by Lisa Kumar
She nodded, her mind shifting subjects. Had he known she would be his mate? “Alalise said you always knew your bond mate was human.”
His brows drew together. “Oh, she did?” he asked, displeasure coating his voice.
“Yeah.”
He frowned. “I never told her. She must’ve done some snooping. One more thing she has to answer for.”
“What do you mean?”
“She had strong suspicions concerning her brother. And I know she’s been pouring some kind of poison in your ear, so don’t try to deny it.”
“Trust me, I won’t. But why did you protect her for so long? You practically left me at her mercy.”
“I’ve come to see that was the wrong thing to do. You only mistrusted me all the more. But sometimes you were so headstrong that I didn’t want to comply with your demands. Most importantly, I didn’t want to reveal the true nature of my relationship with her—which is merely a business one now—because she’s a spy. ”
So Alalise was a spy and nothing more? “Huh, why wouldn’t you want to tell me that?”
He sighed. “Maggie, your face gives many of your thoughts and feelings. I didn’t want to endanger you or Alalise by taking that chance.”
She should feel insulted but didn’t. He was right. She was pretty much an open book. Still, how was she to learn if he didn’t trust her? “Well, as queen, at some point, I’m going to know something that’s dangerous.”
“Yes. I need to start entrusting you with information.”
Maggie filled in the blanks. “And I need to step up to my role.”
He froze and then shook his head before he gave a small smile. “By being a true queen who rules by my side.”
When he put it that way, her new position didn’t sound so bad. She opened her mouth to mention that, but stopped. Talion’s smile had disappeared, and he gazed at her with something approaching nervousness.
He fidgeted with his hands. Yep, he was definitely agitated about something. Whatever it was, it better not be major. The sinking sensation in her stomach told her otherwise.
“Maggie….” he began.
“What is it?” she asked, her voice sharper than intended. The sorrowful yet hopeful and—dare she say it—proud expression on his face freaked her out.
“When you were injured, Avrin discovered you are with child. Did you know?”
Maggie stared at him stupidly. With child? What did that mean? It couldn’t mean…. Oh, hell, it did. She screeched, “I’m pregnant? You got me pregnant?”
“Tell me you’re not completely dissatisfied at this prospect and want the child as much as I do,” he said, and the tone of his words were halfway between a demand and a plea.
How did she truly feel? She’d never particularly wanted children. Though she’d been knocking boots with Talion plenty, she hadn’t even considered the possibility. So her being pregnant wasn’t totally Talion’s fault. The blame rested on her just as much.
Fright and wonder rolled through her veins. The thought of having a child was scary, but not as distasteful as she believed it would be. “I’m not used to the idea, but the idea isn’t as bad as I’d thought it would be. We’re bonded, so we have a stable family unit in which to raise a child.” She shivered. “I definitely think we’ll make better parents than my mom and dad were to me.”
An inquiring look crossed his face, and she held up a hand. “Not right now. I’m not feeling up to a trip through my past. That’s a story for another day, as is the full tale of your marriage to Serrina that I want to know all about.”
He grabbed the hand she had up in the air, and brought it to his lips. After placing a kiss there, he said, “Yes, let’s not dirty the moment with painful reminiscences.”
She bit her lip and watched him through hooded eyes. His old-fashioned way of talking was hot. Too bad it was the only kind of action she’d be getting for a while. She groaned. Why was she always so horny about Talion? Was it the bond, or was it just him? Maybe being pregnant made it worse.
“How far does Avrin think I am?” As a thought occurred, her hand went to her stomach automatically. “Is the baby okay?”
“The little one is safe and sustained no setbacks that Avrin can tell.”
She let out a sigh of relief. Though this baby hadn’t been planned, it was still hers and Talion’s to protect and love.
“You’re around six weeks along.”
She did the math. “So it happened in the first few days after we bonded?”
“Probably the first night.”
