Cobalt seems unconcerned. “It’s past midnight, Brother.”
“It was well before midnight when we performed it.”
“Then you should have been here to prove it. Regardless, let us go back. Before your reckless actions tonight, you managed to lose one of the Chosen. Amelie disappeared from Bircharbor, and witnesses say she fled from you.”
“You have her!” I shout.
He continues as if I said nothing. “Before that, you executed the previous Chosen without trial. Only your word is testimony to their supposed crimes. Before that, you have constantly wavered your political stance, for no other reason than to make trouble.”
Some of the other fae are nodding, eyes glistening with malice as they stare at Aspen with open hostility. A fae with bright orange skin covered in delicate scales flicks his forked tongue at him, then snaps his teeth.
“You don’t care about your duties as king,” Cobalt says. “You are erratic, unreliable, and a danger to human and fae alike.”
Aspen begins to shudder, hands clenched into fists. “Get off my throne.”
“I, on the other hand, have done everything you could not. I am firm in my political standing. I am constant in my motivations. I went so far as to secure the second step in the treaty before you even made Evelyn your mate.”
Melusine shoots Cobalt a surprised look.
“Come greet the council, Amelie.” Cobalt waves, and a figure emerges from the staircase behind us.
Amelie is outfitted in a resplendent gown of copper and red, bringing out the fire in her hair. She still wears the sealskin like a cloak over her shoulders, yet gone are the tears I last saw on her face. Her expression is stoic, posture regal and serene as she brushes past us and makes her way to the other side of the balcony. “Greetings,” she says, taking a seat in the empty throne at Cobalt’s side.
My body goes cold. I’d forgotten to expect her here. The sight of her done up like a queen, all smiles and sweet grace, sends bile rising to my throat. How much of her demeanor is controlled by Cobalt’s glamour over her? I refuse to believe she would stand by any of this, refuse to believe she could look at me, covered in blood and bruises and hold an unwavering smile. How much has she given away for love?
“You see,” says Cobalt, “Amelie ran away from my brother, terrified of his temper, but I found her. Protected her. Kept her from my brother’s rage. I made her my mate weeks ago and performed the Bonding ritual.”
“Cobalt,” Melusine sings, a dangerous lilt to her melody. “You told me she gave you her name, but I wasn’t aware that you gave her yours in return.”
Cobalt holds his mother’s eyes without a hint of regret. “Ah, well, now you know.”
She leans toward her son, teeth bared. “But you saved the treaty.”
He smiles at her. “And you helped make me king.”
A storm darkens her blue eyes as her tail swishes angrily on the floor, but Cobalt pays her no heed.
“You are no king,” Aspen says. His gaze falls on each council fae in turn, burning them with his glare. “He is not my heir. You cannot give him my throne.”
“They can if the king is indisposed without naming an heir,” Cobalt argues. “I, as your brother, can take your place.”
“You have no Autumn blood.”
“Yet, this is my home. I have lived here my entire life. And when it mattered most, I stepped in where you could not.”
Aspen shudders head to toe, and I think I know what happens next. “You have five seconds to get out of my seat before I rip you to shreds.”
“Take one step, and you’ll be committing treason,” Cobalt says. “The council has already agreed. I am King of Autumn.”
With a roar, Aspen’s body is torn apart in a mass of fur and hooves. A flash of shock crosses Cobalt’s face as the enormous stag charges him. The council fae leap from their seats, backing out of the fray. Some of the fae watch with terror, while others—like the wolf and vampire—look delighted at the spectacle. Cobalt tosses himself to the ground, and Aspen’s hooves crush the arm of his throne to splinters.
Cobalt rises to his feet just as Aspen charges again. The force knocks Cobalt backward and sends him skidding into the rail at the edge of the balcony. Cobalt shudders, his princely demeanor gone. In the blink of an eye, his unseelie form takes over. His fingers come to dangerous points, webs between them like serrated knives. He stands his ground as Aspen charges again, lips peeled back to reveal his fangs.
Aspen doesn’t falter, just tears across the floor at great speed.
The two collide in a tangle of scales and teeth and antlers.
“Guards!” Cobalt’s shout echoes across the balcony. I whirl, wondering where the guards are, but the fae in bronze armor are nowhere to be seen. Come to think of it, I haven’t seen any other guards since we arrived, aside from the two at the front of the palace. When I look back at the two royals, my breath catches in my throat.
