Eduard remained calm and focused, staring at her intently. “You know the penalty for harming a clan member’s mate, Magdalen, but I will show mercy if you tell me what brought you to take such drastic measures to hurt me.”
She gasped then, eyes wide and surprised. “No, Eduard. I didn’t hurt you. I tried to help. He’s not really the chosen one. You must see it. You’ve been poisoned, cursed… I don’t know but he isn’t really your mate. The spell must be broken and the only way to do that was through Sawyer’s death. Uncle, please, believe me. Your son is not himself. He’s been lied to and misled.”
Augustus stepped forward and took the hand Magdalen held out pleadingly to him. “You’re the one who has been lied to and misled,” Augustus said softly. “We need to know who fed you such lies.”
“No,” Magdalen cried. “It’s not a lie, Uncle. He said it. He showed me the truth. Sawyer is a charlatan and the real chosen one is somewhere else, someone else. Someone who can fulfill the prophecy. A human could never do that. Don’t you see? He can’t be the chosen one. You’ve all been fooled, tricked by this human into thinking he’s something he could never be.”
Augustus sat on the edge of the bed, perfecting the role of comforting uncle. Eduard could never have been so kind. His entire body tensed, ready to strike should she make one move against his father.
“Who told you this, Magdalen? Who is he? Maybe if he could explain it to me himself I could see the truth.”
She blinked, her eyes growing hazy and distant.
Andvari reacted, pulling Augustus away as Magdalen let out an ungodly shriek.
“Who is he?” Eduard demanded, even as Calliope leapt forward and held Magdalen down. Between Andvari and Calliope, they were managing, but only barely.
“I… I can’t…you’re wrong.” She screamed again, thrashing against their hold.
“Who, Magdalen? Tell me!”
Suddenly, she stilled and locked eyes on Eduard. Her mouth curled into a smirk even as her eyes flickered to a fathomless black. For a moment, Eduard thought she’d shifted her eyes into her griffin form, the eagle taking focus. It was only a moment, though, before he realized the truth. Magdalen was no longer in control. Something else was inside her, a darkness that seemed fathomless and frightening
“Fuck,” Calliope cried as Magdalen began to successfully push her away. The other guards stepped in, but Magdalen had grown strong, stronger than she could possibly have been on her own.
“You will not succeed,” Magdalen said, although the voice was no longer hers, and the deep echoing threat created a ball of fear in Eduard’s stomach. Her eyes began to flicker, movement within the black depths that Eduard had never seen before. “The prophecy will not come to pass.”
“Reveal yourself,” Eduard demanded.
Magdalen smirked in reply. “Tell the Mother I’m coming for her.”
She began to fight harder.
And she was winning.
No matter how many of their guards attempted to restrain her, she managed to push free. She lunged forward, reaching for Eduard, but he was ready. He’d shifted his hands, his talons sharp and deadly on the end of his fingers. With one swipe, he struck, slicing her neck through to the bone. Blood splattered, drenching everyone within reach even as the life faded quickly from her eyes.
“Fuck,” Calliope said again. “What the hell was that?”
“Hell, indeed,” Augustus said. He was the only one of them who wasn’t covered in blood. He stared at Eduard, fear deep in his eyes.
Draco
To say that Draco was miffed over the griffin’s funeral rites would be an understatement. In dragon culture, only those who died with honor were given the blessing of the flames. To see Magdalen’s body bound and placed upon the pyre then to have the flames lit, sending her back to the ancestors with dignity… well, Draco didn’t like it. He didn’t like it one bit.
He kept his mouth shut, though, more for Eduard’s sake than anything else. His mate was broken by the death of his cousin and the hand he’d played in it. Draco couldn’t imagine having to kill any member of his dragon family. He had a cousin he’d grown up with as well and they shared a relationship similar to the one Eduard had shared with Magdalen. To be the one to kill Asher, to have to explain to Asher’s mate and family what he’d done? And why?
Draco couldn’t imagine the position Eduard found himself in, so he remained silent and tried not to let the sight of the flames anger him too deeply. He checked on Eduard again and found his mate standing beside Augustus at the front of the group of griffins. They’d all dressed in white, another part of the griffin’s funeral ceremony, but Draco could pick out Eduard’s fiery red hair anywhere. Sawyer stood on Eduard’s other side, a steady presence next to Eduard that Draco had no doubt he sorely needed. They’d all offered to stand with him, but he’d politely suggested they all stand toward the back while the family performed the rites.
Sawyer had politely told him where he could shove it before informing him that he would be beside Eduard the entire time. People tended to underestimate Sawyer sometimes, but Draco knew better. He had a core of inner strength that Draco had never seen anyone else match— whether or not they were a supernatural creature. Sawyer had studied the traditions in the two days leading up to the service, and then he’d worked quietly with Augustus to make sure he did everything correctly. Even though he was exhausted and still very weak from his injuries, their stubborn chosen one had won the argument.
Henry, Andvari, and Saeward stood beside Draco at the back of the group of griffins. Eduard had somehow managed to get them all appropriate clothes, even Saeward who looked extremely uncomfortable in the white linen pants and flowing white shirt. Draco had never met anyone who wanted to be naked as much as Saeward did. Not that he minded the view, but Saeward had made it clear that he wasn’t yet interested in Draco’s attentions.
The keyword being yet. Draco had seen a bit of fire in the hippocamp’s eyes when he looked their way or caught them in a compromising position. Although Sawyer hadn’t been up for any of their typical bedroom activities due to his injuries, his mate did enjoy watching, and Draco and Andvari had put on quite a show for him when they’d spit-roasted Henry the night before. Draco sighed and tugged Henry closer. He’d looked so very pretty with Andvari’s cock down his throat and Draco’s up his ass.
Finally the ceremony ended and the flames of the pyre began to die down. Draco glanced at Andvari, who’d been on high alert since the moment they stepped foot on the beach. “Can you get them out of there without being rude? Cause I don’t think I can manage.”
Andvari nodded then began making his way through the crowd. He managed to do it without shoving a single griffin out of his path. He made it to Sawyer’s side a minute later and tucked him against his side. He murmured something into Sawyer’s ear, but Draco was too far away to hear the words. Sawyer nodded, which seemed like a good sign. He’d grown much paler during the last hour, and Draco wanted him out of there and resting back at the cottage. Andvari spoke quietly to Eduard as well, but their other mate shook his head and stayed by his father’s side.
