by Amelia Shaw
I don’t think you’re going to just accept the Council mandates, are you, Ava?
“I... ah...” Not a chance in hell.
Exactly. So, get all the information you can, keep your friends close, and keep an eye on your enemies.
“But... I....” I let my voice trail off. I wanted to tell her that I wasn’t sure I could do this. I wasn’t sure I could bring such drastic changes. I was only one person, after all.
You can bring change, and peace, and amazing things to the realms and the people, Ava. I know you can. Never doubt what you’re capable of. I never have. I’m just sorry I’m not there to see you kick their asses.
I choked on my laugh. “Thanks, Mother.”
I wasn’t expecting her to say ass. I didn’t think I had ever heard her swear before.
A wave of fatigue passed over me. “Tavlor and my father have gone out and I’m meant to stay here and rest. I’m going to have a nap if that’s okay with you, Mother.”
Of course, Ava. You rest and we’ll talk later.
I closed my eyes and settled in. I had never been the type to fall asleep easily, but the next thing I knew, I was waking up to the sound of my door opening.
It was Tavlor, sneaking in to check up on me. I assumed.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you,” he said, his voice crisp but sincere.
I smiled and beckoned him over. I wasn’t quite ready to get up just yet, but that didn’t mean he had to leave, either.
“Come lay down with me for a minute,” I said. “Please.”
He shut the door and crept inside, shrugging off his robes and lying down behind me wearing only his pants.
I shuffled back, pressing myself against his warmth and sighing as his hand slipped around my waist. I always felt better with him next to me, holding me. I felt like I could do anything, knowing he was by my side through it all.
Tavlor spoke gently in my ear. “How are you feeling?” he asked, his fingers tracing patterns in my hip. “Hungry? It’s past dinner time now.”
“Yeah, I suppose. Tired...” I was struggling to open my eyes, especially with Tavlor’s hands on me, and his hot breath at my neck. My pelvis began to pulse, but I tried to ignore it. Now was not the time to be thinking about that.
“I organized our trip for tomorrow,” he said. “You’ll get to speak to a large group of shifters and hopefully take steps towards making up your mind about what you want to do.”
I nodded, “Hmmm... thanks.”
“Did you have a good afternoon?” he asked, not as quietly.
I forced my eyes open, fighting the desire to be annoyed. He obviously wanted to talk, despite the fact I really wanted to go back to sleep.
But he was right, it was probably best that I got up and ate something before passing out for the night. Especially if I was going to make some big public speech. I wasn’t good at those.
I rolled onto my back so that I could look up at Tavlor, his beloved face staring down at me. His dark eyes bore into mine.
I smiled. “Ah, yeah, I did have a good day in the end, actually.”
“What did you do?” he asked.
I glanced down, then ran my hand up his arm, enjoying the feeling of his warm corded muscles beneath my palm. “I... uh, spent most of it talking to my mother, actually.”
I wasn’t sure if I should have said anything at all, but I didn’t want there to be secrets between Tavlor and me.
“Did she help you decide on what you want to do?” he asked.
I shrugged. “Not really... but she made me feel like I could actually do the job they want me to.”
And that was more important than telling me what she thought I should do.
“Of course, you can,” he said, and it made me love him more. There was a sadness to his eyes, however, one he blinked away, trying to conceal from me. It was as though he was resigned to the fact that a future between the two of us was impossible.
“I won’t give you up, Tavlor,” I said. “I won’t.”
I cupped his face and smiled up at him, trying to make him understand. Trying to make him believe me.
He smiled back but I could see the worry in his eyes. “I won’t hold you back from changing this world, Ava. You are meant for great things.” He took my hand that cupped his face and planted a kiss on my palm. “I refuse to let you sacrifice your destiny for me.”
I scoffed. “And I told you... I won’t lose you.”
“You won’t have to,” he said. “Perhaps we could come up with a... compromise?”
I narrowed my eyes at him. I wasn’t sure I liked the sound of that. “Like what?”
His eyes were shadowed as he said, “If they would take out the clauses about you needing to be faithful to your husband, perhaps, after you have conceived your heir, we could...”
He let his voice trail off.
I furrowed my brow, my blood rushing to my head. I yanked my hand away from him. If he wanted me awake, he did it.
I growled at him, unable to hold back the anger. “Don’t you dare say such a thing to me! Ever again!”
I pushed on him so that he moved away and rolled to my feet to stand next to the bed.
“How can you even... suggest such a thing?” Hot tears burned in my eyes, and I blinked them back. “I could never... How could you even ask me to sleep with someone else for the sake of being the High Warlock? I would rather die.”
Although that was probably a bit of an exaggeration, it was pretty damn close.
Tavlor got to his feet slowly, moving like a large cat—carefully, with stealth. Enough to make my toes curl with how sexy he was. But I refused to let myself indulge that. Not with his words still ringing in my ears.
“Ava. I don’t want you to marry another man. I do not...” He stopped to shudder. “I don’t want you to have another man’s child. But I will also not have you walking away from your birthright. For me. For...”
