The Wildest Woods

by S. K Munt

  Shepherd Choir looked perplexed but at least when he spoke, everyone else quieted down out of respect. ‘Karol I know you’re upset, and I am also a bit perplexed to learn that a dark Nephilim with Larkin’s apparent strength has managed to work her way into God’s palace and remain undiscovered for so long...but do you honestly believe that there are more of them living here in Arcadia? Or that you need an army to guard yourself against such a motley crew and one very powerful girl?’

  ‘I agree with him,’ Emmanuel said quickly. ‘We haven’t uncovered a dark Nephilim living within our communities since that Bastien Birch character was Banished some time ago. I agree that there is a chance that the Banished might want Larkin to take them in under her wing, but that does not mean that she will. Besides, the fact that we’ve discovered two dark Nephilim living in our kingdoms in the last forty years hardly suggests an infestation, or warrants that we forge an army to stamp them out with!’

  ‘That’s an easy declaration for you to make, given how protected your own coastlines are, this close to Eden,’ Lachlan Gabriel said, ‘but those of us that have to share the Atlantic with the Godless and the Pirates would benefit from any sort of army being formed in God’s name-’

  ‘Something I’ve been saying for years!’ Elliot Bronx interjected, nodding his head eagerly. ‘I swear, Paris Kingslater must have at least five ships in his Armada now, and there are at least six other bands! I would embrace any sort of Barachiel-funded patrol on my shores, if that patrol was used to protect our people from Larkin of Eden and the Godless!’

  ‘Of course- they’d be instructed to protect God’s people from every threat they encounter,’ I said quickly, and I saw Queen Selafiel and Lachlan Gabriel exchange an excited look. ‘But a large number of bodies will be required for such an undertaking, and so I’d need all of you to send your third-borns to Arcadia for training and deployment. And in the name of being fair, every country that contributes to this defence force will receive an equal share of soldiers to the next. That way, it cannot be said that I am forging an army to defend only my country, but all of ours.’

  ‘But I don’t have your third-born clause, remember?’ Elliot Bronx asked, looking perturbed, and I had to bite my tongue from saying: Well whose fault is that?! ‘And if I send you all of our Corps prisoners, I will have no one left to fill the positions that they currently occupy.’

  ‘Then I would suggest that you send anyone that scores below a sixty-five on the PCE along. Not only will that give them a trade, but it will help counter-balance your population issues.’ I looked around the table. ‘Everyone else should send one out of two.’

  ‘That’s too many!’ Selafiel protested. ‘My factories would suffer!’

  ‘Then move more of your Blue Collars into the positions they vacate. If the work is fair and pleasant in your factories as it ought to be, who could possibly complain?’ I tapped on the table. ‘We need a lot of people scattered around our borders in order to catch this girl while monitoring the exploits of the godless! Soldiers that are trained in combat and that stand a chance against someone who can fly and breathe fire, and a few divisions that can sail too,’ I said. ‘I can track Larkin of Eden via the device that we implanted on her, of course, but as you all know, that device only transmits back to us when the person bearing it stays still long enough for our satellites to pick the established signal up. So as handy as it is, the only hope we have of catching her with it, is if she falls asleep somewhere close by, giving us the chance to sneak up on her before she moves on-’

  ‘Tracking device?’ the queen of Asiana looked ill. ‘Do all of your castle employees have such a thing, or just the Companions?’

  A few of the other leaders (the ones that used those same devices in their own companions) turned pink, but I sighed, hating the fact that I was going to have to justify our actions to her, even though I knew that she would never understand. Lee Selafiel was a descendant of an archangel and a queen in her own right, yes, but she was a human woman devoid of powers and had never had need of a Companion of her own because her needs weren’t as strong as her male, Nephilim counterparts were. Besides, even if she had shared our sex drive, monarchs in Asiana were permitted to get married at twenty-one anyway, so the more insatiable rulers could simply marry as a means to a satisfying end, and would never know the torment that the Arcadian monarchs endured while waiting for their thirtieth birthdays.

  Twenty-four hours beforehand, I had wanted nothing more than to change that rule so that every other love-struck prince that came along behind me could marry his heart’s desire as soon as he was lucky enough to find her, but not anymore. Marriage was off the cards for me now, as was love, and after the way my brothers had conducted themselves over Larkin, I was tempted to lift the marital age to fifty just to keep them from fucking up so badly in the name of passion again!

  ‘A few years ago, several of Elliot’s Companions were kidnapped by pirates, your highness, and although we were able to rescue two, two others were transported out of our reach before the Kingslater ship that they were on could be located. It was not the first time that pirates have tried to treat Companions like currency by holding them hostage or smuggling them out of a country, but it was the one with the most tragic outcome, so we all jointly decided to put tracking devices into the woman that we invested in, to ascertain that we would never lose one again.’

  ‘So… because you were afraid of them being treated like currency, you bagged and tagged them like you would your other precious treasures?’ Lee Selafiel made a face. ‘How gallant. Tell me again, why this Larkin girl was so unhappy? Seems like a true paradise here, for a girl like her. Or should I say, an investment?’

