I nodded. “But this isn’t the time to have this conversation. We have two common enemies.”
“And yet, you’re going after Rachel first. Who’s done nothing to you except take me away.”
“She’s done far more than that.” I gestured at Simone and Garrett. “You should be angrier than you are. I’ve gained from her betrayal, and you’ve lost more than you’ll ever know. But even if I hadn’t, she will soon learn she cannot insult the royal family. And if she does, she will pay the price.”
Mom nodded. “We cannot intervene, but we can keep your family and friends safe.”
“I’m within my rights to answer these insults even though I’ve accepted the crown?”
Dad grinned. “He started this before you’d taken your rightful place as heir.”
I smiled back. “Good. Let’s go find Rachel first.”
I turned to go, but Caelan reached out and gripped my arm. “Don’t do this. You’ll bring the wrath of Europe down around my head.”
I jerked my arm away. “Your fight with her is your own. She insulted the fae. Our fight is not with the Lords.”
“She insulted you,” Caelan growled. “Are you so prideful you’d resort to this criminal behavior?”
“Watch it,” Dad warned. “You’ve been in power far too long if your kind do not recognize us for what we are. We allow you all of this,” he said, sweeping a hand out to encompass the land. “None of it belongs to you. Be careful not to remind us of how easy it would be to reclaim it all.”
“Stop talking,” Garrett muttered under his breath, his focus on Caelan.
The Lord shot him an incredulous look and opened his mouth to reprimand him only to blink as he undoubtedly remembered Garrett was no longer under his command.
I shot Caelan a look. “I’m happy to involve the Lords in a fight if they pursue their petty grudges. They should be glad I’m removing someone dangerous from your territory, since you’ve been unable to.”
He took a step back as a crimson sheen rolled over my iris, the Chimera magic thrumming through my bloodstream, eager to come out and show everyone what we were made of.
“Come,” I said to my people. “Let’s go hunting.”
We foundRachel in the town square, sitting in the covered area next to Sirena’s gelato shop. Moira laughed under her breath.
“This woman either has balls of steel or she’s so fucking stupid I almost feel sorry for her,” she said under her breath.
“Maybe both,” I agreed.
The night sky was clear, stars sparkling high above us. A gentle wind kept the temperatures lower than normal, but I was too boiling mad to feel the cold. People milled about the area, though Rachel was the only one enjoying a cold treat. Most walked around with coffees or hot cocoas, steam milling lazily from the tops of their drinks.
She hadn’t seen us yet, and the wind did us a favor by blowing our scents away. Sirena stepped in front of us.
The owner of the gelato shop was stunningly beautiful, and she knew it. Her dark hair was long and loose, flowing in waist-length lazy curls. She wore an emerald-green sweater that brought out the bright color of her eyes and dark wash jeans that hugged every dangerous curve.
“Hello, Evie,” she said in her low, husky voice.
“Sirena.”
She smirked. “We all know about your stunt earlier. Seems congratulations are in order. You managed to pull the wool over our eyes for a long time, but now the secret is out. How does it feel being a queen?”
“I could use a nap and a few weeks’ vacation, and this is only my first day on the job,” I admitted.
Sirena smiled, genuinely this time. “I’m here with a warning and a boon to request.”
“I’m listening.”
Sirena’s eyes flicked over my shoulder and lingered on the party with me. Moira, Garrett, Simone, and my mother and father. At our urging, Tess had chosen to go home, and Ash had swung by the house to grab her, giving me the opportunity to pass him his charm.
He’d asked no questions, only wished me good hunting. Then he brought me in for a tight hug before bundling Tess into his car and hurrying off into the night. Moments after Ash left, Caelan had shifted and disappeared into the night without another word.
