The queen stood taller as she pulled her shoulders back and met his stare with her own. “What of power?” Her tone was a dare.Question my power. Please. Ask me if Cypher truly gave me his power.As the thoughts filled her mind, her skin began to tingle, as if she’d been plugged into an electric current. Suddenly, her blood sang with warmth and energy. Lilly put her arms behind her and clasped her hands. She could feel electricity flowing back and forth between her palms.What the hell?Lilly had no idea what was going on, but she figured it had to be tied to the power her mate had passed to her. Maybe the power was brought out by strong emotions. Nothing like this had happened before.
“Forgive me,” Lysander said, though it sounded more like ‘eat shit.’ “I, like Concord said, understand this is a very trying time for you. However, we, as a people, have a right to confirmation that you have, in fact, received Cypher’s blessing and power.”
Several cleared throats and one choked cough rippled across the room. Lilly didn’t flinch. “When King Cypher died, you felt it. Did you not?” Lilly asked even as her gut clenched, threatening to spill out everything she’d recently eaten. She remembered the moment vividly herself. In fact, she wished she could forget it.
“Yes, we knew he was no more,” Lysander agreed.
“And you felt the transfer of his power and heard his declaration?”
“Yes,” he answered again.
“So, you heard his words,” Lilly said. “You heard him state that his mate would be the ruler of the warlock race. You heard him say that I,Lilly Pierce, would be queen.”
“Yes, bu—” he began, but Lilly cut him off.
“You heard this, and by your own admission, you also felt the transfer of power that confirmed his words. If that is the case, then your questions have been answered. Why exactly should you require further proof?” She glanced over at Gerick, and he gave her a slight nod that assured her she’d responded in the correct manner. She’d stood her ground. There was no reason for Lysander to question the transfer of power. Could he question her intentions? Absolutely. But to question what they know, what they felt through the magic of the warlock people, was pointless … unless he was just an ass, and of that, Lilly was certain.
“It’s just … unprecedented, your highness,” Lysander said. “You are a human. No human has ever led the warlock race.”
“No,” Lilly said. “I am not a human.”
Lysander narrowed his eyes. “Excuse me?”
Lilly stopped herself from asking him if he was hard of hearing. That wouldn’t be very diplomatic, not that she was feeling particularly diplomatic with the ass that just caused the memory of her mate’s death to flash like pictures in slow motion through her mind. “As I said,” she bit out, “I amnota human. Iam,in fact, a sprite.”
There were a few gasps around the table, and the warlock’s eyes widened. Several moments of silence ticked by. Finally, Lysander spoke. “Did the transfer of King Cypher’s power hinder your own?”
“Are you asking for a demonstration, sir?” Lilly asked as she stepped to the side of her chair. She released her clasped hands from behind her and rested them at her sides. As her temper rose, she could feel the magic inside of her growing. She had no idea what would happen if she let it loose, but there was a very large part of her that didn’t really give a damn. Was it unhealthy she wasn’t the least bit concerned about the collateral damage if her power suddenly went off the rails? Probably. Did she care? Not one iota.What if I just start lighting things up like the Fourth of July? What if I actually hurt someone? What if that someone was Lysander? No big loss.
“A demonstration would not be unwelcome,” Lysander said as he motioned around the room as if the others were in agreement.
When Lilly looked around, she didn’t see supporters of Lysander. She saw wide eyes staring at him as if he’d lost his ever-loving warlock mind. She looked back at him, and the smug smile on his lips was enough to make Lilly throw caution to the wind. She lifted a hand and watched as little bolts of lightning flickered between her fingers. “It would behoove you to know that I am a seer sprite,” she explained. She trusted they would understand this meant she was not a luminous or elemental sprite, and she had no ability to control the elements … until now. Lilly reached her hand out toward the warlock and focused on the barely touched food on his plate. “I notice your plate is full, Lysander. Didn’t you enjoy your meal?” A second later, a bolt of lightning shot from her hand and hit the meat, charring it black. “Perhaps you prefer your meat well done?”
