I could see the muscles in Myron’s neck pop as he clenched his jaw. Against his will, he opened his mouth. “Her family needed to be brought down!” he said. I could see by the panic in his eyes that he hadn’t meant to say that—didn’t want to say that.
Vaguely, it reminded me of the time I stopped the fae guard from slicing through the pasture fence back at my parents’ place.Is this…am I doing this to him?I can feel magic, but I’m not pulling anything through my prism.
Unrelenting, Myron continued, “Before you were found, they floated around—socertainshe’d be picked. As if she was the brightest of the Court—hah!” He glared at Chrysanthe, who shook her head in denial.
“You, you told me I would change the Court,” Lady Chrysanthe said.
“For the worse!” Myron scoffed. “Your family is nothing but a puffed-up bunch of nobodies who don’t know their place or acknowledge how little power they actually have. And you really thought you had what it takes to be queen? You haven’t even the guts to plan an assassination, much less a freak accident. You were never going to move—just complain how you and your festering family have been wronged and denied an honor none of you deserve!”
I was momentarily distracted from my worry about my magic to observe the fight.Woooow, this Court ismessed up.
Chrysanthe’s eyes were glazed with tears. “You set me up. You handed the golf ball to me before I put it on the spot.” She paused, standing straighter with each passing second as she recalled the events. “You told me we should see the pitiful spread of food that had been prepared the night of Queen Leila’s first social function.Youwere the one who took one of my chrysanthemum hair flowers!”
“You only justnownoticed?” Myron spat. “Thehumannoticed before you!”
Myron looked too furious at Chrysanthe to be under the influence of my magic anymore—I was going to have to ask Skye about that—so I decided now was a great time to end things.
“I’m glad the two of you have reached an understanding,” I said. “But I don’t like drama—it is an unnecessary use of energy, and it’sboring. I’m finished here. Myron is guilty of plotting against a fellow member of the Night Court and will be punished accordingly. Chrysanthe is innocent,” I said.
“What?” Myron whirled around to face me, his perfect dark hair slick with sweat. “Y-you said you thought I was trustworthy, blameless, and a friend to you,” he stammered. “You were going to reward me!”
I shrugged. “I lied.”
A smothering silence swept through the Court, and they stared at me in horror.
I grinned broadly and climbed the stairs to stand on my platform again. “Although you allloveto imply that I’m inferior because of my human blood, and obsess over the idea that I can’t be a good ruler because of it, you’ve completely forgotten: because of my human blood I sharenoneof your limitations.”
The night mares stirred from the shadows behind the columns, stepping into the magic-made light, as Kevin and Steve howled at the sky. The other five stable-dwelling shades slunk onto the platform, and Whiskers jumped down from the top of the columns where he’d been hiding with the remaining two glooms.
Ringed by my animals, I pressed my prism into the skin of my palm and felt wispy fae magic slip from it.
Later, Indigo told me my eyes glowed, and a silvery light ringed my temples like a crown as the night mares, shades, and glooms peeled back their lips and snarled in eerie silence.
“Remember that the next time you are tempted to scheme against me. Recall it the next time you think to hurt another Night Court member. Noble, fae, or creature—I won’t tolerateanyof it. And I’ll come for you with all the power and will I have.”
I flicked my eyes to Chase. “Take him away and have him questioned.”
Chase bowed as his men converged on Lord Myron. “And Lady Chrysanthe?”
“Release her.”
Chase took off Chrysanthe’s metal cuff—a precautionary measure that sealed her ability to use magic. “You’re free to go.”
Chrysanthe flicked her gaze from Chase, to Myron. Her eyes were unfocused—she still seemed shocked by the turn of events. “You said I deserved to be on the throne more than Queen Leila.”
“Anyonedeserves to be on the throne more than Queen Leila, you imbecile!” Myron snarled as a soldier snapped a metal cuff on him.
“Ahhh, yes.” I smiled as I sat back down on my stone chair, doing my best not to show my reluctance—because, yeah, stone chairs arenotvery comfortable to sit on for long periods of time, and my butt still hadn’t recovered. “I have one last reminder should anyone else from mydarling,adorableCourt get ideas. Rigel?”
When the assassin looked at me, I waved him up.I really hope he doesn’t kill me for parading him like this, but I’m gambling my entire life on ending these Court games. I need every advantage I can get.
Rigel climbed onto the platform and took up a spot next to me when a gloom moved to make room for him.
I smiled at him, and wondered if I was daring enough to take his hand. When I glanced up, his eyes were glazed with that dead look, sealing it.
Nope, definitely not brave enough!
I settled for turning my smile on my Court and flashing my teeth at them. “Rigel and I marrytomorrow. Which means if I happen to die…theWraithbecomes your next king.”
