“Jahlee,” I snap, my jaw flexing. My sister always means well, so even if her methods suggest otherwise, I know that she leads with her heart. But politics is not her forte, and without knowing what thefuckis going on with the mages and mortals, what she wrote could be an issue of security for the island.
“Hey, she wasn’t just the love ofyourlife! She wasmyfriend too. The only other person in this godsforsaken world that understands what it is to bedifferent.”
I knew Jahlee and Bahira had found a sort of camaraderie in being magicless. The first of their kind in their respective kingdoms. But it doesn’t excuse going behind my back. My mind then catches up with the rest of what she said. “She isn’t the love—”
“Spare. Me. The. Fucking. Bullshit, Kai Vaea,” she seethes, taking a step towards me and jabbing her finger into my chest. “I sent her a letter because I had thingsIwanted to say and things I knewyoucouldn’t say.” At the fury in my eyes, she lowers her hand and releases a breath. “Though, I admit, I did not think about how it would look if someoneotherthan Bahira read the letter.”
The look I fire at her is nothing short of incredulous. Bahira seemed to trust her family, but she had spoken often of those who viewed her as less than. I hadn’t fully grasped the scope of it all until days after she left, when it became clear to me thatshe deserved so much better than her kingdom had offered her. Then evenIcould offer her.
“With the mages not answering my call through the Mirror, and our next exchange of supplies not for another few weeks, I am blind to what is happening beyond our kingdom, Jahlee.” Drawing a hand down my face, I cross my arms over my chest. “I know you meant well, but going behind my back is the sort of thing that breaks trust. I’m not just your brother. I am your king.” Though she keeps her defiant stance, I bear witness to the way my words dim the light in her eyes. Tension pulls my shoulders back. “Meet me here in thirty minutes.”
Forty minutes later, I sit at the head of the table in our newly renovated council chambers, my officially sworn in advisors split almost equally on both sides. Inessa sits in a chair behind me, ready to take notes for the meeting, while an empty chair at the very end reveals Kane’s absence. Jahlee is at my left, eyeing Kane’s spot angrily. He hadn’t bothered to show for the autumnal celebration either, and I know if it weren’t for the fact that I asked her to stay and act as a buffer, she would already be out looking for him. Eager to give him more than a piece of her mind.
“Welcome to the first official meeting under my rule,” I start, clasping my hands together as I rest my elbows on the table. “I understand you all have reports for me, so let’s not waste any more time.”
Noe edges forward in her seat, her mouth drawn tight as she glares at me. “The budget cut to our forces needs to be reversed.”
“Everyone is going to have to make sacrifices until we have voted the tax through,” I answer.
“Our ships are the lifeline of the island,King, and hiring shifters to operate them is what keeps most of the working class afloat. To cut that budget is to punish them,” she says, shaking her head. “I would advise you to think long and hard over whether that is the type of precedent you want to set.”
Fuck.
“Dramatics are unwelcome here,” Lady Miranda replies smoothly. “As His Majesty said, there will be no part of our kingdom that will be unaffected until we can right the ship, so to speak.”
“Don’t try to win me over with nautical puns, Miranda. What changes will be happening to your preciouslawsthat could affect the livelihoods of the most vulnerable?”
Jahlee snorts, earning the entire table’s attention. “I like when you all bicker. Much more fun than the last group.”
I send her a warning look and earn a roll of her eyes in response. So much for being my fucking buffer.
“As a matter of fact, the tweaking of the laws I have presented to King Kai is meant to enhance those most affected by the late Tua and his rebel forces.” She lifts the paper she brought up in front of her and begins to read off of it, the changes to the laws ones that Inessa had gone over with me earlier in the week. “Anyone whose business has been tampered with by the rebels will receive aid from the Crown to rebuild, including a monthly stipend to hold them afloat until they can become profitable again. Those who have had the working family member affected by the blight will also receive aid so that no shifter will have to choose between earning money for their family and raising their young. In addition, we’ve drafted harsher consequences for those found to be in collaboration with rebel activity.” She lays the paper down and clasps her hands above it. “While I don’t think anyone in this room would argue that these changes are unnecessary, there is a cost to doing so. And until Kane can workwhatever influence he has with the nobles to quell any sort of upheaval at the new tax, then as mentioned, sacrifices must be made.”
I scan the faces of my advisors, noting that while none of them look particularly thrilled, neither do they protest what Lady Miranda has stated. “Change is going to be difficult on us all,” I tell them, leaning back as I fold my arms over my chest. “But our goal is to work towards unification. Your input and your value to this council cannot be understated.” I swallow, pushing past the uncomfortable knot in my throat. “It is crucial to my rule. None of this is possible without you all.”
Jahlee thrusts a thumbs-up in my direction, a wide smile brightening her face. It eases a bit of the weight from our earlier conversation off of my chest.
The meeting continues with each shifter laying out their agendas to cut their budgets while doing the least amount of harm to the people we are trying to help. At the end, everyone is excused with plans to meet in a few weeks and officially vote on the tax bill. I make my way to my new office, the space a familiar one that still contains Bahira’s scent. Jahlee follows, her hands clasped behind her back.
“That went quite well,” she says as I unlock the door and we enter Bahira’s experiment room. “It seems everyone understands their role.”
“Indeed.” Walking over to the desk, I open the top drawer and reach for the large dagger I have hidden there, affixing it to my belt. “All except for one.”
Jahlee gasps, clapping her hands together in front of her. “Do we finally get to kill Kane?”
“I’m not going to kill him.”Yetgoes unsaid. It all depends on where the fuck he is. “And there is nowe. You and Haloa need to return to Molsi and scout more of the rebel spots Sir Duarte told us about.”
“You never let me have any fun.” She pouts but spins on her heel and dances towards the hall. “But if killing Kanedoesbecome an option, you better not do it without me.”
I watch her leave before taking a deep breath and exiting the room behind her. I’d prefer not to kill my cousin, but trust is in short supply, and I’d be foolish to let mine be stolen so easily.
Chapter Fifty-Nine: Kai
Itdoesn’ttakelongto follow his poorly hidden trail, Kane having been spotted in a town known for trouble just outside of Molsi. Since it’s nearly impossible to hide my identity, I trudge down the worn streets as my wolf, my teeth clamped on to a pack filled with clothing. When I reach the most questionable tavern I’ve ever seen, I quickly shift and dress before entering. With my magic still pulsing beneath my skin and lighting my eyes, I interrogate the bartender, his lip trembling while I tower over him, and he relays the secret location of the last place on this damn island my cousinshouldbe.
“Thank you for your cooperation,” I say, dropping a pile of coins onto his countertop before returning to the main street, the gaze of every shifter that passes hot on my skin. Thankfully, the walk to the edge of town is quick, the distance eaten up by determined strides as I come to the dilapidated building calledThe Dog House. Rotted wood and black-stained stone make up the exterior, and something about its simple façade—two windows and a door—makes my hackles rise the closer I get.
Reaching for the handle, I jerk the door once, only to find that it’s locked. A ragged voice shouts through the crumbling wood. “What is the password?”