  ‘Though I’m quite a fan of sarcasm under normal, lighter circumstances...’ I began lightly, annoyed by the fact that Hamlet McPhee was laughing and clearly not intimidated by me at all, ‘I must emphasise that it is not welcome at this table, this day, your highness, so I’d caution you to taste everything that you say to me before you say it, so you too will know that you’re feeding me poison. I know that you do not respect some of our patriarchal customs, but we are not here to debate that matter right now- we are here to bag and tag a dangerous, unholy criminal before she can cause more damage than she already has, and before she can bridge more gaps between the Godless factions over your already troubled waters. So please, if you want to get into a heated argument concerning Nephilim sexuality, third-born criminals, premature marriage and free will, come see me after so we can schedule a more fitting time to do that. But for the time being I ask that you keep your uneducated opinion to yourself and do as Shepherd Choir suggested and pay some respect to your new king- and remember that were it not for my kingdom and the protection that we offer you, Asiana would have been lost to the pirates centuries ago!’

  Lee narrowed her eyes at me. ‘Are you threatening me? Go along with your plan: or go on alone?’

  ‘How could it be a threat, if the crown threatening to stop protecting you, is pathetic enough to you to warrant mocking?’ I turned to look at the other men, who looked a lot more uncomfortable now that I’d put the strength of my kingdom- and the reminder of how much it already supported their own kingdoms- out there. ‘My family and I have been attacked, and I do not believe that we have seen the last of Larkin Whittaker or her flammable nature. My birthday wish is to train soldiers that will stand a chance of capturing her and fighting her if she resists arrest, and it is a wish that will also shield your own kingdoms from the problems that they already have. So are you going to grant it, or not?’

  The other leaders all shifted nervously in their seats, no doubt deliberating how unpopular they would be if they supported me, but Elliot and Lachlan looked like they were ready to sign on the dotted line immediately, and I was encouraged by that.

  ‘Why are you even asking?’ President Camden asked tiredly. ‘You have the resources in Arcadia to do it even without our men, so why seek permission when we all know that you’re probably
going to do what you want anyway?’ It was clear that he was still pissed off with me, just like his daughter was, but it was clearer still that I’d succeeded in spooking him a little bit more concerning Larkin, and for that I was glad. I needed Connor Camden on my side, and I needed him to want to be there.

  ‘I am not seeking permission,’ I said, smiling my dazzling smile for the first time since I’d entered the room, sending out a wave of positive vibrations along with it, one so light that it would go undetected by them. That was another thing that my father had warned me about: my power was a manipulative one when used on peoples’ emotional states, and so my alliances would constantly be looking to accuse me of influencing their moods to suit my agenda. I could use it when desperate, but only when it would benefit everyone, and not so much that when they left the room, they would be struck by a sudden reverse in good feelings that could be linked to their proximity to me. ‘I am seeking your blessing because I know we will be more united if I get it, not less. Our people- on every continent- are going to be confused when I announce that I will be training soldiers, and I am going to need your support to help assure them that I am not forging an army so that I can attack other nations with it. If that was my goal then I would indeed be going against my ancestor’s vow to God to refrain from starting pointless wars, and I would expect you to stop me in my tracks and cast me off my throne.’ I wet my lips. ‘But that is not my purpose- Arcadia does not want for land or wealth- only protection for its people from those that would do them harm.’ I planted my hands on the table between Queen Selafiel and Elliot Bronx. ‘Give me your blessing to go through with this, and I will repay you by making sure that I catch her before she can become an actual threat to your people too. Stand against me, and well…’ I pushed off the table, ‘don’t come knocking on our door for aid, when your own woes comes sailing up to yours.’ I stepped back, feeling a lot better when I realised that they were all looking anxious now- anxious enough to suggest that perhaps they needed my foolish alliance more than they’d been letting on.

  ’What part do you expect me to play in this?’ Atticus piped up, looking grey. ‘I’m your highest ranked Corps official, but I wouldn’t be able to serve Pacifica as Prime Minister and be in charge of multiple divisions- it’s too much.’

  ‘I know,’ I said quietly. ‘Which is why I’d very much like to sit down and have a conversation with you regarding your future in Pacifica once this motion has passed. Not only do we need to talk about the Corps and your position within the government, but I think we need to have a very serious discussion regarding Pacifica’s missing treasure as well, don’t you?’

  Atticus scowled at me. ‘I certainly hope you don’t expect me to take the fall for that. Larkin Whittaker’s escape was an internal security issue, not mine.’

  ‘No, but I do expect you to do whatever it takes to help me find the person who ought to take the fall for it, and bring her to justice!’ I snapped, and although Atticus continued to scowl at me, he shrugged and looked away, agreeing without saying so and I almost laughed. No wonder Kohl idolised him so- the man wasn’t afraid of me in the slightest.

  Not now he’s not, but he will learn to be if he doesn’t watch himself!

