Yelena's eyes flicked to his, and she ever so slightly raised a brow before focusing back on whatever Charlotte was saying to her.
Heat and desire burned in Valentine's gut, and his magic threaded around hers in greeting. The tense line in Yelena's shoulders softened, and he could feel her relief washing back over him. She didn't want to be there any more than he did.
"Thank you for coming, everyone. Let's get this started," Taranis said, sitting down at the head of the table beside Quinn. "Bring it in!"
Two servants entered the room, carrying a large silver mirror. Valentine had only seen one similar to it before, and that had belonged to Kian. There were ancient fae glyphs carved around its border that hummed with so much magic that it made Valentine's skin itch.
The sun outside the window dipped below the horizon, signaling the time between times. The mirror glyphs hummed with Taranis's magic. It often appeared scarlet like Valentine's own, and he wondered if it was part of being an alpha.
The surface of the mirror rippled like a stone thrown into quicksilver, and a face appeared in its depths. He had long golden hair and eyes as green as spring. On his head was a crown that looked like it was made of crystal. It wasn't until the mirror wentclear that Valentine could see the cold bastard in those perfect green eyes.
"Taranis, you have aged since we last spoke," Midir said, instead of a hello.
"It happens to the best of us eventually." Taranis looked deceptively bored as he leaned back in his chair. "Shall we get to the point of the meeting? Your bastard general decided to send spies into Lord Afon's lands in the north, and they then killed my people and tortured two of my knights."
The hair on the back of Valentine's neck rose. He hadn't known that Afon had been the one to report Midir's activity. It didn't excuse how he talked about Yelena, but if he thought he was about to be invaded, then it was little wonder that he was so pissy all the time.
Midir laughed softly. "And by the destruction I found left behind at one of my forts, Cathal paid the price for that indiscretion."
"Not nearly enough," Valentine growled before he could check himself.
Midir's green eyes snapped to him and widened. "There you are. I have been looking for you, sorcerer."
"So I hear," Valentine replied, letting his own streak of cold bastard be seen. "It's always good to put a face to one's enemies."
Midir's expression cooled, and he turned his attention back to Taranis. "Give me back my access to my barrow opening in Ireland again, and I will leave your borders alone. I have no wish to fight other fae."
"Ireland, the human world in general, isn't the place you remember, Midir. They will not tolerate your raiding and other nonsense. It is a world of iron and technology now," Taranis replied.
"But it is fine for your nephews and your brothers to journeythere? You yourself have gone and gotten a pretty little human wench, and yet you would begrudge me doing the same?" Midir demanded. "You just don't want to share."
"For starters, Quinn is my mate and queen, not my wench," Taranis growled before taking a breath. "And my nephew, Kian, already had a kingdom in England and has a right to be there."
"Your queen?" Midir looked at the lords and knights. "You let a filthy human be in charge? They were created to serve us. They will always be lesser creatures. I thought you dragons were meant to be proud. How can you hold your head up when that lesser creature is on your throne and that feral beast sits at your table playing lady?"
Yelena's eyes shimmered with silver, but she remained silent. Valentine wanted to reach through the mirror and knock Midir's perfect teeth in.
"She isn't a beast," Valentine snarled. "She is worth a hundred of the likes of you."
"Another human. This one is powerful, at least. What do you all care about the human world? It is nothing to you. Taranis and his family are being ridiculous over such a small thing," Midir said, throwing up his hands in exasperation. "I only wish to explore this new time like he does. The Dagda gave the barrow in Ireland to my father, so I have every right to reclaim it as Kian reclaimed his ancestral lands."
"He does have a point," one of the lords said, looking uncertain. "What do we care what he does? It's none of our business, and the humans will fight back if his warriors overstep."
Taranis glared at him. "The humans are barely tolerating the fae there now after Morrigan's rampage. It won't just be a war with Midir's people. The humans will turn against all of the fae because they don't know the difference."
"If they are that small-minded, why not let us rule them like inthe old times? They haven't evolved enough to look after themselves and could use some immortal guidance," Midir said and smiled warmly. "If anything, we would be doing them a favor."
Valentine's jaw ached from clenching it so hard. The lords around him had no idea about the human world. Human lives were fleeting to them—their dying world meant nothing to them—and if it weren't for Taranis and his brothers returning to help with magic, then both worlds would have suffered. They would never understand that they were connected and that what happened to one would always affect the other.
"You have given us many things to think about. I will consider your request," Taranis said, trying to be calm.
"My request? I am not a lord of yours. This isn't a request. I will find my way back there with or without you. How much bloodshed it takes will be on your hands." Midir turned to look at Valentine. "When they turn on you for becoming too powerful, and they will, you will always be welcome in my court."
The king in the mirror disappeared, and Valentine took a breath. He looked across the table at Yelena. She had her hands in her lap, her fingers rubbing against the back of her silver hand. It was a small tick, but Valentine saw it and knew she was worried. It made him hate Midir even more.
Valentine got out of his chair when the others did, but no one left the room. Servants came in to refill wine glasses and the trays of refreshments.
"Perhaps you should just let Midir have his barrow. If it was Dagda blessed, who are we to deny him?" one of the lords asked.
