by Leia Stone
We quickly got dressed, except for my socks because somehow I’d lost one of those, and then hand in hand, we followed behind Noble.
Once we were there, I spotted Justice and broke away to give him a quick hug. He was using a cane to lean on, but otherwise seemed healthy and healing just fine.
I listened to the report from Mageville, stunned. My communication with Rage had been minimal the last few days, but I had no idea things could get so dire so quickly.
“We’re not going to abandon our homes just for your convenience,” a woman said. “The lower mages don’t trust you—and you haven’t really given them a reason to if you ask me.”
“Really?” Rage asked. “I’ve sent countless guards to Dark Row to protect you all from the blood mages, and I’ve ordered my men to train your people in self-defense—against the wishes of the high mages. I’m losing my people to protect yours. What more would you have me do?”
She shook her head. “For every man you lose, we lose a dozen. Put pressure on the High Mage Council to let us live on their fancy and protected island. Then we’ll be truly safe. We don’t want to live behind those huge walls your earth elementals are making.”
“Those walls are to keep you safe.” Rage shook his head. “And if you all moved to High Mage Island, then we’d still be protecting you because the portals are here on Shifter Island.”
The woman drew in a sharp breath, but Rage held up his hand.
“I’m not going to get embroiled in mage problems or mage politics.” The irritation in Rage’s voice was thick. “You can make whatever demands you want to the High Mage Council. I told you we’d protect you for a short time, and that’s what we’ll do.”
Crap. This was exactly what Kian had been talking about in the meeting.
Once the female mage left, the five of us sat on the dais to talk, and Honor tucked into my side. I stroked his fur as I listened.
“Where are we at with the mage self-defense training?” Rage asked, turning to Justice.
Justice shook his head. “You’re asking me to accomplish something nearly impossible, taking untrained mages and turning them into warriors within a couple weeks. These people have had zero training, Rage. We can get them to patrol, but when it comes to defending themselves—the lower mages are rubbish at it. Maybe in a few years, they’ll be self-sufficient—”
“We don’t have a few years,” Rage growled, turning to Noble. “What about the selkies? Is King Ozark—”
“He’s sent two dozen warriors to help on the mainland,” Noble said, shaking his head. “If he sends any more, he’ll have rioting with his own people. Not all of the selkies have a forgive and forget mentality.”
“Dammit!” Rage slammed his fist against the throne’s armrest. “What about the falcons and bears? What about the panther king?”
Both Justice and Noble mumbled about lower numbers and limited availability.
Narrowing his eyes, Rage glared at his brothers. “How is it that we still don’t have a read on how many blood mages we’re dealing with?”
Justice shook his head. “So far, the blood mages are picking us off by ones and twos. That makes it difficult to get any idea as to a number, but during my attack…” His eyes darkened. “There were dozens.”
Rage sighed, and Noble cleared his throat.
“The lower mages are arguing that you’re trying to control them when it’s your job to protect them,” Noble added.
‘Since when is it the alpha king’s responsibility to protect the mages?’ Honor asked.
“My job? Hah!” Rage barked out, adding his contempt to Honor’s.
I winced. Now would be a good time for me to segue into the contract his uncle signed, but Rage was so fired up I wasn’t sure it was the best time to add more to his plate.
“I am trying to protect them,” Rage growled. “I feel like all I do is try to please everyone—and these problems aren’t even ours. I’m done. Justice, pull the wolves out of Dark Row.”
I’d been listening silently, trying to find the best time to drop the truth bomb, but at his declaration, I raised my hand. “Uh, Rage? There’s something you should know.”
“Are you raising your hand to be called on?” Noble asked, chuckling. “We’re not in school, Nai.”
Justice paused on his way to the door, grinning.
‘Queen Nai, you may have the floor,’ Honor added.
I flipped them the bird.
“Shut up, you guys,” Rage snapped. “What is it, Nai?”
Oh crappers. Here goes nothing.
