Page 73 of Replaced Mate

SARIEL

Day two of our drive was largely uneventful. Auren refused to have any discussions while we were riding in the car despite Kiyomasa trying several times to start them, so it wasn't until we arrived back at the compound that he finally agreed to have our regular daily debrief in the meeting room.

After he showered and got something other than chips and gas station snacks to eat, of course.

It ended up being that we all brought dinner to the room we used as our war room and stuffed our faces, all while Kiyomasa waited patiently for us to finish.

It was… wildly uncomfortable.

"Okay," Auren sighed, guzzled down what was left of his water bottle, then crushed the plastic. "Go."

"It has been confirmed that Lucia and Michaelson are mates," Kiyomasa began.

My rainbow of emotions—surprisingly positive—made Aria smile at me. It was almost a relief to know that they were fated; if their bond felt anything like mine and Aria’s, they were at least on the same team, even if they disagreed on how to go about some stuff.

I knew it! I told you guys,she crowed down the bond, making me chuckle.

"Secondly, Elias and Barimuz have both pulled support for the war with the Free Kingdom, which has caused quite a stir."

I couldn't help but be relieved at the news. Aria had been unwillingly worried about the giant demon when I’d told her about Lucifer arriving just as we were pulled back to our own world. Obviously, their spat must not have been too nasty if he was still filling in for him at the meetings.

"And lastly, the Free Kingdom has started pushing pro-hybrid propaganda. We believe it's in an attempt to further destabilize the US, but there are a surprising amount of people getting behind it."

Of course, that would be surprising. The Resistance had fought tooth and nail to save the hybrids for years, yet nobody had supported them—why was everyone hopping aboard now that the fae were spewing the same stuff?

"Oh, is that all?" Auren chimed sarcastically, and the resounding laughter made him give one of his rare, genuine smiles.

"So Michaelson and Lucia are fated and having a hybrid child, Elias has somehow slipped whatever dirt Francesca had on him to keep him in line, and hybrids are in. Sounds like all good things to me," I commented dryly.

Atlan gave me a smirk. "Sure, except all of these things make it easier for the Free Kingdom to conquer us. Fae aren’t exactly known for winning, then handing their spoils back to the losers."

"We don't really consider your country spoils, though," Grel walked in just in time to chime in, chuckling. "Lucia has convinced Blossom that ruling the United States is a waste of time and resources. Our plan is to make the Upper Council back down and agree to a new treaty that leans in our favor."

His gaze skirted everyone until he landed on me. I couldn't help but straighten in my seat.

He nodded, smirking a bit. "Good to see you're in one piece,vehash."

Apparently, I'm the only one who wants to get a translation on that, Aria thought when the conversation didn't even pause, and I kissed her knuckles to hide my grin.

"How is Michaelson?" I asked, dreading the answer.

Grel just shrugged. "They have him on house arrest instead of locked in a cell now that Lucia is pregnant. I don't know how he convinced them not to just throw him out on his ass, but there was a very passionate debate, from what my spies have said."

So Michaelson was there of his own free will, then. I hated the thought, and my cringe was so visceral that even Aria winced.

"Is he in danger?" I choked out, still full of guilt that he was stuck there in the first place. The thought made me sick—this whole thing did, to be honest. He should never have ended up in that situation to begin with, but especially not because ofme.

Then again, maybe I was giving myself too much credit. His mate was the Princess of the Free Kingdom, after all; fate had almost certainly had a hand in ensuring that we'd ended up there when we had in order for them to meet.

"No more than any of the rest of us," Grel answered.

It was the best answer we could get from the fae, and when Auren redirected the conversation to the protests and riots happening, he outright laughed.

"One of Tarragon's better plots. Everything is about image. If you paint the Upper Council as bigots and hybrids as your average person, the little people start to sympathize."

"Wearejust average people," Aria argued, but his eyebrows just climbed.

"I see you haven't learned a thing since the last time I saw you. Hybrids are as far from average as people can get—it's why so many of you are sterile. Not that you're an abomination or unnatural, of course, but you're definitelynotaverage. Pretending otherwise is just irresponsible."

---