by Bella Klaus
The Witch Queen stepped out from the right, followed by Hades, the only Council member apart from Valentine not wearing a robe. Instead, he wore a replica of the same suit as Tony Manero in Saturday Night Fever, with a silver shirt instead of black. He flashed us a broad smile and swept his arm toward the thrones for the Witch Queen to go first.
After settling next to the Angel King and making sure everyone else had settled on their thrones, she spoke. “Please be seated.”
Valentine and I sat.
“This is a formal hearing to document the contraventions of the Supernatural Secrecy Act. On the week before Yule, the people of London witnessed a phoenix and an ifrit racing from Notting Hill to Trafalgar Square, which we had warded off in advance from humans on the advice of the Demon King.”
Hades sat straighter in his seat and cleared his throat. “It is unfortunate that the reapers I expected failed to arrive before the wards rose.”
The Angel King pursed his lips. “As I have already explained, all teams were deployed to the concentrations of preternatural magic around London.”
I glanced at Valentine, who nodded. It looked like Kresnik had wanted to distract the Council so he could carry out his plan with minimal inference.
The Witch Queen continued. “While enforcers attempted to apprehend Kresnik in Trafalgar Square, a number of fire users created a rift above Canary Wharf that could be seen for a hundred-mile radius.”
“A hundred miles?” the Fae King said with a scoff. “I spoke to faeries in County Tipperary who could see the rift.”
Valentine sighed. “With all due respect, this hearing is limited to the effects the events had on humans, not on supernaturals in Ireland.”
“Unfortunately, multiple cameras captured these events, including a crew broadcasting straight to news stations across the country,” said the Witch Queen. “Despite our attempts to contain the breach with enforcers wearing invisibility charms, the Human World is now aware of supernatural activity.”
“This is the biggest breach in the Secrecy Act in centuries,” said the Fae King.
Valentine steepled his fingers. “I would remind the Council that the fire users who created the rift have been apprehended, as has Kresnik.”
“Yet the phoenix in the center of the affray sits before us unpunished,” said the Fae King.
I ground my teeth, suppressing a snarl. Why didn’t that mischief maker go back to sleep, or whatever he did during Supernatural Council meetings? The Fae King’s quicksilver eyes danced with amusement, and the corners of his lips curved upward with the beginnings of a smile. On his left, the Shifter King scoffed. I guessed he was thinking the same as me.
“This is old ground,” Valentine said through clenched teeth. “We’ve already established that Miss Griffin was magically coerced by Kresnik to follow his commands.”
The Fae King leaned back in his throne and smirked. “So you say.”
“Stop fucking about,” the Shifter King barked. “King Valentine already presented the evidence.”
My eyes narrowed. The Fae King only wanted to stir up trouble for amusement. The only difference between him and the herald was that the old man standing behind us wore his ugliness on the outside. You had to wait until the Fae King opened his mouth before working out he was an even bigger asshole.
“The Shifter King is correct that the Council already accepted evidence presented to exonerate Miss Griffin.” Hades leaned forward, staring at me with a gaze heated enough to set my clothes on fire. “We’re forgetting one important matter.”
Valentine’s warning growl rumbled in his chest, and I stiffened, my heart sinking. In the back of my mind, I’d hoped that Hades had moved on to another fixation in the month I’d gone missing. Perhaps all that talk of flying phoenixes had roused his desire for a fiery pet.
“What on earth are you talking about?” asked the Witch Queen.
“King Valentine, of course.” Hades spread his hands wide.
“Explain,” Valentine snarled.
“Some of the humans said they’d spotted a flying man in armor battling the phoenix and the ifrit through the air. I can vouch for those eye witnesses and tell you that King Valentine rushed after Kresnik the moment we broke free from his traps.”
I slumped forward in my seat and gaped at the Demon King sliding his hands down his lapel as though he’d won the disco-dancing trophy in Saturday Night Fever. Valentine’s features hardened into a mask of repressed outrage, and his furious breaths filled my ears.
