Our people are still unsettled, and understandably so.
Their King was murdered in corruption brought by their own Queen, and more. In a matter of months, the kingdom in which they trust has been gutted and shaped anew, my brothers and I now at its helm.
They are right to throw a fit…but also, they need to fall in fucking line.
We make the rules now.
Knight kicks my foot and jerks his chin toward the crowd.
Oh, right.
This is where my gifts come in.
Leaning forward in my chair, I look out, mentally locking ontothe fear, anger, uncertainty—and yes, even the hope. I breathe it in, pulling the emotions into my body and letting the shadows around my soul reshape them. I twist their emotions, bend and restructure them, creating a calm across our people. Theywilllisten and believe that they are open to every word spoken by one of their kings.
Later, they can sort through how they really feel. But right now, Creed needs silence.
I push their manipulated emotions into their bodies, but just as I brush against their psyche, a sharp pain presses against my chest.
My brows snap together, but Creed has already begun to speak again.
“Do not fear for your young,” Creed demands. “Your kings will be among them.”
Sinner scoffs under his breath while Knight tilts his head in a calculating fashion.
“All Stygian and Argent-born over the age of eighteen are to report to the Ministry for departure. The portal will open at nightfall. Anyone attempting to remain behind” —he lets the pause stretch, a cold glint in his eye—“will be dragon food. And not the poetic kind.”
Creed steps back, signaling the end of his speech. But we’re not done yet.
I step forward.
“One more thing,” I say casually, dragging every eye to me.
Creed’s shoulders go taut. “Legend—”
“Relax,” I mutter. “Just a quick note. For the people.”
I walk slowly to the edge of the dais, turning my back to the brothers as I face the crowd.
“We’ve all lost things,” I say, voice deep and calm, like I’m reading bedtime stories to a pack of wolves. “Family. Power. Maybe even a toe or two, depending on where you were standingwhen my brother’s mate found out someone touched what belonged to her.”
Sinner chuckles. Knight doesn’t move.
“But I’m pleased to announce I’ve found something.”
I gesture lazily toward Haide. “This absolute menace to sanity? She’s mine.”
Another chorus of murmurs explodes across the room.
“She’s a gift from the gods, a threat to all structure and peace, and a constant pain in my royal ass. And I couldn’t be more thrilled to introduce her. Straight from Exile Island, I give you your future Queen. Well, one of them, anyway.”
The crowderupts. Their emotions serve like a whip to my mind, making me grin. They hate her. They love her. They fear her.
And she hasn’t even said a word.
And then a voice cuts through the chaos. Loud. Sharp.
Fuckingstupid.
