by K. N. Banet
“Brother,” she said, sounding as if she was finally breathing after a long time, the longing and love clear. “You’re here.”
“Cassius told you I would be,” Brion said with a small smile. Standing, he went to her, and they embraced tightly, a warm welcome, considering the circumstances.
“You ran for months.” Alvina pulled away but moved her hands to his shoulders. “I didn’t know how to reach out to you to talk, then Oisin figured out what I was doing, and…”
“He’s been trying to kill me.” For the first time since I had met him, Brion seemed hurt.
“Yes, I know. I knew he would. I tried to keep it quiet, but someone in my household leaked the information when pressed by someone from his. That person has been punished for lack of loyalty.” She dropped her hands and stepped back, putting enough distance between them that I understood the message. Personal time was over, and there was business to be done.
“Oisin has been corrupted by the power of the throne. He will not give it back to you. You know what must be done.”
“I do,” Brion agreed. “Why don’t you meet the reasons I was away for so long?” He shifted to stand at Alvina’s side and put his hand on her lower back. “Alvina, this is my wife, Fiona, and our sons, Eamon, Fergus, and Rian.”
The sons bowed, and Fiona curtsied. It was all very charged with the formality of nobility I wasn’t used to.
“Well met,” Alvina greeted. “And welcome to the family.”
“Thank you,” the oldest said, speaking for everyone in the group. Rian seemed to be the most uncomfortable, fidgeting as his older brother stepped forward. “We’re glad to finally meet our aunt.”
“And I’m glad to see the family my brother has made for himself,” Alvina returned, her smile just as dazzling as Sorcha’s could be. Before she continued speaking to Brion’s new half-human family, she turned to Cassius. “Nephew, I’m so glad you’re here.”
“I’m not,” he answered honestly, which only caused Alvina to laugh.
“Yes, I can imagine,” she said, bowing her head slightly in acknowledgment. “Sorcha, it’s nice to see such a strong ally on our side.”
“Not doing this for you,” Sorcha whispered, looking up. Her moon grey eyes seemed more like hard steel, threatening to cut the queen in half.
“Of course not, but still, your presence is appreciated.”
“They’ve both been somewhat cranky with me,” Brion cut in to add. “But I’m glad to see my son has found such a perfect match for himself. I take it you gave your blessing to the union?”
“I did. It was better than the alternative.” As Alvina spoke, I watched Cassius flush.
“There was a second option?” Brion’s eyes went wide as he turned away from Alvina to his son. “Who?”
“None of your—”
“Cassius is better with Sorcha than he was with Kaliya,” Alvina said, her lips pursed. “I like Kaliya, but she’s a wild card. Dangerous. You’ve missed her ride to fame as a Tribunal Executioner. She’s no longer working for us, however. She’s now the Demon Serpent, Queen of the Nagas. A strong ally for your son and a much healthier relationship than the one they had as lovers.”
Brion laughed harder than I figured he had the right to. “Ah yes,” he tried to say between fits of laughter. “Sorcha is a much better choice than Kaliya.”
“She’s a dear friend of ours, so I recommend you keep your opinions to yourself,” Sorcha said sharply. “Or I’ll remind you who her mate is and the power he also wields.”
“I’m not scared of Kaliya or whatever fool she’s convinced to marry her,” Brion said, wiping his eyes. He was still fighting off laughter. That much was clear in his expression.
“You should be,” Cassius whispered.
That made Brion pause and narrow his eyes. “Excuse me? You really think she’s that powerful now?”
“I know she is,” his son answered stiffly. “But she won’t be helping us. Sorcha and I already made the decision not to call on her or Raphael, Warlord of the Cambions.”
“I see,” Brion murmured, suddenly more serious. “The Demon Serpent indeed.”
“Can we get on with business?” I asked. While I was curious about everything I was hearing, I also wanted to expedite the event unfolding in my bar. Alvina turned to me slowly, eyeing me, judging me. She knew me from what happened back in April. I was the reason she discovered who Brin actually was. She watched me kill a werewolf Alpha after he tried to destroy everything I had built, everything my father had built.
