Silence filled the courtyard.
Then came the first flutter of fabric and wings as Lord Jophiel, Tzuriel, and the Celestials in white lowered to one knee, bowing their heads. “Hilos swears fealty to the High King.”
Grinning, Asiel lowered to one knee with his people, and they bowed as well. “Hermon swears fealty to the High King.”
Cassiel’s hand shook around Dyna’s.
Lady Katriella and the fierce females with her followed suit. “Skath swears fealty to the High King.”
Lord Nuriel studied him for a moment, and Cassiel saw the mirror of grief in his eyes. Exhaling a heavy breath, the young lord lowered to his knee, and every Celestial in the Citadel bowed. “Nazar swears fealty to the High King.”
Either due to the coming of twilight or the blessing of the Heavens, theHyalustree glowed with the purest of white light. Upon Cassiel’s head appeared a crown of Seraph flame. Looking out at his court, he felt his chest stir.
He hoped it meant that somehow his father approved.
“We hereby stand with the true High King of Hilos and the Three Celestial Realms,” Lord Jophiel announced, gazing at him with moving joy. “Long may he reign.”
“This ishow you chose to play your hand?” Lord Raziel’s sharp blue eyes gleamed with mockery on the surface of the water mirror. His private study in Edym was dark, nightfall visible on the open terrace behind him. In the shadows of the room lurked Akiel.
“Oh, I am only getting started,” Dyna replied as she sat beside Cassiel on the sofa.
Raziel ignored her. “I really am disappointed, youngling. You are repeating the same senseless mistakes. Sullying the sanctity of the Realms and yourself by once again choosing a weak mortal.” His mouth twisted with a snide smile. “Whatever you hope to accomplish will fail. I have had a thousand years to prepare for your coming.”
Cassiel merely flipped through a book on local flora and the lord scowled at his lack of interest.
“You are foolish if you believe I am not ready for you this time, Raziel,” Dyna said, crossing her legs. His face twitched at her informal address. “You can plot, but you forget, I can do the same. The Realms now know you have taken part in the coup against King Yoel. They have dubbed you anoathbreaker and rebuked your name. Edym is no longer under the cover of Hilos, and you are proclaimed an enemy of the crown, for their High Queen deemed it so.” Fury simmered in his gaze, his face reddening. She canted her head and her eyes ominously glowed. “Do you see how much power a mortal has?”
Cassiel smiled to himself and continued turning the pages. He loved it when his mate behaved this way. Commanding. Strong. The embodiment of a true warrior. Sheli’s spirit hadn’t changed.
“You shoved me off a cliff,” Dyna continued. “You killed my child, and you killed my mate. So you will contend with me now. I am coming for you, Raziel. When you least expect it, I will come.”
The Lord of Edym stared at her, at last truly listening. From the shadows, a figure moved swiftly past Akiel. So fast, it was there a second, then gone. He stumbled forward with a gasp, pressing a hand over his heart. Crimson seeped through his fingers. Raziel reared back as Akiel fell at his feet and faded away into light.
He whipped around, his chest rising and falling with sharp breaths as he searched the room. But Sowmya had already vanished.
“I will fill your days with fear,” Dyna said, her voice dropping to a pitch that sprouted goosebumps on Cassiel’s back. Her glowing green eyes held Raziel captive. “And I will not stop until I take everything from you. Your kingdom. Your House. Your head.”
The image in the mirror faded away.
Cassiel tossed the book aside and hauled his mate onto his lap. “I do not deserve you,” he groaned, planting kisses all over her face.“At mehamemet. At yafa. At mushlemet.”
She smiled against his lips. “You do, but you can always convince me again with more praises like that.”
His mouth skimmed hers as he translated through the bond.You are amazing. You are beautiful. You are perfect.
“Cassiel.” Dyna rested her head on his chest. “I am not perfect. I’ve hurt others, and I’ve hurt you. So much…” Her voice broke. “Then I bargained away our unborn son.”
“I hope you know that I do not fault you for any of that,lev sheli.” He felt her trembling, and he wrapped her in his arms, covering her in a shroud of feathers. “We will not allow Leoake to take him.”
She shut her eyes, both glimpsing the wispy image of a boy with dark hair and green eyes. The vision couldn’t be any clearer when the future was so uncertain. Cassiel never expected such a thing to be possible for his life, and now that he knew it was, he already loved that little soul. He would doanything, tear down any wall, walk through any trial to assure they had a future.
At first, it seemed to be a miracle that he had survived. But he finally understood that miracle wasn’t for him. It was forthem.
All three of them.
“I will fight with you to the very end,” Dyna murmured. “So don’t forget that you have someone on your side. Don’t carry your worries and burdens alone. If you ever try to leave me again, I will knock you onto your arse.”
Chuckling quietly, he ran his fingers through her short hair. “You are probably the only one who can.”
