“It seems like we have some repressed feelings,” I said as Birch’s color slowly returned to normal. “We should talk about it and get them out in the open.”
“What’s there to talk about—why are we evenhavingthis meeting?” Birch asked.
“Because.” I tried to sound as nice and sincere as possible, even though I really just wanted to punch Fell—I still hadn’t gotten over him dropping the monster in my realm, so it did my heart good to see Rime and Solis take him to task. “I’m formally requesting that the Fae Ring make me the fae representative on the Regional Committee of Magic next year.”
Verdant frowned a little. “Why would you want that?”
“The Autumn Court objects!” Fell announced.
“As does the Summer Court,” Birch added.
Of course the two bozos would.I glanced at Rime—she was the one I was most interested in hearing from, given that I suspected she would be the tie breaker.
Rime straightened her grayish blue dress and cleared her throat—putting her figurative mask back on. “I would also like to hear why you wish for such a position.”
I sucked in a breath and tried to steel myself—because here was where it got scary.
When I first made the Night Court truly recognize me as queen, I’d used a combination of intimidation tactics, cleverness, and brute force.
That wasn’t going to work with these guys.
They were fellow monarchs and had their own Courts. I couldn’t dominate them, and I didn’t want to become a regional tyrant. Not to mention trying to scare them into following me would only make these stupid political games that much worse.
No, I needed to do something terrifying.
I needed to tell them what was really going on.
“The fae are being targeted. Someone wants us out of the picture,” I said. “You can ask the Paragon and Solis to confirm it, but basically, there’s a group out there that would love to see us kill one another in our quests for power. I want the representative position because it’s the best chance I have at stabilizing our position, and reaching out and making alliances with other supernaturals.”
My desire to be the new fae rep was the only reason why the Paragon had given me permission to tell everyone. If I failed to snag the spot, the Paragon had given me a back up plan that Ihadto follow, and I wasn’t too keen on it.
Rime frowned. “Wait—there’s agroup?”
We all sat down—though I shook my head when Indigo asked if we wanted tea—and Solis and I, with some help from Rigel, explained everything the Paragon had told us about the shadowy organization.
Rime pressed her long, slender fingers together. “And you think they’re targeting us?”
“Yes,” I said.
“Why?” Verdant asked.
“What was your estimation of the Night Court before I took power?” I asked.
Verdant looked away.
“That’s why. Because the Night Court was a bleeding, wounded seal surrounded by sharks,” I said.
“And what has this to do with the position of representative?” Rime asked.
“I want the position, because it’s become apparent to me that we are our own worst enemy,” I said. “In all our infighting and backstabbing we don’t secure more power for ourselves, we condemn the fae to an earlier and earlier end.”
“Andyouthink you can lead us?” Birch scoffed.
“Yeah,” I said. “Because I’m the only one who knows what it’s like to live without that kind of weight on them, and because I’ve managed to do it within my own Court.”
“I don’t like it,” Fell argued. “The hierarchy system has existed for years, and we’ve flourished under it! Nothing needs to be fixed.”
“Fell, it’snot, in fact, working,” I said. “My people have thwarted more assassination attempts against me than I care to remember. Rigel and Imetbecause someone wants me dead. I love my Court enough that I’m willing to bust a few heads to save it.”