“Well, I just … I feel like I need to clear something up here. Your uncle had a contract with the High Mage Council. And as I understand it, you do have an obligation to protect Mageville. You actually get paid really well for it—with the mage wine and direct crown payments from the high mages.”
All three boys and Honor stared at me.
“I’m sorry, come again?” Rage said.
I explained what I’d heard at the High Mage Council meeting, and what my grandfather had said, and then finished with, “I feel like we need to compromise and keep the peace with the high mages for now. You don’t have to like running protection details for the lower mages, but there are thousands of shifters and only a few hundred high mages. They just don’t have the numbers—which is why they pay you to do the work.”
“Is that true?” Rage asked Noble, eyes wide.
Noble pursed his lips. “I … I’ve only just started this job. I haven’t had a chance to look through all of the files. It could be … I don’t know where all the money comes from … but there is a sizeable amount that comes in from HMC every month.”
Everyone froze at that.
“HMC?” Rage growled.
“Probably stands for High Mage Council,” Justice said.
All four boys cursed at the same time.
“Could we get by without it?” Rage asked.
Noble grimaced. “Not now that we’ve taken on all the other shifter races. We’d have to cut back on a lot of spending, including what we spend on our guards and weaponry. The HMC payments account for fifty percent of our yearly earnings.”
Rage’s eyes grew so wide I thought his eyeballs might pop out. “Fifty percent! And you’re just now telling me this?”
Noble growled at his brother. “We’ve had other things on our plates, what with Nai’s disappearance, the blood mage attacks, and Justice nearly dying. I was going to investigate once things settled down.”
Rage rubbed his temples. “You’re right. I’m sorry. So what do we do? How do we get out of having to take care of people that aren’t even ours!”
“Or…” I put up a finger. “You just go along and take care of Mageville. I know it’s not ideal, but … you did inherit a contract … and you’re spending the money they pay you—”
“Oh. My. Mage!” Rage snarled, turning toward me. “Whose side are you on?”
Wait.
“What?” I asked.
“Are you really trying to convince me to go along with the high mage’s exploitation of our people? To honor a contract that my crooked uncle signed?”
“No! That is not what I said.” I crossed my arms over my chest. “I’m just saying pick your battles—and I don’t think this is one of them.” I had yet to tell him about the portal threat they’d made.
Rage stood up so fast his throne fell back onto the stone with a loud crash. “I can’t believe this, Nai.” He shook his head, his eyes narrowed with anger. “It actually happened. You took their side. You’re one of us, but you’re siding with them.”
Them?
“I’m not taking their side, Rage,” I snapped, heat creeping into my cheeks. “And I’m not just an alpha heir; I’m half high mage too. I am one of them!” I sucked in a deep breath and tried to control my tone. “I’m not trying to favor anyone here. I’m saying we should compromise, work together to achieve a common goal. Right now, you guys need the money, and they need the mages protected.”
<
br /> Rage looked down at me, his chest heaving. Through our bond, I could feel this simmering frustration, but I wasn’t about to back down from what I believed.
“I hear you say you’re not taking a side, but that’s not what this feels like, Nai. Compromise involves both sides giving and both sides getting. We give our lives so the high mages can stay safe on their protected island. It seems to me like the wolves take all the risks. And you’re telling us we should take these risks for money. That seems an awful lot like taking a side. I don’t care about money. I care about not losing one more man.”
“That is not true.” I shot out of my chair, hands balled into fists. “What I’m saying is … well, Kian said … they threatened—”
“I don’t want to argue with you anymore,” Rage said, looking down at me with disappointment. “I need some sleep. We can talk later.” He turned and was halfway down the stairs before I could even process what was happening. ‘Good night, Nai.’ His words in my head were clipped, and my heart sank in my chest.
And then he left the room.
Big fat tears welled in my eyes, and Honor nuzzled his head into my thigh as Justice stepped closer to me, awkwardly running his hands through his hair.