Hades drummed his fingers on his chin. “Of all the individuals who have ever breached the Supernatural Secrecy Act, I would say that King Valentine’s transgression was the most heinous.”
“Why?” The word burst through my lips before I could stop it.
The Demon King turned to me and grinned. “It would be unfair to condemn an innocent young woman for acting under coercion. One cannot be surprised at Kresnik’s actions. Lawbreaking acts are part of the very definition of criminality.” He paused for dramatic effect. “However, King Valentine swore to this very Council to uphold the law, making his breach of the Act all the more punishable.”
“Hear, hear.” The Fae King burst into a round of applause. “All those in favor?”
Hades raised both hands. “One vote for me and another for my esteemed colleague, the Mage King, who I’m sure will join us once he finally escapes captivity from one of Kresnik’s many lairs.”
My hands balled into fists. Every bone in my body trembled with the urge to leap out of that seat, fly across the hearing room, and pummel Hades until I reduced him to a pile of ash.
“I vote nay and propose that we discount the proxy vote as invalid,” said the Witch Queen.
Hades shot her a filthy glare. “King Beowulf, what say you?”
“Nay.” The Shifter King folded his arms across his chest.
“Aye,” said the Fae King.
Inhaling a deep breath to tamp down my fury, I turned my gaze to the Angel King, one of the fairer members of the Supernatural Council.
He rubbed his chin, staring down at Valentine with a frown. “King Valentine wasn’t caught on camera, and the circumstances were extenuating—”
“Therefore he’s permitted to break the rules that keep our people safe?” Hades turned to the Angel King, giving him a slow shake of the head. “Of all the beings in the Supernatural World, I never thought of you as one who employed one law for commoners and another for your friends.”
The Angel King spluttered. “That’s not what I said.”
“Sounds like nepotism to me,” Hades drawled.
The Fae King tutted. “The very definition of hypocrisy.”
My nostrils flared, and my heartbeat ratcheted up to eleven. Did I say I wanted to pummel Hades? I meant the Fae King. There was something deeply aggravating about an individual who made others suffer for cruel amusement. Hell, I wanted to reduce them both to ashes.
Valentine placed a calming hand on my shoulder. “Members of the hearing, please remember that we are at war with a newly arisen Kresnik—”
“Who currently resides in a warded cage in Hell.”
Valentine and I stiffened. If Kresnik was in Hell and I hadn’t been dragged down with him, then he had to still be alive. How much did I want to bet that his minions would find a way to break him out?
“Vote, Angel King,” Hades snapped.
“Aye, on the condition that King Valentine receives a mild rebuke—”
Hades slammed his fist down on the arm of his throne. “Denied.”
I turned pleading eyes to the Angel King. “Please retract your vote. The camera crew wasn’t around when Valentine fought Kresnik, and he was trying to stop the most dangerous enemy in a millennium from obtaining the power of a phoenix.”
The Angel King turned his gaze away from me and sighed. “Unfortunately, I must uphold the law.”
“None of you even believe Valentine should be punished.” My voice trembled. “Hades wants him out of the wa
y so he can continue his quest to turn me into his plaything, and the Fae King’s only agreeing with him out of boredom.”
Hades leaned forward, offering me a pitying look. “I’m disappointed that one so young could be so cynical.”
“Am I wrong?”
“No.” He flashed both rows of perfect teeth in a wide grin.
The Fae King snorted but didn’t comment.
“A majority of three against two,” Valentine said, with a sigh. “What is my sentence?”
Hades straightened in his throne, looking like he was ready to break out into a celebratory strut. “Seven days.”
“Very well. I accept,” Valentine said.
A shocked breath whistled through my teeth. I turned to Valentine and gaped. This was bullshit—both the lenient sentence and the way he gave in to his colleagues’ machinations. I knew we weren’t going to move against Hades until we were completely sure Kresnik was dead and destroyed, but allowing them to lock him up for a week was ridiculous.