I thrust a hand-out in front of me. “Don’t you dare say it. You know how I feel about you. I love you. And even if you were a full warlock, you know the Council would still not approve of us! It’s not about your heritage. It’s about choosing someone they can control. Who will fall in line. And you know that neither of us is just going to bow down to the Council and let them walk all over us.”
Tavlor growled and shook his head. “No, of course not.”
I pointed a finger at him. “So, I don’t want you to ever say that you’re not accepted because of your Fae blood. It’s bullshit. And it needs to stop. As you found out when you went inside my head, I’d marry you tomorrow if you asked me.”
Tavlor ran a hand through his hair. “If only I could.”
Was that an option?
“Maybe... maybe we should ask Dad about that.”
Tavlor took a step forward. “About whether us marrying quickly, in secret, would make their suggestion impossible?”
I nodded. “It’s possible that it will nullify their offer, but it’s a thought.”
Tavlor grabbed his clothes and pulled them on so that we could leave the room. “Your father should be back soon, so let’s speak to him as soon as we can.”
I smiled and went to the door.
I turned back just before I walked out and poked him in the chest with my finger. “So, we’re on the same page, right? No matter what, I will not marry someone else?”
He paused a moment, then nodded. “Yes, no matter what, Ava. I won’t give you up. It would have killed me to compromise you in such a way.”
That was what I wanted to hear. “Good.”
Chapter 15
WHEN I OPENED THE DOOR to my bedroom, leading into the office space, my father was already there, standing with his hands behind his back, ambling around. I would say he was pacing, but there was a gentle thoughtfulness rather than an anxious level that typically followed me whenever I was pacing.
“You’re back,” I said in greeting. I had grown to appreciate my father’s presence more and more. It was a
reminder that he hadn’t abandoned me, that he was still here for me.
He stopped and turned to me with a smile. “Hello, Ava.”
Tavlor shut the door behind us and we walked forward.
“Any news?” I asked, arching a brow.
My father nodded. “Well, yes. Though I’m not sure how best to interpret it.” He frowned, gesturing at the couches in the middle of the living room, and we all sat down. I was getting to know this space so well, it almost felt like home. I was comfortable here.
Tavlor waved his hand and Fae food appeared before us.
My stomach rumbled. I hadn’t realized how hungry I truly was until I saw the food in front of me, the intoxicating scent filling my nose and tickling my stomach.
I inhaled and sighed in memory of my time spent in Faerie. The food before us was fragrant, steaming hot and loaded with meat and vegetables.
“Thank you, Tavlor,” I said through a contented sigh.
We all served ourselves on plates that he’d magicked up and I popped a berry in my mouth, savoring the rich, exquisite taste.
Once I’d eaten, and everyone had gathered their pressing thoughts, I brought up the topic again.
“Tell me more about your afternoon, Dad,” I said. “What happened with the Councilors?”
My father wiped his mouth with a napkin. “I organized a meeting with three of the people I trust on the Council. They expressed their... shock, at what you had gone through. Who you were, and what it could mean for the stability of the Council.”
I waited for him to continue, but he didn’t.
“And?” I prompted.
He shrugged, sliding back on his chair and crossing his ankle over his knee. “I just don’t know,” he admitted. “They seemed to be willing to support you if you stepped up into the role of my heir, however they have been convinced that the choice of your husband is a good one. It doesn’t seem like they’re willing to go against that clause.”
I groaned, resting my elbows on my thighs and dropping my head.
“But that’s the one thing we want changed,” I muttered.
“I know,” my father said, frowning to the point lines appeared between his eyebrows.
I sighed and put my food down. The more frustrated I became, the more animated my gestures were and the last thing I wanted to do was spoil the food by accidentally spilling it.
“Why do they need to control my marriage, of all things...”
My father grimaced. “Because it would give them control over at least one of you,” he pointed out, his tone gentle. “The Council knows you didn’t grow up here. You don’t respect them, or fear them. The laws here don’t mean anything to you because you did not have to abide by them for the duration of your life. And the man that they’ve chosen for you, does. It’s a compromise, essentially, a way to strike a balance between the two of you.”
“Of course, it is,” I groaned. “Spineless wimp.”
My mother’s voice sounded in my head and I bit my lip. I almost didn’t hear her because I was so focused on what my father was suggesting, but she pressed until I noticed. Did I dare suggest what she’d said?
“What is it, Ava?” Tavlor asked. His eyes were on my face, scrutinizing me in a way only he could. Why was I not surprised? Tavlor knew me better than I knew myself sometimes.
I lifted my gaze to meet his. “I was wondering... sort of, if it would be worth getting some other people on our side.”
“Like who?” my father asked.
He’d tried to persuade the Council members, but they weren’t the ones I was talking about.
“Well... like the Fae. The shifters. People other than witches and warlocks.”
My father slid forward on his seat, his face creasing with tension.
“Ah... I’m not sure that’s a good idea,” he said slowly.
I bowed my head. “Yeah, I agree. The last thing we need, is a war.”
“We may not need to go as far as that,” Tavlor said, his tone thoughtful. He tilted his head to the side, narrowing his eyes at the wall in front of him as though he had somehow found a solution to our problem there.
