Killian raised an eyebrow. “Did you really come here to terrorize Leila,notknowing this land is next door to Drake Hall?”
The wobble in Suits’s knees said they hadn’t known at all.
“Now, let’s get something straight,” Hazel said. “You’re going to explain what you’re doing here and why you’re manhandling our friend in the mostunembellishedway possible. Understood?” Her ball of magic stretched out, forming a sword made of magic.
Killian almost lazily withdrew a pistol from his suitcoat jacket, turning off the safety and wracking the top of the gun, loading a bullet. Behind him, at least a dozen vampires—all dressed in black suits and every last one of them carrying a bare blade or a gun—lingered around the fae’s cars.
Suits cleared his throat. “Understood.” He glanced at Lady Demetria, but she was petrified and unable to do more than quiver. Reluctantly, Suits faced me. “Er, it is as we started to say—you’re our new queen. The Queen of the Night Court.”
“How?” I asked.
Suits gestured to the night mares. “After a monarch and their partner die, the night mares are released to search through all members of the Night Court and find the next ruler.”
“It’s not inherited by children?” Hazel asked.
“No.” Suits deeply bowed to Hazel after quaking under Killian’s red eyes. “In each new cycle, the night mares choose the next ruler. That ruler chooses their spouse, who may co-rule if allowed, and otherwise will rule if the monarch passes away before them. Their children do not inherit the title. Each time a royal couple dies, the cycle starts anew and the night mares find the next monarch.”
“There are a few problems with that.” I held up a finger as I started my list. “First of all, I’m not a member of the Night Court. I’m Unpledged. Secondly, as I said earlier, I’m half human. I don’t ever recall a half human half fae ruler—inanyCourt.”
“One does not strictlyhaveto belong to the Night Court to be considered a candidate.” Suits nervously eyed Eclipse as she pawed at the ground and gnashed her teeth together. “As long as you have blood from the Night Court, it’s allowable. As for you being half fae…”
Comet snorted and reared up.
Suits flinched. “It seems it does not matter,” he said lamely.
“Yeah, there’s a third problem. I don’twantto be your queen.” I wriggled three fingers at him for emphasis.
Suits studied the ground with great care.
“Did you not hear her?” Killian asked with a dangerously pleasant voice.
“It’s just…I’m not…it’s not…” Suits gulped, then bent over in a bow to Killian. “She’s already our queen.”
Chapter Five
Leila
No. No way. I dreamed of being a Responsible Adult—not a flippin’ queen!
“That’s impossible,” I said, my voice hardening fast. “You can’t just arbitrarily decide to make me your queen without giving me any say!”
“It’s the night mares,” Suits insisted. “They bound you…” He trailed off when Blue Moon snorted and pawed at the ground.
“Is the Paragon aware of your littleexpedition?” Killian asked.
The Paragon was the most powerful fae in all of America. He didn’t belong to a specific Court, and he was considered the national representative for all fae. Recently, he’d been hanging around in the Midwest.
“Ahh, to an extent,” Suits said. “It was he who finally corralled the night mares, so we could prepare them to choose the next monarch. He is aware we would soon be conducting the search, but we did not specifically inform him that the night mares had found a candidate and we were coming to find her.”
“Call him,” Killian ordered in a tone that offered no alternative.
“Ahh, yes. Yes, we should.” Suits frantically patted his suitcoat, eventually finding his cellphone. He tried to smile at us as he fumbled, searching through his contacts list. Eventually he dialed the right number, and I could hear the ringing noise that signaled he was making a call. He nervously switched the phone from one hand to the other, then brightened when the call connected. “Ah, yes! Greetings, Paragon—”
“The number you are trying to call is not available,” a tinny, female voice recited. “Please try again at another time.”
Suits ended the call with a swipe and laughed nervously. “It seems he is not answering his phone at this time.”
Hazel looked expectantly up at Killian.