“Oh.” The night she couldn’t remember, but the one that had forever changed her life. “For some reason, that seems fitting.”
He brought his face to hers, and touched their foreheads together. “It does.” A slow grin spread across his lips.
Something Cal had said about elvin children floated back to her, and she pulled back. “Wait, wait, wait!” She pointed an accusing finger at him because this part was all his fault. “Don’t elvin kids stay babies or toddlers for like fifty billion years?” Okay, she was exaggerating, but it was some long amount like that, minus fifty billion years.
Talion stared at her, his mouth quirking in such an adorable manner she couldn’t easily maintain her indignation. When he laughed and caught her lips with his, she was a goner. She sighed dreamily. He could stop her rants this way anytime he wanted.
In fact, she was counting on it.
Chapter 27
“Nervous?” Talion whispered in her ear. They waited in the anteroom of the throne room before they made their entrance.
“No.” She caught his knowing look. “Yes. I can’t hide anything from you, can I?”
“You never could,” he said, his voice smug.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I could feel you to some degree right from the beginning.”
So he knew everything she felt? Right from the beginning? Well, that sucked. She didn’t know whether to kiss him or deck him on his nearly healed nose. Guess some things never changed. “Why are you in such a good mood? I thought Eamon’s trial would have the opposite effect.”
“I’ve waited for this day for the last two weeks.”
His satisfaction was so strong, it swept through the bond like a burning-hot wave. “You really want your revenge.”
Talion’s smile held a hint of cruelty. “And I’ll get it. No one hurts you and gets away with it.”
Maggie placed a hand on his arm. “I don’t think we’ll have to worry about him getting away with it. I want to see him get a harsh punishment, too. My heart nearly stopped when I thought Eamon was going to kill you. What he did was totally horrible…but death is so final.”
He frowned at her. “That’s the whole point.”
“I guess.” She sighed, not wanting to get into this with him. But if she didn’t right now, it would be too late. “You know, there are—”
The door opened, and Relian and Cal’s arrival cut off her words. Maggie shrugged. Eamon’s future was out of her hands. Why did she even care what happened to him? She had no answer for that.
Cal walked over to Maggie while Relian drew his father away to speak to him. “So are you ready for this?” Cal asked.
“As ready as I’ll ever be.”
“Me, too. How are you feeling?”
“Eh, except for the lingering pain in my side, the morning sickness and mind-numbing tiredness, I’m peachy.”
“Well, you have less than seven months left.” Cal laughed. “After that, your child will be a baby or toddler for only forty to fifty years.”
“Damn it all, Cal, it’s not funny. When are you going to be knocked up?”
“We’re in no hurry, unlike some people.” She ignored Maggie’s growl. “We’re not trying to prevent it, though, so it’ll happen when it happens.”
“I hope it happens sooner than later,” Maggie muttered.
Interrupting, Talion said, “It’s time.” He strode toward Maggie and held out his
arm.
She forced a smile to her face. “Let’s get this show on the road.”
When they entered the throne room, all those already waiting stood up and bowed or curtsied. Talion handed Maggie onto the smaller throne before seating himself on the larger one.
“Bring those awaiting trial in,” Talion said.
The guards near a side door bowed and went to retrieve the prisoners. They herded in Eamon, Andrian, and Alanon, and seated the three in simple wooden chairs before the dais. Eamon looked worse for the wear, his hair sticking out wildly and his face dirty. He cradled his right palm. Maggie squinted, and the angry red of his palm snagged her attention. Unwilling sympathy welled. That had to hurt like hell.
Trying to take her mind off Eamon’s hand—the hand she’d cut—she turned her focus to the other two. Andrian and Alanon’s skin and hair matched the cleanliness of their clothes. It seemed some people were getting special treatment.
Talion addressed his court. “Let us begin Lord Eamon’s trial first, though all those accused will have a bearing upon each other’s cases. My lords and ladies, Lord Eamon has conspired against our great kingdom by corrupting the darkindred and seeking to kill your king and queen. Relian, the orb please.”