“Nai, he’s just really stressed—” Justice started.
“Goodnight, guys.” I said a hasty goodbye to the other Midnight brothers and then left the throne room with tears in my eyes. Rage and I had fought plenty of times before we’d sealed the bond, but somehow, this time hurt the most. I didn’t want to be here anymore, I wanted to be as far away from all things Midnight as possible. I needed my bestie. A little visit to the Harvest girls was in order.
Chapter Ten
I wiped my tears and then knocked softly on the Harvest girls’ dorm room door. The second it opened, I came face to face with my redheaded bestie, and then she screamed like a dolphin being attacked. Throwing herself at me, she pulled me in for the most suffocating and best hug of my life.
“Nai! Dammit, girl, I missed you.”
Fiona, Nell, Rue, and Mele popped into view behind Kaja, and more screeching commenced—some of it was even mine. Everything Rage and I had talked about was forgotten for now. I was in my Harvest girl bubble, and all was right with the world.
Kaja pulled back to look at me. “Can I hug you? I mean … aren’t you our queen now?”
Fiona waved her hand. “Queen-schmeen, she’ll always be our Nai.”
I grinned, stepping into the foyer and giving each and every one of them a tight squeeze. “What have you guys been up to? Tell me everything,” I said, practically begging for a distraction.
Kaja laughed. “Us tell you? No way, you tell us everything. Rage said you had to run off to save your grandfather on High Mage Island!”
I chewed my lip, shuffling awkwardly in the hallway. “I’d rather hear about you.”
Understanding lit up Kaja’s face, and she nodded. “Come sit.”
I followed them into the living room, and we all sat around the coffee table.
“So,” Kaja said, “Rage invited all of the shifters back to the island and put the hawks bordering Daybreak land.”
Fiona snickered as if she knew where this story was going, I leaned in, desperate to have my mind off of my argument with Rage.
“So, day one, Mallory starts to complain that when the hawks are in bird form, they fly nearby and spy on her when she’s taking a bath.”
I burst out in laughter. “What? That’s crazy.”
Kaja nodded, grinning. “She’s accusing them of being Peeping Toms.”
Nell rolled her eyes. “As if anyone wants to see Mallory naked.”
I knew there had to be more to this, and I wanted the juicy part. “What happened?” I asked.
“Mallory complained to John, the new alpha of Daybreak, but he told her it wasn’t a real problem. So then she brought the issue to Rage. She wanted the hawks moved and a land animal in their place.”
I groaned. What a headache. Mallory was so annoying!
Fiona was having a hard time keeping her laughter in, and Mele was bright red, so I knew the story got better.
“And?” I asked.
“Rage—” Kaja burst out laughing like she couldn’t keep it in any longer.
Even though nothing funny had been said yet, I started to snicker.
“Tell me!” I playfully punched her arm. This was exactly what I needed, some carefree time with my girls.
Nell grabbed her face as if that could keep her from smiling. “Rage backed John and denied Mallory’s request. He told her she needed to respect her alpha, and if it really was an issue, the two packs would need to work it out on their own. So Mallory put up ‘privacy screens’”—Nell did air quotes—“all around her house.”
“And now the hawks poop on her head whenever she’s outside!” Kaja blurted.
We all burst into laughter then. I laughed so hard I tipped back onto the living room rug, shaking with amusement. Kaja fell back next to me, eyes leaking tears. When we finally calmed down, I pulled up a vision of Mallory walking across her land, white bird poop falling on her head, and rolled with laughter again, setting the girls off into fits of giggles once more.
I hadn’t realized how much I needed this, I hadn’t realized how stressed I’d been the past few days. I finally sat up, wiping my eyes, and when my thoughts drifted back to Rage, the amusement faded like the sun in a storm.
Kaja must’ve noticed. Clearing her throat, she pulled me up into a standing position. “We’re going to hang in my room,” she told everyone.
The girls nodded. “Good to see you, Nai,” Fiona said.