“Jacqueline, daughter of Hasan, you do seem to find yourself in the most interesting positions, don’t you?” The way she phrased it, it could have been one of my sisters saying it—the light, teasing condemnation, the hint of declaring someone a troublemaker. With my sisters, I knew it was loving, a gentle tease, just as they gave each other. From her, I knew it was a cunning barb. I was in too precarious a position in the supernatural world to be getting into so much trouble.
“I do, though I firmly lay the fault of this event at your feet,” I countered. “I kept Brion a secret for two-and-a-half years. You were the one who went digging and forced Brion to come to me to protect Fiona. You were also the one who let his identity slip to his enemies by trusting the wrong people.”
She narrowed her eyes. “I can’t find an argument against that,” she agreed, displeased with me. “But play nice. Your father isn’t here to protect you. I like you, but not that much.”
“You’re in my territory purely because I’ve allowed it. If you raise a hand against me, there are several people willing to take offense to it. He might not get the chance to protect me, but we both know he’ll certainly find a way to avenge me.”
“And what of the laws of hospitality?” she asked simply.
“Would you like a drink?” I retorted, smiling broadly enough to show teeth. Anyone who spent ten minutes with the moon cursed, werecat or werewolf, knew it wasn’t a smile at all. Alvina got the message.
“No, thank you,” she said, sighing. “But yes, we should talk about what needs to happen next before this spirals even more out of control. Brion, seeing you at the Black Market was a shock.”
“I was trying to find an old contact. I sent my sons regularly to the Black Market, but this particular contact was one I lost touch with before they were born.”
“Who were you looking for?”
Brion turned to Sorcha. “This is why I was asking where you and Cassius had been. I was looking for you. I was curious because you used to bunker down in the Black Market when you didn’t want to deal with other fae, particularly me.”
Sorcha laughed, a cruel sound, then the laugh morphed into a sneer. “Like I would give you a single weapon I’ve ever made.”
“Yes, I have realized that,” Brion snapped.
“And honestly, I gave up my position in the Black Market when you granted me nobility. Why would I go back to hide there? None of them are my allies now. They were barely my allies to begin with.” She rolled her eyes. “You don’t need anything of mine to defeat Oisin.”
“I was going to bargain for my sons,” Brion clarified, trying to keep his cool. I could see the tightness of his neck. He wasn’t used to or amused by Sorcha’s disregard for him and his position.
“Your sons?” Sorcha’s mouth fell into a thin line.
“Let’s move on,” Cassius ordered. “Alvina, how would you assess my father right now?”
Eyeing Brion, Alvina slowly walked around him. “He seems ready. He’ll need his armor, of course.”
“Easy,” Brion said, then snapped his fingers, and it appeared on him just like that. “My armor and sword have never been far from me.”
“Good,” Alvina said softly, patting his chest. Her hand met with a breastplate. “I’ll contact Oisin and tell him he’s been challenged to a duel. Tomorrow, midday in the King’s Courtyard. Do not be late.”
“And the Tribunal?” I asked.
“They’ll be who I call aft
er Oisin. They’ll attend. I’ll have to do some spells of protection for Isaiah and Maria, but they won’t want to miss this.”
“Bringing vampires to the fae realms is dangerous,” Brion warned. “They might take advantage of the situation.”
“We’ll have more than enough people to kill them if they try,” Alvina promised, patting her brother’s cheek. “But they can’t sit out of everything because they are creatures of the night.”
“They can sit this out because they are creatures of blood.”
“Then you can try to press that upon your arrival tomorrow. I will be inviting them and following the protocol and procedure of the Tribunal. You ignored it when you left. I will not embarrass the fae like that again.” Alvina turned on her heel, walking to the door. The two fae in her entourage, quiet and still as statues, moved once more. They left the way they came in, heading through my door back to whatever realm they had come from, outside of my territory.