Lysander stumbled back so quickly that his chair fell over and hit the floor with a thud. His wide eyes bounced from the smoking food to her and back again. Lilly wasn’t sure what shocked the warlock more: the fact that she actually possessed her mate’s power, or that she was able to aim it so expertly without accidentally setting a napkin on fire. The queen had to admit she was impressed with herself. But she wasn’t sure having the ability to toss out lightning bolts at will was a good thing at the moment. She had a terrible itch to send one straight through the forehead of the Lowthorne clan leader.
Gerick stood and addressed the guests. “I think Queen Lilly has sufficiently demonstrated she is the heir to King Cypher’s throne. We thank you for joining us for dinner and for the stimulating conversation.” He glanced at Lysander, and the look on Gerick’s face conveyed anything but gratitude. “I would like to remind you, on behalf of our queen,” he turned toward her and inclined his head, “that though the Great Luna has implemented a time of mourning for all of the fallen, we, as a people, also have a time of grieving for the loss of a monarch. Beginning today, we will start the month-long mourning period for our king. You will respect this time and give the queen space. She has every right to mourn her mate, as any of you would do if your mate were to move on to the next life.”
“Thank you, Gerick,” Lilly said, taking back over the conversation. She didn’t want to give the impression he needed to speak for her. “At the end of the grieving month, we will reconvene and discuss how we will move forward as a people. I will also address our alliance with theCanis lupusand the other races that have banded together to stand against the Order.
“I assure you, I have the best interest of our people at heart. Yes, I consider youmypeople. Just because I am a sprite, it doesn’t affect how I feel about the warlock race. I became one of you when I fell in love with Cypher and took him as my mate. That doesn’t change because my beloved mate and your respected king is no longer with us.” She met the eyes of every clan leader and let that statement settle into their minds. “Please, stay and enjoy my hospitality as long as you wish before heading back to your own clans. Mourn now in whatever way you see fit. We all share in this grief, but everyone handles it differently. I appreciate so very much that you took the time to be here and that you stood with us during the Blood Moon ceremony.”
Everyone at the table rose as one. They placed their fists over their hearts and bowed to her, even Lysander. Lilly took that gesture as her chance to leave without it seeming rude. She turned, head held high and shoulders back, despite the weariness caused by her grief. The queen kept her pace slow and measured as she walked away, even though everything in her wanted to run—to run away and never stop. Maybe, if she could run fast or far enough, she could eventually leave behind the continual anguish in her soul. The grief within her was a living entity, and it seemed determined to kill her. But she wasn’t afraid of that. She would welcome it. The moment the thought crossed her mind, Lilly felt guilty. She still had Jacque, Slate, Jen, Sally, and all the others that had become her family and loved her so much. They would be devastated.
As she made her way back to her chambers, Lilly took slow breaths and fought oncoming tears. She was sick of crying, and yet it seemed to be the only thing her body knew how to do anymore. Stumbling, the queen burst into her bedroom and slammed the door behind her. She leaned her back against it then slowly slid to the floor. The slits on the side of her long, fitted dress allowed her to bend her knees, and she pulled them up to her chest, wrapped her arms around them, and bowed her head.
Lilly’s heart pounded in her chest, and her breath came in short, rapid bursts. “Why can’t I get this under control?” she asked the empty room—the room where she’d once shared laughter and love with Cypher. She could practically hear him.
“You’re going to be okay, beloved.”His voice filled the room just as hers had done.
Her head snapped up. Cypher was there, sitting on the love seat across the room from her.What the … ever … loving … hell?She’d seen him in the great hall, but Lilly had assumed she’d been hallucinating. She imagined her mind had conjured Cypher up as a coping mechanism because she was so freaking nervous. But now, here he was, in their room, seemingly in the flesh. “I know you’re not real,” she whispered as she stared at him through tear-filled eyes. “You’re gone.”
“I am,” he agreed.
Not very helpful.Why couldn’t he say, “No, you’re wrong. I am real, and I’m back here with you?”
“You’re a figment of my imagination,” Lilly said.
Cypher shrugged. “I am whatever you need me to be. For now, I’m here.”