“How can you go along with such a biased verdict?” I hissed.
Valentine patted me on the knee and turned back to his colleagues. “And as a mated monarch, I reserve the right for an unlimited conjugal stay.”
My mouth dropped open. “What?”
Valentine pressed his lips together, suppressing a smirk.
“You’re not mated.” Hades leaned forward, clutching the arms of his throne, smoke curling from where his fingers seared the wood.
I glanced around at the other Council members, my mind scrambling to make sense of the conversation. Since when did people get to sneak sexual partners into prison cells? And wasn’t anyone going to reprimand the Demon King for vandalizing property with hellfire? Or did the unfair restrictions on fire users only count when one of the monarchs had something to gain?
Valentine smoothed down the front of his cloak. “Healer Hadriel of the Atlantis Hospital of Soul Healing certified our soul bond. I registered it with the Department of Records a week after Mera’s abduction.”
My throat dried, and I swallowed hard. Was that really true?
The Angel King snatched a scroll from thin air and with a click of his wrist unrolled its contents. “I have the record here. Congratulations, King Valentine. Something nice will be waiting for both of you in the prison suite.”
“Suite?” I whispered.
He leaned into me and whispered, “You’ll see.”
The scent of brimstone wafted in the air. I glanced up to find the arms of Hades’ throne completely charred. He’d probably thought he had a week to coerce me into a do-over of our final dinner. It served him right.
Hades hissed through his teeth. “I won’t allow King Valentine to shirk his responsibility with a seven-day honeymoon behind bars. We can’t run a Supernatural Council with five members.”
“Don’t complain,” said the Witch Queen. “It was your idea to hold the Vampire King accountable for his breach of the Supernatural Secrecy Act.”
Hades clenched his fists and snarled.
“I would be happy to attend meetings via the Supernet,” Valentine said without a trace of sarcasm.
Placing a hand over my mouth, I tried to hide a smile. Maybe next time, Hades would think twice about scheming.
Valentine rose off his stool and offered me a hand. “And if someone could inform my butler to move to the prison suite, I would be much obliged.”
I choked back a laugh, letting him help me to my feet. Butler service in prison? This was getting better.
Captains Zella and Caria led us through a set of doors at the back of the hearing room, which led to another dimly lit hallway. Valentine strolled at my side with a hand around my waist, acting as though the enforcers were taking us on a tour.
“Have you been to prison before?” I whispered.
“Many times in my youth,” he murmured. “Both my father and my uncle thought it was beneficial for my brothers and me to suffer the consequences of our actions.”
“Did you have a butler, too?”
He shook his head and smiled. “Caiman only started working directly with me when I took the throne. If I wanted something, I had to use the Hatch like everyone else.”
A laugh huffed out of my chest as I remembered Captain Zella shoving me into a cell the size of the cubicle of a public toilet. “Is the prison fancier than the enforcers’ dormitories?”
“Possibly,” he said. “I’ve never needed to visit the barracks.”
“Why not?”
“Few Lamia residents join our Law Enforcement Division.”
I bit my lip, sifting through the implications of his words. Most vampires were wealthy enough to never need to work, especially in jobs that involved risking their lives. Those who required employment applied for it at Valentine’s property company.
The captain opened the door to a large room of porcelain walls illuminated by a silver chandelier. Floor-to-ceiling windows provided a view of the Champs-Élysées, a tree-lined avenue that led to the Arc de Triomphe.
I turned to Valentine and frowned. “Is this the prison?”
He ushered me inside. “I’m afraid we’ll have to make do with artificial views of Paris, but it’s only for a week.”
My mouth dropped open. It wasn’t like I was complaining about the beautiful pewter sofas, silver armchairs, or any of the expensive decor that belonged to a five-star hotel room. How on earth was this fair?
