about having the Harbinger in the room with him. Because Astrea may want to help my mate, but she is still . . . off. I look at Ciaran, who watches his mate carefully, and I hearken back to our previous conversation. Is Astrea still Astrea or is she more Harbinger?
“Simple. I feed her some of my magic,” Astrea says.
“And how do you plan to do that?” I ask. “You aren’t her mate.”
She rolls her eyes. “That's accurate. But I can still give her a little boost. A recharge, if you will. At least, it’ll give her a fighting chance to survive the coming days if Oisin discovers her again.”
“And he will,” Ciaran pipes up. “He has the remaining grimoires. He is using necromancy and bringing coven members back to siphon the magic through. He wants this city, and the best way to get it is to have someone of royal blood at his side.” He pauses as he glances at Jackson, who glares at him, those silver eyes shimmering with rage.
“Gods,” Astrea groans, peering around me to Ava. “What do you say? It’s up to you, after all.”
Ava doesn’t say anything at first, doesn’t look at either of us, but keeps her eyes locked on Astrea’s. “Yes.”
Shadow is the first to react. “No,” he growls.
She shoots him a withering look. “You left. And you’ve made it perfectly clear how you feel about mating. So, I’m buying us some time while you figure your shit out.” Her voice has a chill and determination to it that cuts me. So unfeeling and distant as she stands up and leads Astrea out of the room without a look back at us. Astrea sends a smirk over her shoulder at us.
TWENTY-SEVEN
Balance will always be important. It’s why we created the balance between the Harbinger and her mate.
It would behoove people to remember that in the coming years.
– Carmine Family Grimoire
Shadow
My dragon rumbles, demanding I follow our mate, demanding I mate her. But Drago grips my thigh, keeping me in place. His tattooed fingers splay across my leg, dangerously close to my cock. The need for him to take me is overwhelming, to feel his body on mine and allow him to bite me again. With Ciaran and Jackson still in the room, it’s too much. My skin crawls, and I need to move. Standing up, I walk over to the small bar next to the windows in the kitchen and pour myself some whiskey.
Jackson’s angry voice penetrates the haze of my brain. “You want me to believe you just didn’t take my sister because you realized you had a friend?”
Ciaran shrugs. “I don’t really care if you believe me. I care what they think.” He motions toward me and Drago.
“But you don’t care about Hell? Your brother is slaughtering innocent people,” Jackson grinds out, his body vibrating with anger.
Ciaran looks bored as he takes on the king of Hell. “I really don’t. I care about a small group of people—two of them are in this room, and two are in the room next door. Keeping this city safe for them is all that matters. Hell is not my problem. That’s yours. You are, after all, the king.”
Jackson looks like he wants to launch himself at Ciaran, but I stop him. Praying to all the gods that I’m not wrong to be putting my trust in him, I say, “I believe Ciaran and I trust him. He could have betrayed us long ago, and he never did.”
Drago moves up next to me. “I feel the same.” He squeezes my hand as we face off against the king, but Jax only rolls his eyes and instead allows some shadows in the corner to open a portal.
Moving toward it, he pauses for a moment, as if contemplating his decision to leave. When he turns back toward us finally, his face is etched with worry. “Shadow,” he starts, “you need to mate with them. Whatever recharging shit the Harbinger plans to do is dangerous. For a multitude of reasons. Please, if you care for my sister at all, help her.” He looks at me and Ciaran. “I’ll be in contact.” And with that, he steps through, leaving the three of us alone.
Ava