  Smirking, I turned back to the others. ‘I’ll give the rest of you some time to decide how you feel about this, but before I go, let me also remind you of the fact that when I asked your blessing to take a demon as a wife yesterday, I also asked for your discretion. Although my desire to marry Larkin Whittaker has dissolved, my need for confidentially concerning my proposal has not.’ I pressed my hands together. ‘No one outside of this room is to find out how close I came to being taken over by a fallen woman- no one- especially not my brothers.’ A few looked up at me in surprise but I held up my hand, hoping that my palm wasn’t shining with sweat: ‘Not only will it cause a lot of fear and confusion for people to find out that a Barachiel could be overwhelmed so easily by a fallen angel, and not only because it will take a lot of the focus off where it is needed: on mourning my parents, but because Prince Kohén has lost all of his memories of that beast thanks to the injuries that he sustained, and for the sake of his soul, I intend to keep it that way.’

  ‘Why?’ Connor Camden demanded. ‘If he gets his memories back, he will be able to tell us exactly what happened in that harem last night and shed some light on all of this darkness!’

  ‘He has nothing to tell us that Kohl hasn’t reported already,’ I pointed out, ignoring that niggling feeling inside me that told me that Kohl might have edited a few of the facts, ‘and nothing to gain from getting his memories back but a world of pain and regret. Perhaps you all believe that he deserves that, but if he has been under the thrall of a demon since the age of five, then doesn’t it seem fair that we give him this chance to start anew and free of her influence?’ I leaned back against the door, suddenly exhausted. The last thing I wanted to do was fight for my brother, but so long as he was a Barachiel, it was my duty to watch over him and try to get him back on track. ‘Right now he is in a placid if not somewhat disorientated state, and I think we can all agree that a crowned prince with nothing on his mind is a lot more stable than one writhing in emotional anguish, yes?’ Yael nodded and Atticus looked vexed, but everyone else seemed somewhat indifferent to Kohén’s mental health so I moved on: ‘I don’t know if this amnesia of his is permanent or fleeting, but in the interest of keeping him sedated for as long as possible, and giving Kohl and I the opportunity to grieve for our parents without Kohén going off in hysterics over his missing whore, I have ordered that every portrait of Larkin be taken off the castle’s walls and stowed away until I decide whether or not to destroy them- or to post them on the boundary of every fence with a reward offered on it for her capture. For the same reasons, I do not want him or Kohl finding out that I also believed myself to be in love with Larkin, and was set on spoiling both of their chances with her by making her a queen. It will make them both resent and distrust me, and could very possibly trigger Kohén into remembering his jealousy. The aftershocks of such a revelation could be catastrophic for this family so please, respect my wishes, remember that you have all sworn to serve me, and keep all speculation regarding my relationship with Larkin under lock and key, all right? The only person outside of this room that knows of my plans was Ora, and it will stay that way, understood?’

  ‘The latter option seems like the way to go, doesn’t it?’ Hamlet asked, and when I looked at him in befuddlement he added: ‘For the portraits? Turning them into wanted posters, I mean?’

  I exhaled gently in relief, taking the change of subject as an indication that yes, Hamlet would keep my secret. ‘I haven’t decided yet. It seems a little desperate to me, and the last thing I want people believing is that we desperately fear this girl.’

  ‘But you do fear this girl,’ Connor pointed out, standing up. ‘You’re clearly terrified of her!’

  But I smiled and open the door and left them with the parting words: ‘Only because I don’t know where she is. But the moment I find her… it will be Larkin Whittaker that will be terrified of me, and ruing the day that she ever tried to slay one of God’s soldiers on consecrated ground. She will get a fair trial with a Shep, and you can all elect to be present for that-’ I looked directly at Ora’s father, who nodded, satisfied. ‘But if she is found guilty, she will be wiped from the face of this earth, understood?’

  Everyone looked at one another and nodded, and when president Camden nodded too, I finally released the breath I’d been holding.

  ‘Good. The crown appreciates your support, and I will retire now to give you the chance to think over my other demands in private. Thank you, gentlemen, and Queen Selafiel. Now if you’ll excuse me,’ I swallowed hard, ‘I have several eulogies to write-’

  ‘Wait!’ Connor Camden rapped on the table with his knuckles. ‘What about your brother? Regardless of what he can and cannot remember, the fact remains that he got all of us into this mess and I know I can speak for eve
ryone in this room when I say that I want to see him disciplined in some way!’ His outburst was encouraged by a lot of frantic nodding, by everyone but Atticus and Ewan, who still looked a little green.

  I smiled, but I knew it was still more of a lopsided grimace. ‘Grant me my army, and I swear to you that the crowned prince will come to learn the true meaning of the word discipline, President Camden. And others- like hard work, and sacrifice.’

  Connor raised an eyebrow, and my uncle finally looked up, frowning. ‘You’d enlist him as an officer?’

  ‘That would be giving him a title that he has not earned,’ I said stiffly, ‘and I think we all know that there’s been enough of that, hasn’t there?’

  Feeling as though I’d made all of my points, I walked out of the room and closed the door hard behind me, certain that my birthday wish was going to be granted by the time the sun had finished setting.