Relian, who stood to the left of his father’s throne, handed his father a little velvet pouch. Talion took the pouch and emptied it into the palm of his hand. The crystal orb, reflecting all the colors in a rainbow, glittered in the natural light streaming through the windows and skylights. Maggie found it hard to take her gaze off it. Funny that such a small thing could control a whole race.
Cradling the orb between his fingers, Talion held it up for everyone to see. “This is the orb that controls the darkindred, and the one Lord Eamon stole from the veil.”
The crowd broke out in loud whispers, but quieted when Talion gave Maggie the orb to hold. Energy thrummed through the material of the pouch and into her hand. Unease raced through her. This wasn’t an item a human or even an elf was supposed to grasp, let alone possess. Talion, though, was showing his faith in her by entrusting her with the orb, even if only for the duration of the trial.
Talion went on to detail all the trespasses committed by Eamon. The throng appeared to listen, enraptured, to his every word. Maggie nearly snorted. Enraptured meant something far different when applied to elves. They let their carefully crafted composure slip for a moment, so that a glimpse of some strong emotion was possible. Well, unless it was anger or derision—those they seemed to express more freely.
The knowledge the darkindred were supposed to discover mates in the human world brought out surprise, ire, and acceptance in different proportions from most members of the crowd. Maggie bit back a smirk. Their lives were about to be shaken up, much in the same way she’d turned Talion’s inside out.
Once Talion finished, Avrin spoke next. “Any words from the accused?”
Eamon’s face took on a defiant look, and his lip curled in a sneer. “You are all fools if you think this new queen won’t be the downfall of our world. Humans are never content, and if they find out about our world, they won’t stop until they possess it.”
Murmuring arose, and some seemed to agree with him. Though she hated to admit it, he had a point.
Talion frowned. “Silence, please. Two others of the accused are going to speak of their experience with Lord Eamon.”
Both told of how Eamon was the corruptor of the darkindred. Many elves in the audience gasped when it was revealed how Eamon snatched the orb from Aistiane’s neck while she, in her human form, rested at Andrian’s camp. Even the council members wore expressions of shock. Maggie zoned out now and then because she’d already heard most of this. With any luck, Andrian and Alanon would come out of this without too harsh of a punishment.
Maggie’s ears perked up when Avrin quizzed Andrian about why he never attempted to dispose of Eamon, if Eamon was really as hated among the darkindred as Andrian said.
“Because of the failsafe,” Andrian said, his voice ringing in the two-story room. “The failsafe that could potentially end the lives of all darkindred.” Andrian took a deep breath and shook his head. “I did try to kill him. That’s when he told me of the failsafe. I didn’t know whether to believe him, but I couldn’t take the risk of killing him if he were telling the truth.”
Alanon backed up his friend’s story, and the room broke out into whispers again.
Talion sat with a finger raised to his lips, a pensive look on his face. He nodded at Avrin to continue to the questioning.
“Why did you wait so long to aid the king and queen?” Avrin asked, pacing in front of Andrian with his hands behind his back.
“We had to wait until your men could fight off the posted soldiers.”
“But they were your men.”
Andrian gazed steadily at Avrin before turning his regard to the ceiling. “Yes, but some were scared to challenge Eamon, and are distrustful of the elves.”
After a few more statements from both darkindred, Talion addressed the council. “I believe the proof against Lord Eamon is irrefutable. Even if we don’t take the darkindred’s words for the full truth, the reality that Lord Eamon tried to kill the queen and me is undeniable. Thereby, he’s proven himself worthy of death.”
The council conferred among themselves. Maggie bit her lip, not sure what outcome she was really hoping for. Not that it mattered. If Talion wanted Eamon dead, his council couldn’t stop him. The trial was a mere formality, a way for the nobles to feel they had equal say in the kingdom. Most of the time Talion abided by their input, but he could disregard it when he wanted to.
