Long engagement, Jess mouthed.
And George. Brother to a king or chieftain.
“What do you suggest?” King Broen asked far more quietly than Piers might have. “As long as they remain here, so too remains the threat.”
Piers couldn’t see Queen Meyghian’s face from where he sat when she turned toward King Broen straight-on but imagined a smile based on the lilt of her voice. “Then allow them to live—elsewhere. Pieravor has made a life in the human realm, as has my son, Prince Vale. Allow him to return with his bonded mate.”
“And permit them to cause trouble in another realm?”
“Not cause trouble. More and more beings from our realm have crossed into theirs. Some fleeing war, some, like my son, seeking adventure and understanding, and others outlawed in our realm. Refugees and adventure-seekers have no resources there, nor those beyond the law any consequences. I propose to establish a consulate, let them use their magic and skills.”
“What of Myrgren? King Radre is dead, and Prince Wycke is next in line to the throne.”
Queen Meyghian sighed. “Myrgren sits on the seat of all magic in Tirra Neu. Magic too powerful for those of your kind to wield for long without affecting their minds, like Lady Nyanda. Have you not noticed human magical abilities declining more and more with each generation? Yes, you have mages and sorcerers who’ve learned to control magic, bend it to their will. Even some of those go astray from time to time. Non-humans don’t control the magic; we form a symbiotic bond.”
Queen Meyghian took a few paces toward the throne. Guards stepped between her and the high king, but he waved them away. “Go on.”
“Before the first king built a castle here and declared the land his own, elves, fairies, gargoyles, ogres, trolls, and other folks made this their home. I have it on good authority that Prince Wycke has no desire to be king.” Queen Meyghian flourished a sweep of her hand. “Did you not notice how the surrounding lands have remained unoccupied since the deciding battle? Radre, or rather, Nyanda, cared for nothing in this land but the power beneath. We, its rightful guardians, want to fulfill our role as protectors. The humans currently living here can stay, for they are our friends, but never again will we be ruled by a human.”
“And if we don’t take your suggestions?” the minister asked.
All eyes turned as a gargoyle ducked beneath the doorway and stomped into the room—a gargoyle with a distinctive scar on its breast—followed by several other beings Piers couldn’t name but whose features definitely weren’t entirely human. All whiffed of power.
“Simple.” Queen Meyghian turned, letting everyone see her shark smile. “We declare war and take back this mountain by force.”
Before he could stop himself, Piers stood. His mouth opened, but the words weren’t his. Instead, an echo like a thousand blended voices said, “Heed our word, High King of Tirra Neu. The magic of this place protects both Wycke Bertillian and Pieravor Gimitri. Harm them at your own risk.”
George, Vale, Jess, and Aberfrer took up places behind Piers. A commotion came from the doorway, then Saris strode in with her guard, Wycke between them. Any who stood in their way soon backed off at a glare from Saris. They joined those standing behind Piers, except for Wycke, who took a place alongside. A dragon poked its head through a window. Chynne! Apparently recovered.
Shrieks rose from the spectators, who all fled their places near the windows, only to scream and run back from the doors. A massive hellhound approached, wearing a yellow strip of cloth like a toga. Four smaller hellhounds followed behind. Even Piers flinched for a moment until the beings joined his little group.
Mama Hellhound must’ve kept her word about getting her sons in line.
One by one, the leaders of the other tribes gathered around him. Queen Meyghian spoke. “You’ve never before considered Tirra Neu’s magic a living entity, but it is, and it has spoken, as have we. Recent events have brought about something never before seen in our history: a uniting of tribes. Can we add yours?”
CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN
Piers strolled along the shoreline of the Taika Sea. Mountains towered in the distance. Between there and the beach, nothing but green as far as the eye could see.
If he turned, he’d see the palace they’d come from and the city beyond. The farther they wandered, the quieter the surroundings. No cars here, no traffic noises. So peaceful. So easy to imagine his future didn’t hang in the balance.
His newly-discovered brother, High King Broen, met with advisors in the palace, deciding Piers and Wycke’s fate. That the king allowed the two of them to leave the palace offered some reassurance that Piers wouldn’t face the magical equivalent of a firing squad. However, guards followed at a careful distance. If he really wanted, he and Wycke could probably still manage a portal.
He’d save escape for a last resort. With hellhounds on his side, who’d be able to track him?
The air smelled salty but clean, the constant breeze brushing Piers’ face. No huge buildings, no crush of people. Nothing but crashing waves along the shoreline. Such a beautiful place.
Wycke waded barefoot into the waves, pants rolled up to his knees and boots in his hand.
Piers splashed into the water behind him. “I still can’t believe I’m from Myrgren.”Myrgren.Tirra Neu. Fanciful names he’d only heard of in stories until recently. Real places. His home.
His and Wycke’s.
Wycke knelt and tossed a shell into the waves, then another. Blue, shimmering creatures as large as his hand rose above the waves before plunging back into the sea.
Piers took a step closer to Wycke. Without an audience, he’d have taken this man into his arms. “Before I met you, I lived an ordinary life. Boring, but ordinary. Now.” He shook his head. “This is too much to take in.”
“I know. To find yourself dropped into a strange world as an adult and not eased in as a child, without parents or mentors to guide you.” Wycke stared down at the wet sand. “The human realm overwhelmed me on my first few visits.”