30
Chapter Thirty
“I’m going home,” Heath declared. “I’m going to check in with my children. I’m certain you, Brion, can manage the protection of your wife and sons for one evening.”
“Wonderful idea,” Cassius said, turning to us as he nodded.
“I can defend my family for one evening, yes,” Brion agreed. “But we’re leaving. I’m taking everyone here to Cassius’ estate. It’ll be safer for us in the fae realms.”
“I haven’t given you any sort of permission to use my home as your own,” Cassius snapped, whipping back to glare at his father faster than I thought possible. “You’ll allow Heath and Jacqueline to check in with their own while we discuss where we’re going to go.” Cassius moved swiftly, putting himself between his father and us. “I am tired of watching you walk all over two people who are by no means required to follow you. You’ve blackmailed them, you’ve lied to them. I am done watching it.”
“That’s too bad,” Brion said, stepping closer to his son. He lifted a hand and snapped his fingers again. Eamon walked to the main entrance of Kick Shot and opened the door, and I recognized the place it revealed, the entranceway to Cassius and Sorcha’s home. “We’re leaving. I need the evening in the fae realms to solidify my power, just as you will need it. This is not up for discussion.”
He entered into fae realms without us. I saw him wait on the other side, tapping his foot as servants came running in confusion.
Cassius turned to us. “I apologize for his behavior,” he whispered. “You’ll have the same rooms, and I’ll make sure they’re far from his.”
“Thanks for trying,” Heath replied, rubbing his temples. “Any way to make our phones work in the fae realms?”
“No, sadly not,” Cassius answered.
“Is he right about your magic?” Heath pulled out his phone and started texting people. I looked over his shoulder to see it was to Carey and Landon in a group text. “Add Dirk and Oliver, please,” I added before Cassius had the chance to answer my question. Heath nodded sharply.
“He is,” Cassius confirmed, sighing heavily once we were done talking and the texts were sent. “As members of the royal family, we are stronger in the fae realms. Being in the mortal realm isn’t fatal, but our magic doesn’t…recharge as quickly as it should. We drain faster as well, and we’re not as capable, which leaves us somewhat vulnerable to clan fae when we’re here, who come from some part human as well. Oisin is also royal, but that changes nothing. He’ll have clan fae working for him. He’s partial to a few of the clans, and they’ll die for him.”
“I see.” Kind of.
I followed Cassius and Sorcha through the door, and he personally led Heath and me back to the room we had shared only the night before. I had hoped to be free of the fae realms when he helped Rian get us home, but now it felt as if this wasn’t even close to being over.
“I hope you both get a good night’s sleep. I’ll send Leith to wake you in the morning.”
“Neither of us is prepared for a war,” Heath said, stopping Cassius from closing the door. “We don’t have weapons, armor—”
“There’s no reason to think you should fight,” Cassius said softly. “If I arm either of you, Oisin’s people could take offense. I would be arming those who aren’t fae against the current king. You both have weapons of your own. I’m sure whatever you decide, my father will agree with you. At the end of the day, you both know your limits far better than we do.”
“How do you do it?” I asked softly, shaking my head in dismay. Cassius was just falling in line for his father. “He…” I waved a hand at him. There was still a hint of red on his cheek. Alvina might have missed it, but since I knew how it got there, I knew it wasn’t just a flush.
“Once this is over, I can disappear with my wife again,” the prince answered. “And my brothers need me. I’ll put up with my father if it means helping others. It’s a sacrifice I have to be willing to make.”
“Rian needs you,” Heath agreed. “I’m not sure the others do.”
Cassius snorted, a very undignified noise. “Yes, I’ve noticed that as well. They’re very much his sons. He’s trained them, certainly.” He leaned on the door frame and shoved his hands in his pockets. His red hair fell over his face, and his glamour slipped away. For a moment, he was a disheveled and very sexy man. The whole falling apart thing worked for him. “He’s not a bad king.”
“No, he’s just a poor father,” Heath growled. “Every single person in this mess deserved better.”
