I shook my head. “No word yet, but there was a disturbing comment from Fredrick, so as always, let’s remain on high alert.” Turning my gaze across the three dozen silver members gathered, I raised my voice. “Are you all wearing the full range of gems?”
The council didn’t always fight, since we had an army as well, but Mother insisted everyone learn the basics of combat and using our gems as weapons. Training I completely agreed with.
"Aye,” they all called.
I wasn’t surprised. I’d trained with most of them and would trust them at my back in battle.
We made our way to join the lines entering Parliament House, and once inside, we wasted no time moving straight to the courtroom. It was no longer empty, with many of the ten royal lines having filled their seats.
TheGolden Greats, under King Nathaniel, were all seated. King Fredrick was on stage now too, while the rest of his house sat without expression in their section forMetallic Meadows. Beside the Metallic Meadows were the members ofCopper Straits, also formed in the eastern lands of Faerie where minerals and crystals were prevalent. Their queen, Gemma, was seated next to Mother, the pair in a lively discussion. They were old friends and allies.
Next to Copper Straits sat theMist Dwellers, who existed on vast cloud-like structures that ferried them about. Their queen was Hatina, and she was dressed in her usual white attire, with her red hair the only pop of color. She was in conversation with King Julien of the Ranges, a series of weather-beaten territories to the west.
The last four territories were: Zone of Darkness, with King Fernando, a land of very little light and inhabitants with cat-like appearance and senses; the Coral Cove, with beaches that rivaled the most amazing ones created by Angel in the Honor Meadows, led by Queen Wenda; the Great Wilds, which was the area most of my garden florae had been procured from, with Queen Sabatha, who was another of Mother’s best friends; and finally Ochre Sands, with a Desert Lands’ vibe, led by the eccentric King Petre. He was not on the stage yet, but I could see him conversing with members of his council.
As the last of the fae entered and the courtroom doors were sealed, the final bellow of the trumpets faded and it was time to get to business. Unease settled in my chest, deepening from what Fredrick had initiated earlier. Faerie had been going through some turmoil lately, small squabbles between royal lines, and it felt like a simmering of energy was coating all of us.
A simmering filled with negative intentions, which to my best knowledge, always preceded a larger scale battle. Maybe even a war.
When I took my seat in the front row, Mother pulled her attention from Gemma and Sabatha long enough to give me an approving nod. After losing my father at such a young age, I appreciated the relationship I had with her—she was one of the few beings in this world that I would die for in an instant. Even if such a concept pissed her off to no end.
Parents should never bury their children, Len,she’d tell me on the regular, and while I agreed, it wouldn’t change my actions should my time come to make that sacrifice.
A blanket of power coated the room as the energy of the courtroom settled. The ten royals stood in a curved line around the circular stage, and those of us in the seats shifted forward on high alert. Only the ones who initiated the trumpets knew what this meeting was about, so there was a sense of anticipation in the air as we all waited for the announcement.
A deep rumble of magic preceded the blast across the room.King Petre of the Ochre Sands calls for an abolishment of the Great Queen’s line, and a new supreme ruler to be chosen from among the ten royal houses.
There was a moment of silence as this announcement sank in, and then one by one all the kings and queen sat, except Petre and Fredrick.
“I stand as the second to his decree,” Fredrick said with his trademark fucking smirk. I’d bet my left nut that he was the one who’d set this shit in motion, but knowing how little he was respected, had opted to act as a “second.”
“It has been over a thousand years since the last sighting of the Great Line,” Petre added, more somber than Fredrick as he turned to address all ten houses. “We’re weakening without someone to enter the Deep and touch the origin of Faerie energy. If we don’t act now, we’ll cease to exist in the next few thousand years.”
Part of what he said was true, but the consequences of severing the Great Line was completely unknown. Logic said that maybe it was only this remaining connection to the Great Queen that kept Faerie functioning at all, and that by destroying what remained, we too would be destroyed.
“We will cast a vote to decide if the Great Leader is to be replaced,” Fredrick boomed again. “And if so, we propose a leadership trial to determine which line will step up and receive the ultimate power.”
As if it were that easy.
One didn’t just win a trial and turn into the sort of fae able to enter the Deep.
These two assholes were proposing to mess with magic that none of us understood, and I had to hope that reason would prevail among the other houses, or we’d all be doomed.
4
SAMANTHA
Alpha Lorenze’s energy filled the room a beat before he entered himself. He was here to escort me down the path, and while I knew this was my duty, I didn’t move.
I’d been mentally preparing myself over the last few years, pushing away friends and shutting my emotions down, all so I could deal with this fucking moment. And yet… my feet wouldn’t move. Instead, I was overwhelmed with an urge to kill the alpha. Unfortunately, he was the only being with information I needed, so I could do nothing.
I’d spent a lot of time over the past year beating myself up for not talking with Mera.
Maybe she would have been able to help, but I didn’t trust the Shadow Beast not to just decide this was too big of a problem before wiping us from existence.
I didn’t trust male shifters period, and he was the fucking god of them.
“You better be making your peace with your life,” Alpha Lorenze spat from behind me. Clarity’s alpha was always growling, spitting, or rumbling. The stupid asshole never just spoke in a normal tone. Tryingtoohard to sound alpha was the weakest move of all.