I turned away from the living area to the other side of the room, where a rococo-style bed stood beneath a canopy of chiffon silk. Sculpted silver moldings made up its head and footboard, and at either side of the elaborate antique stood a side table adorned with an equally ornate lamp.
“How thoughtful,” Valentine said, his voice breaking through my stupor of shock.
He strolled to a side table and picked up a card belonging to a massive wicker hamper containing magnums of champagne, boxes of truffles, candles, bath salts, and massage oil.
Sitting next to it was a huge arrangement of ivory lilies, pearl-colored roses, and orchids as white as daisy petals. I shook my head and clenched my teeth, not wanting to rant about the Council of Ministers within earshot of Captain Zella.
The captain cleared her throat. “Miss Griffin, should you wish to leave the cell at any time, the wards will let you out.”
“Thanks.” I glanced at Valentine, looking for a reaction, but he inclined his head at the tall woman and smiled.
As soon as she left, I whirled on Valentine and clenched my fists. “Is this really about getting a honeymoon?”
He cupped the side of my face. “These few days with you have been the happiest I’ve spent in years, but I wanted more time with you alone.”
“You should have said—”
Valentine placed a finger on my lips. “You needed to reconnect with your aunt.” Then he kissed me on the temple. “She has missed you as much as I.”
I rested my head against his hard chest, listening to the thrum of his heart. “You’re crazy.”
“For the opportunity to have you all to myself,” he murmured into my hair. “The moment we return to the palace, I’ll have the responsibility of Logris, the property company, the Supernatural Council, and whatever mischief my brothers have attracted.”
I snorted a laugh at the mention of the princes. Those four were beyond aggravating.
“What about Kresnik?” I asked.
He rubbed a slow circle over the small of my back. “It took him years to escape from Hell. I doubt he will break through those wards in a week.”
I narrowed my eyes. “We should at least tip the weapons with snake bile.”
“We’ll pass the job on to Caiman.” He placed a soft kiss on my lips. “At least here, my only responsibility is your satisfaction.”
“Is that right?” I drew back, meeting his smiling eyes.
Valentine’s hand slipped down to my hips. “Is there something you desire, Innamorata?”
A knock sounded on the door.
> He stepped in front of me, positioning himself as a barrier between me and whoever wanted to enter our cell. “Who is it?”
The door swung open, and Prince Draconius stood in the doorway, wearing a white military suit with gold trim around its high collar. Gone were all the medals, replaced by a single red sash.
“I see that the Council is finally holding you accountable for your degeneracy,” drawled the ancient vampire.
Annoyance tightened my skin. I thought Valentine told him to stay the hell away. What was he still doing in Logris?
“What do you want?” Valentine said.
“Just to inform you that someone has instigated a vote of no confidence and is petitioning me to step in as your replacement.”
Valentine stiffened.
My shoulders sagged. Of all the times for Prince Draconius to slither back, why did it have to be now, when Valentine was going to be locked up for seven days?
The vampire prince folded his arms across his chest and jutted out his chin. “Any last requests before I take the throne?”
“Get out,” Valentine snarled.
Prince Draconius smirked. “Once I have control of your kingdom, I will take every one of your possessions, including the phoenix!”
Chapter Nine
Valentine reached into his pocket, pulled out his phone, and snarled at its screen.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“There’s no reception.”
I rubbed the back of my head. “This is technically a jail, so…”
He met my gaze with narrowed eyes as though daring me to reprimand a prisoner for expecting the same comforts afforded to any free citizen of Logris. I raised my chin, meeting his stare with a glower.
“That’s what you get for saying nothing while Hades ambushed you into this predicament.” I placed my hands on my hips. “He’s the least of our enemies. So is Prince Draconius. Kresnik is out there, working his way through those wards. Nobody knows the extent of his network of followers, and nobody knows why he went to the Realm of the Gods and if he was successful.”