Noth all but towed me out the door and I had no more time to second-guess myself.
Noth switched his grip to the leash dangling off my collar as we plunged through the palace shadows and stopped just before the entrance to the Council chamber.
In the days before the Godds, when the Harrowlands were shrouded in darkness, Nightmare Walkers had no dreams to enter so they would feed on light and will instead. They kept the balance of growth and life from overrunning existence. While much of that power had faded over the centuries, Noth and my connection was a whole new thing. We had practiced this grand entrance a hundred times and still it gave me a thrill when I fed him enough power for him to snuff out so much light that it blinded even Elven eyes.
We silently glided through the pitch-black room, where the tension lay thick as a wool blanket. No Elf outright screamed, but when I drew the sigil on the floor and lit the witch light, more than a few Council members started in their chairs. I glimpsed Yaya barely restraining herself from clapping. The flickering green light of the unholy fire danced off every diamond studding my form. The effect was eerie as hell. Noth and I experimented enough to make this completely over the top.
We had a message to send and it needed to be said as clearly as possible.
“Not the witch again,” someone complained. It was Nemian, the Councilor from the garden. He had wheedled his way out of the dungeon, bribing and promising in a way that left Noth helpless unless he wanted to look like a monster. Luckily, I already was one.
I had to put a hand on Noth’s shoulder to remind him how this needed to go.
“I think you mean my mate,” he said as he stepped out of the dark and into the unsteady light. His glowing eyes contrasted with the bright green magic about the room. “You might have left your cage, Nemian, but the Council didn’t approve your return. Did they?”
The murmurs wouldn’t be contained this time.
“I’m persuasive and the others would agree. No one wants our traditions destroyed. That’s why I’ve taken it upon myself to cancel your treaty with the Fae and set up a defense at the Pass of Good Brothers. Someone has to keep order.”
Noth lessened the oppressive darkness but used his shadows to separate the Councilor from his seat. I watched him hesitate to finish Nemian once and for all, even for a violation like this. The viper would never stop undermining Noth. The former Councilor did well to hide his fear, but the others weighed every action and non-action so closely, I knew we had to act or Noth would lose his crownforever.
“And this is why we will die, Nemian. Our traditions only serve our people if we have a people left to serve. I've worked to be a fair leader, earn your trust, but I neglected one large piece of me. That's been rectified now. I would tell you, you will all benefit, but you’ve never taken me at my word.”
Noth had a rational answer for everything. That is why he was a wonderful King. But these jerk turkeys entrenched themselves in emotion disguised as unassailable culture. I had no fealty to Elven legacy, only Noth.
“You keep your mate on a leash like a dog?” Nemian sneered.
I kept my smile in check, staying silent. That took less time to bring up than we thought.
“Oh, that? That's for your protection. See what a gracious King I am?”
Nemian’s presumption emboldened the others.
One of the Council stood. Nemian nodded his support. “Who cares about the slag? You can bed whomever you want. The Fae presumptuously showed up at the palace while you were off playing footsie with this witch. We needed a show of strength at the Pass if you won’t provide it.”
We did a lot more than play footsie this past week. No wonder Noth had such a hard time wrangling them. Near-immortal beings were a pain in the ass. Brad and now Nemian gave them the freedom to voice their worst impulses.
Noth’s eyes pulsed a dangerous red. “You would address your Queen in this way?”
The darkness came rushing back into the room as Noth lost his temper. Arms, hands, limbs, tentacles and wisps grew from the walls. Eyes dripped from the ceiling on waving stalks of darkness. The bass rumble of Noth’s Nightmare reverberated through the space. I had a hard time not squirming.
So handsome, I whispered in his mind.
Noth’s voice was still terrible, but he ground out, “We've discussed this, Aeerol. I left to retrieve my Queen, who will make us stronger. The Fae are owed a debt for saving us from the fatheaded disaster you were cheering on from the sidelines.”
“A Queen that runs at the first sign of trouble. She manipulated the Calix for a neat parlor trick. Nothing more.”
I wasn’t angry. I wasn't. They were just going to make up whatever they wanted. First, I was too powerful for using the Calix. Next, I was just a show pony. The movement of my dress drew their attention. “I needed to make sure that I would be a worthy monarch for you. You won’t appreciate the effort, but you will accept it. You can clap or bow. Whichever you prefer.”
Only Yaya stood and made a perfectly courtly bow to us. It was clear the Elves would always think Noth and I were lesser until we showed them otherwise.
I smiled. “I see you need a demonstration tochoose.”
There was audible shifting in the room as Noth removed the leash from my collar and my diamonds began to glow. “YOU WILL BOW TO YOUR TRUE RULERS!”
Dark magic swept through the chamber, fueled by Noth and my power mixing together. Humble hearth magic clashed with the darkness of ages to make a potent mix of the ethereal and everyday. Each Elf slammed prostrate onto the floor.
“Do your worst, witch.” Nemian said, pressed against the stone.