Avrin bowed to Talion and Maggie. “Your Majesties, we have reached a decision. Given Lord Eamon’s crimes, we say death is the appropriate—”
“Death will not be his fate,” a familiar feminine voice called out.
Aistiane. Maggie swiveled on the throne, trying to locate her. Panicked whispers floated on the air. There, to the left side of the room, stood Aistiane. The guards in the room stared at Talion, indecision on their faces. An intruder, one that matched the description of the veil’s manifestation, had entered the throne room.
Talion motioned for the guards to stay where they were and welcomed their new visitor. “Aistiane, you honor us with your visit.”
She smiled. “I always enjoy dropping in on my favorite elvin king.”
Talion raised a brow. “We haven’t met before to my knowledge.”
“Oh, you haven’t seen me, but I’ve been watching over you for a long time. Eria holds a special place in my heart out of all the fae realms.”
“Thank you for your kind words.”
“They are true.” She paused before asking, “Did Andrian tell you why the darkindred have yellow eyes like mine?”
Talion shook his head, interest flitting across his face.
“The yellow eyes are a mark that they were to be sent to the human world to find bond mates for themselves or others. The darkindred are as much my children as you are. Now that they’re free of Eamon’s influence, I hope they can attain the glory they were supposed to. If they can recover to perform their original function, Eria—and indeed all the fae realms—and Earth will be well-served by it.”
Mecebrin, who had been quiet until now and watching his son, Alanon, with concern, spoke up. “If the darkindred can revert to what they’re supposed to be, why do we need to send them to Earth to seek human mates for those who are unbonded?”
Maggie still didn’t like the guy, but Talion had said nothing incriminating had turned up against him or Baltor.
Aistiane stared at Mecebrin, a neutral expression pasted on her visage. “While the magic and the veil will become stronger because the magic used to pervert the darkindred has been released, this still doesn’t solve the primary problem—and the reason I created the darkindred. Bond mates produce the energy the magic needs to fuel itself. And many of those bond mates happen to be on Earth.”
Something like discomfort covered
her face. “The magic and I…we were shortsighted when we withdrew the fae worlds completely from the mortal realm. To fix this, I had altered a human bond mate’s blood to imbue the darkindred with their bond-mate finding powers, and kept this essence in the orb. To create the darkindred, I placed this essence within each of them. When Eamon stole the orb, his hate and bitterness corrupted the magic within the orb. In turn, that was how Eamon corrupted the darkindred. The magic drove most insane for the first years of their new life. Only with time were most able to overcome the worst effects.
“Calantha and Margaret were needed to bring about the prophecy. The queen’s blood destroyed the ties between Eamon and the darkindred because she was mortal-born and freely gave her blood for her bond mate. When she cut the orb from Eamon’s hand, her blood touched the crystal and irrevocably broke the link.”
Aistiane glanced out over the audience. “It is thanks to them, and Maggie’s sacrifice in protecting her king, that both worlds have a future.”
Many seemed to take her words to heart, and nodded. As Aistiane glided forward, the crowd parted before her. When she reached the three accused, she halted and glanced at Talion and the council. “I hope you will give leniency to Andrian and Alanon.” She gave those two a sweet smile, which they returned.
Then she faced Eamon, her smiling melting away. His face remained impassive. “Death is too easy an escape for this one,” she said, her tone containing a touch of acid.
Talion’s face clouded, and his lips thinned. “What do you propose we do then?”
“Banish him.”
A disbelieving sound left Talion’s mouth. “His last banishment didn’t work. Why would we punish him so again?”
“But his banishment was to the wilds of Eria. Where I mean to send him is much…more of a challenge.”
“And where would that be?” The words popped out of Maggie before she could stop them.
“Where would I send a human-hating elf?”
Aistiane’s devious grin made Maggie’s mind work overtime. The only place that made any sense was…Earth. God, no, Aistiane wouldn’t do that to humanity, would she? “You mean Earth?”