I glanced across at him. “What do you mean?”
He turned towards me, his dark eyes lighting up.
“I mean that, you’ve already proved you are your father’s biological daughter,” he said. “And we still have the other book Bella gave us to stir up the Fae and the Shifters. If we create allies in the other camps, then threaten the Council with full exposure, it’s possible we can get them to comply without having to go to war at all.”
I inhaled sharply. “Blackmail them, you mean?” I asked. “Is that a good idea when they’ve come to some form of compromise?”
He shrugged. “Better than a full out war, and that’s what would happen if the other factions found out that the Council is meant to be made up of people of all races. I, for one, can’t believe the Fae don’t remember such a thing.”
I cocked my head to the side. “Well, it was over a thousand years ago. Are there Fae from that time still alive?”
Tavlor nodded. “There are... but not many. And we don’t know the circumstances on how or why they were stood down. Perhaps it was all covered up extremely well.”
My heart rate had begun to increase, a sense of impending triumph thumping in my veins.
“So, you think that if we show that I can create a connection to the Fae, to the Shifters, we could use it as leverage to get what we want out of the contract?” I asked, just to make sure I understood him correctly.
It was a long shot. But if we played our cards right, there was a good chance we might actually be able to pull this off. We might be able to get everything we wanted without having to go to war for it.
My father interjected. “You have to understand that would be a big ask, for anyone, including the Council,” he said. “Now, I’m not defending them, but they’ve never had a High Warlock negotiate the contract before and I highly doubt they would be so open as to grant you everything you want.”
“That you know of,” I pointed out. “Maybe a High Warlock had done this before, but you don’t know. Maybe it’s never actually been recorded.”
He inclined his head.
“That’s true,” he said after a moment.
“Because it sounds like they’ve changed a lot of things over the years, including the marriage clause,” I continued. “It simply wasn’t a part of it when the first High Warlock signed up, after all. Maybe the first or second High Warlock had more of a say in who they married based on that, and the Council slowly gained power over time and negotiations diminished.”
A silence fell around us as we all thought about what was said.
“Perhaps,” my father began, “when we visit the shifter realm tomorrow, you can do what you did today.”
“And what’s that?” I asked. “Be totally disgusted by what the Council had done to those people? Be outraged?”
“And ask a Fae woman to cover herself up, of course,” Tavlor said, with a grin. “After a display of intimacy on the throne in the castle.”
I raised an eyebrow at him. “What was wrong with asking her to do that?” I asked. “They were being rude. I didn’t ask to see her boobs and it wasn’t like he didn’t know we were coming.”
“That’s true,” Tavlor said, the corners of his lips tilting up.
Both men began to laugh.
I blinked. Did Tavlor just make a joke? Stiff, stoic, half-breed Tavlor who barely smiled even when he was happy?
I looked between their shared laughter and rolled my eyes. It broke the tension beautifully and Tavlor actually seemed happy.
“No, seriously,” I said, continuing to look between them. “What was wrong with that?”
Tavlor was struggling to get his smile under control. Which was adorable.
My father said, “Well, Fae women are notorious for being... sensual creatures. She may have been five hundred years old, and had hundreds of lovers in her time. The fact
that you asked her to cover up would seem...”
“Ridiculous to her?” I finished for him, feeling a sting in my heart. I winced inwardly. I hadn’t meant to offend anyone.
I glanced towards Tavlor, wondering if they were the sort of women he would normally have relationships with. I suddenly felt supremely inadequate. I didn’t have the centuries of experience she surely had, and I knew I definitely wouldn’t be comfortable with such a public display of affection. As of right now, I still had a sense of shame and my dignity.
He ran a hand over my thigh. “You know the Fae consider me a half breed abomination, Ava,” he said. “Please don’t even think about me in that situation. I would not agree with their norms.”
Heat spread up my cheeks, embarrassed that he’d read my thoughts so well and vocalized them in front of my father. It was one thing to witness the act in front of him, but to discuss it as though there was a chance I could partake in such a thing wasn’t exactly what I wanted my father to know.
“Yeah... well...” I let my voice trail off, shrugging awkwardly.
My father cleared his throat, bringing our attention back to him.
“But back to what you were clarifying, Ava... today, you totally... enchanted King Ankor,” he said, keeping his eyes on Tavlor rather than on me. “He doesn’t like witches and has been notoriously badly behaved to visiting dignitaries, and yet, he... liked you.”
I shrugged. “I’m no threat to him,” I said as though it wasn’t that big of a deal. “And I have no interest in trying to take away or keep him from his power.”
“Precisely,” my father said with a grin. “In you he saw a friend. Someone who should be shown things, helped, even... confided in. What did you talk of while strolling through the town? It was hard to pick up everything that was said.”
“I just asked about his people. What had happened to their magic.”
“And he told you?”
I nodded. “Of course.”
My father and Tavlor shared a look of surprise.
I focused on my father. “So, you’re saying you want me to make friends with the shifters too?” I asked. I didn’t want them to linger on the fact that King Ankor was enchanted by me. I’d just treated him with respect and that was it. “Let them talk to me, perhaps confide in me?”