The queen sneered and looked down her nose at Guardian Alleron. “Don’t forget this one. I don’t care for him to ever be present within the palace again.”
Guardian Alleron shot her a contemptuous look and straightened his shoulders. I could practically taste the rising victory emitting from his soul despite her snub. He truly believed that he’d caught the Dark Raider, and inevitably, Jax and his friends would hang.
Sheer panic coated my insides because I’d seen that look on my guardian previously. It was a look he wore when he wanted something fiercely, and I’d never seen him lose when he’d set his ambitions.
“My prince and lady, if you would.” The kingsfae commander gestured toward the door, and some of my panic calmed when I realized they weren’t going to restrain us.
But Jax’s expression hardened. “As I said earlier, Lady Elowen’s not going anywhere. I won’t say it again. She belongs to no one but herself. She will not be subjected to any questioning.”
“Really, Adarian.” The queen huffed. “You’re making this so difficult. Just do as they say so this matter may be cleared up.” She eyed me again. “And I don’t care to hear again that you’re claiming a slave as your mate. That’s beyond absurd. And if you truly have completely lost your head and mated yourself to this...female, we shall call upon a spellcaster and have the bond dissolved shortly upon your return.”
I swayed, and it felt as though the floor had dropped out from under me.Dissolve our bond by wielding a dark spell?The queen actually wanted to cut the threads that wove Jax’s and my souls together, but I wouldneverallow such a thing. It was said one never recovered from a broken mate bond, and Jax and I had done nothing to deserve that kind of pain.
I locked my knees and met the royals’ contemptuous stares squarely. “My king and queen, Guardian Alleron is myformerguardian. As your son stated, he rules me no more. And despite your feelings for me, which I can partly understand given the circumstances, I hope that eventually you’ll see me as a worthy mate for your son because I’m not going anywhere.” I lifted my chin, and Guardian Alleron’s eyes narrowed, but the second his attention dipped to my throat, his eyes widened.
That’s right. I glared at him.Your collar and adaptor are gone, which means that you can’t control me anymore.
Despite my respectful yet challenging tone and words, Jax’s parents only gave me a dismissive wave, as though I was no more significant than a tiny beetle crawling in the soil.
Fresh pain cut through my heart at their obvious disgust of me, and a growl rumbled in Jax’s chest.
“Just go and be done with this nonsense, and take that girl with you.” The king pointed a finger at me and then Jax. “But be civil. Do not embarrass our great name by doing anything other than what they ask of you.” The king shifted his attention to the commander. “And, Commander, we expect the same of you. Be mindful that Adarian is ouronlyson,who you’re taking in for questioning.”
Jax’s aura rose monumentally, and my concern shot to Bastian, confined within Jax’s tower—the king’s bastard son under this roof at this very moment, completely unbeknownst to any of them—and entirely at risk if he was discovered too.
And to make matters worse, since Jax hadn’t delivered a looking glass to his brother yet, Bastian literally had no way of contacting anyone in the outside realm. Until Jax released him from the chambers, he was trapped. Just as I’d been.
Oh Gods.
The commander bowed. “Of course, Your Majesty. We understand the gravity of this situation.” He signaled the other kingsfae, and they began closing in.
“You’re coming with me,” the kingsfae stated beside me and reached for my arm.
“Don’t touch her.” Jax snarled and shoved him away from me.
“Adarian!” the king yelled, fury lancing his tone. “Truly, if you’re innocent of everything they’re claiming, this will all be cleared up soon. And as for this female you’ve brought along, your mother is right. If she’s a slave to this”—his gaze tracked up and down my guardian, his lip curling—“thismale, then she best return home with him. Or she can handle her plea with the supernatural courts to be free of a guardian on her own time. Whatever the case, it has nothing to do with us. Neither your mother nor I wish to ever hear the wordmatebrought up again by you. Now go, and don’t cause a scene.” His voice dipped. “If you do, the only one who will pay the price is your supposed mate.”
CHAPTER 15
The king’s threat hung heavily in the air, and a crushing sense of defeat filled me. Because even if Jax did manage to keep the kingsfae from questioning me, it wasn’t like I had anywhere to go. Jax would be forced to either leave me in the palace, at his parents’ mercy, or I would be dumped out into the streets.
“It’s all right. I’ll be fine,” I said quietly to the prince. “I’ll go to the courts.”
“No, Elowen, you won’t.” He cast me a glance, and his look held a steely resolve. “You’ve done nothing wrong. You should remain free.”
An aching pit opened in my stomach at the menace that filled his aura. Surges of it barreled into me along our bond, even more so when his attention shifted back to the kingsfae and the magic around Jax tripled.
“Adarian . . .” I said cautiously.
Nostrils flaring, Jax swung to his father, and a cruel smile curved his lips. “You’re a fool, Father, if you think I’ll let them take her. She’smymate. Don’t you understand what that means?”
His father’s eyes widened just as a huge rush of magic emitted from Jax, and something Jax had said to me, days ago when we’d been in Leafton staying at The Silver Hand, crashed to the front of my mind.“I’ll fucking killanyonewho tries to harm you or take you from me.”
My jaw dropped as the implication of that statement took root.
Jax was a mated fae male.
He wouldn’t allow the kingsfae to apprehend me. It went against every instinct that commanded his soul. Hecouldn’tlet them touch me.