Cassius looked up, nodding. “Yes, we all did, but we’re not going to get better. Not until the game is done.”
“Is everything a game?” I snarled, throwing my hands up before shoving a finger at the prince. “Do you really think that’s an acceptable way to let him behave? Like we’re all pieces on his fucking chessboard? He’s white, Oisin’s black, and fucking no one cares about our lives?”
Cassius seemed wounded by my words and closed his eyes. “To my father, right now…yes.”
“Look…” I ran a hand through my hair. “If you ever need to get away from him, you are always welcome in my territory, okay? I can’t imagine.”
“Can’t you? Hasan is your father.”
I winced. Yes, and Hasan could manipulate his children with ease, but at least we all knew he loved us. I was unsure if Brion was capable of it, wasn’t even sure if Brion loved his wife or just looked at her as his property. It was how he treated his sons.
“The offer stands,” Heath said, crossing his arms. “That’s not how fathers should treat their sons. You’re not his dogs of war to call out when he needs you and get a pat on the head when you do the right thing.” I nodded quickly. Heath was saying everything right.
“Thank you for the offer,” Cassius said, a small smile beginning to form. “You’re both good people. I’m glad, considering the circumstances, I’ve met you. Have a good evening. Tomorrow morning, my father will expect you to have a plan to protect Fiona during his duel with Oisin. Have a good night.” Cassius quickly stepped back and closed the door before Heath could stop him this time.
“He’s like a kicked dog,” Heath growled softly. “You can see it. His father made decisions and enacted them before his son even had the chance to say anything. He’s disregarded, treated poorly. If it weren’t for Sorcha, I would walk out and say fuck the consequences. I can’t fight for a man like him.”
“I know,” I whispered. “Different types of men who lead in vastly different ways. Brion, Hasan, you, Oisin, and tomorrow Callahan will be around to watch all of this play out.”
“Corissa will be at his side to temper him at least…The entire Tribunal will be there tomorrow.” Heath pushed a hand through his hair. “Isaiah and Maria of the vampires, Johann and Matilda of the witches.”
“Let’s go back to Callahan and Corissa, though. How will they react seeing you among Brion’s side?” I crossed my arms and started to pace.
“It doesn’t matter. I’m a lone wolf, Alpha of only my son, and
no official pack to my name. What trouble I get into might personally offend them, but my being there isn’t considered a declaration of their support. If I was still an Alpha on the Council, talking to Callahan on a regular basis, then yes, I would be looking at a severe punishment. This has nothing to do with werewolves. If I get myself killed running around with you, they can sleep a little easier at night.”
“I wish things weren’t so complicated,” I whispered, rubbing my arms as I started another loop around the room. “We need to think about Fiona, though, her protection.”
“Yes. You should be in werecat—”
I shook my head, and he stopped talking.
“Maybe the other way around.” I stopped at the large window overlooking the pretty grounds outside. It was a dark night, but there were little lights all over the grounds, illuminating it, quite romantic with its soft blue glow. “You Change slower. If you go in with your wolf form, you won’t need a weapon. I Change in less than a minute. If there’s trouble, you can handle Fiona until I get into the game, so could Cassius and Sorcha. I know they won’t let her die, even if things are…tense between all of them. She also has three sons. You’re safer as a wolf. I can become a cat quickly enough.”
“Okay.” Heath nodded slowly, and I could practically hear the gears turning in his head. “I’m used to staying in human form when we do these things, but if you think I should be a wolf, I can understand the logic.”
“Yeah, I think we’re both most effective in our Changed forms. In fact, I know we are.”
“We are, and we can still communicate. You can still communicate with the outside world. It’ll be all we need. Maybe we can ask one of Cassius’ people, if any decide to attend, to keep some clothing that will fit us.”
“I’m sure we can find one person willing to help us with that.” I tapped my foot. “We just need to survive tomorrow, Heath. That’s all.” A sense of foreboding came over me as I turned to him once more. “Why does it terrify me?”