Page 69 of Songs of Retribution

"A cowardly people," General Daksh growled. "Not willing to fight a fair match but resorting to forbidden magic and worming their way into our court." Daksh waved his arms around, indicating all the leaders present. "Have we not hosted both Seelie heirs in our court, welcomed them into our private council, shared all our strategies with them? Who's to say they didn't spread that information then glamour their troops to escape last night?”

Shaan gaped at the General, Sai clenched his fists, and Lennox went pale as he stared at him.

I never spoke during the meetings, but I couldn't let that accusation stand. "We just returned from flooding out the Seelie troops and stealing Amentium for you to study."

"A small amount which you've made no progress with. Perhaps that was part of your plan. You didn't allow troops to go with you, only a few loyal guards. Who's to say the Seelie didn't hand that Amentium to you to help bolster your story?”

"How dare you," Sai seethed. “My brother and I also went on that trip. Are you accusing us of betraying our court?”

“They’re your Atallas,” the general countered. “You are compromised.”

The Maharani raised her hands, bracelets clanging down her wrists. "With respect, General Daksh, the claims you make are extreme. I trust Prince Lennox and Princess Lira." She made eye contact with both of us, and warmth filled my chest.

"Forgive me, Maharani." Daksh bowed deeply and pressed his clasped hands to his forehead. "It is no disrespect meant to you, but I feel I must speak up with so much at stake."

The Maharani took a deep breath that filled the tent's silence. The fifty beings in the space crackled with tension like magic, a few zevars even glowed over uniforms. Finally, the Maharani nodded. "Proceed, General, but keep in mind that you are speaking of my family presently."

A few Prasanna nodded, agreeing with the sentiment. Lennox stared at Daksh, his cheeks flushed, his fingers only uncurled because Shaan had grasped them. Sai stood perfectly stoic, his face almost bored. But I knew him; that was his expression when he faced down an enemy and wanted them to underestimate him.

General Daksh cleared his throat and spoke carefully. "We all know King Carrington has scraped the continent for any form of magic to win." Leaders exchanged looks. That was true. "They've unearthed dragons of all things, creatures who many believed to be nothing more than myth or, at the least, extinct. Can we all acknowledge that he might go to even more extreme measures to achieve his purposes?"

A grumble of agreement rippled through the group.

"Then perhaps the King might have found some spell or rare magic that enabled his children to bewitch our princes, move themselves into our realm, and lead our people astray."

My mouth gaped with the desire to defend myself and Lennox. We'd done no such thing, but I could feel the shift in the group’s mood. They thought it possible.

And who wouldn't? An Atalla bond was a bewitching of sorts.

Sai's jaw jumped, and when he spoke, his eyes glittered with so much magic they had shifted to a night sky. "So now we ignore the elementals prophecy, we disregard the divine magic that marked Prince Shaan and me as their Atallas, we overlook the fact that the four of us uncovered Kali's city and the Alegre, and we’ll all conveniently forget that Kali"—he touched three fingers to his forehead and several in the room mimicked the motion—"blessed Prince Shaan with her powers. Instead, let's jump to unfounded conclusions. I thought, General Daksh, that you were a leader, not a fear-monger."

Sai's words were like a punch that splintered through the group’s already tense atmosphere. He didn't waver though; he stood tall, shoulders squared, like a warrior prepared to sacrifice everything to hold a line against the enemy. I could see thenthe prince of darknessmoniker the Seelie had dubbed him with. Sai hated that nickname, but now I wondered if it was the negative thing my father intended it to be. Few beings could face fear in the dark and stand without wavering.

"I have served the Prasanna loyally since before you were born, Prince." General Daksh bit the word, and the Maharani's expression went hard. "I am attempting to keep us from walking into a slaughter so I may continue to do so." He shifted, looking at the others in the tent. "I do not think it wise to continue speaking with the Seelie royals and their advisors in the room."

Some seemed hesitant, but a few mumbled agreement. The Maharani frowned and looked at Sai. "Would you give us time alone to discuss this, Prince Sai?”

A breath left Sai's body, and I realized then that his parents had not disappointed him much in his life. The feeling was clearly an unfamiliar experience for him.

Lennox's face had turned red, and he offered a hasty bow and ducked out the tent, Eldrick following. Shaan whirled on the group, his eyes glittering with magic, his powers humming over the group and running down my flesh. I could feel death, the inevitability of it. The leaders in the room shivered and moved back from him.

Shaan smiled, like he was glad to see them afraid and cowering. "You," he growled, "are making a mistake."

He turned and stormed from the space. Sai offered a bow to his mother, grabbed my hand, and pulled me out of the tent.

When we reached the fresh air again, I looked up at him. Tension crawled along his shoulders as his nose flared. "Hey," I snagged his fingers. "It's okay. They're worried. Lennox and I can understand that they want to take precautions."

Sai brushed his thumbs over my knuckles and a shiver of rightness and love and attraction washed down me. I was meant to be with this man. If anyone had bewitched us, it was a divinity, and I hope they kept us under their spell forever. Sai cupped my cheek and kissed me. He pulled back slowly, his lips peeling apart from mine.

Staring into his eyes, I realized it had been days since I'd had a moment like this with him. His expression was sad and heavy.

"It won't be though."

"Won't be?" I asked.

"It won't be okay. If we tear ourselves apart from the inside, the Seelie won't need weapons. They’ll be here in a few days’ time. Will they even find a unified army to fight?”

He released a breath and curled towards me. I pulled him close, knowing there were no words or actions I could take that would fix this.

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