“Come back more often!” Nell agreed.
I told them I would and then stepped into Kaja’s room. The second the door closed behind her, she turned to face me. “Spill it. I know something is wrong.”
I sighed, glancing at the clock on her bedside table. It was late, and I was hungry and tired. “This is a long story, Kaj.”
She crossed her arms. “I’ll order pizza to be delivered from the cafeteria.”
I grinned. “Extra ranch?”
A slow smile spread across her lips. “Is there any other way to eat pizza?”
Two hours later, it was pitch dark out. I’d eaten five slices and poured my heart out to Kaja.
“Damn, girl, I can see Rage’s point but also yours. That’s quite a pickle.”
I nodded, breaking a piece of pizza crust in half and throwing it into the box. “Alright, I gotta get back or Reyna will worry about me.”
“How is my grumpy big sister?” she asked, and I tried to keep my smile fresh, natural, totally not giving away that when gramps died, Reyna would too.
“She’s great. I mean, pain in the ass sometimes, but great.”
Kaja chuckled. “That’s her.”
Maybe I could find a way to keep Reyna alive … this whole shield thing seemed pointless when you were going to die of old age anyway.
Problem for future Nai.
“Love you.” I reached out and pulled my bestie into a hug.
“Love you too.” Kaja squeezed. “Visit me tomorrow. I want daily date night too!”
I laughed. “You’ve got it. I’ll come over every day after I see Rage.”
And with that, I headed back to High Mage Island hoping that giving Rage a night to cool off would bring him to his senses.
When I got to the library portal, Honor was curled up asleep in front of the Onyx door. He stirred when I approached.
‘What did I do to deserve a great friend like you?’ I reached down and scratched his ears.
‘For starters, you saved my life. Or brought me back to life, I should say,’ he replied as I grinned, opening the door and stepping through the portal.
‘Touché. You owe me big time,’ I teased.
We slipped through the empty library and then into Gramps’ private study.
‘Want me to stay here with you tonight? I feel bad, sticking you in here all alone,’ I asked H
onor as he hopped up onto the couch and curled up.
‘Nah, I kind of feel like this is my cool bachelor pad. But feel free to bring food in the morning.’
I leaned down and kissed the top of his furry head. ‘You’ve got it.’
With that, I headed over to the main spirit house, to my bedroom, and then climbed into bed. Kaja and I were great. Honor and my friendship more solid than ever. But my issues with Rage pulled at my consciousness, causing me to toss and turn all night. Mostly I wondered one thing…
Was he right? Was I taking the wrong side?
The next morning, I woke groggily, prepared to have another portal lesson with my mom later in the day. I wanted to check on Gramps first and see where he thought my training should go. After finding my soul stone with Reyna, I’d hidden it inside the black pouch with the others, but I wasn’t really sure if I needed to have it on me at all times or what. One more thing to ask my grandfather.
But first, I should probably check in with my mate. I hated that we’d fought last night…
‘Hey … I didn’t sleep well.’ I pushed the thought through our bond.
He sighed mentally, and the sound only made me feel more depressed.
‘Me neither, Nai. But I don’t know if I’m ready to talk about it yet. Maybe later. I love you.’
Ouch.
My throat tightened with unshed tears as the pain of his rejection bled through our bond. If not for the hasty “I love you” at the end…
He just needs time, I told myself. He’d been dealing with a lot as king, and only having just found out that the high mages paid for fifty percent of his income, it was a blow. And I did take the high mages’ side … I did. Before I could stop them, tears spilled over onto my cheeks.
Dammit, Rage, you little shit! I wasn’t going to be able to focus on my studies today until we were all good. I wanted him to see that the bigger fights right now were the blood mages and me getting my grandfather’s spirit magic. That was where our focus should be.
Wiping my eyes, I decided to forgo breakfast. I needed to get some fresh air and clear my head. Rushing to dress and brush my teeth, I darted out into the hallway.