“In the flesh. Don’t tell her you’ve met me, though. She doesn’t know I’m here.”
I was pretty sure I wasn’t going to meet Queen Tamer Leigh anytime soon. So I told her, “Your secret is safe with me. And it’s a pleasure to meet you, by the way.”
Princess Leannon only nodded, no hint of a smile. Unlike the dark young man with black curly hair who beamed as he moved my way. “And this is Yanik Naudi, the youngest Prince of Jebel,” King Ryvar continued. “He would also like to keep your encounter discreet.”
“It’s a pleasure to discreetly meet you,” I said, giving him a soft smile.
“The pleasure is all mine, Queen Briartide,” Prince Yanik murmured, bowing from the waist. Then to my surprise, he grabbed my hand and pulled it close to his full lips. He pressed a soft kiss on the back of it.
“Shall we begin?” Amani bellowed, hugging three bottles of wine. Aegir acted all territorial and grabbed hold of my waist, taking me and my trailing arm with him.
We occupied the round table equidistantly. Marshen sat to my left, Eldric to his, Aegir sat to my right, Ryvar to his. Amani sat to Ryvar’s right, leaving Faern, Semuel, Leannon, and Yanik seated across from me.
Faern and Semuel. I still couldn’t believe my eyes.
Ten servants entered the room and poured us each a tall glass of Amani-chosen red wine, then walked away silently,except for one, who lingered to clean up Aegir’s mess. The servant bowed as he silently closed the double door behind him.
I took one giant sip from my wine.Mmm.
All right, I thought. That was definitely a great start.
I cleared my throat as I looked back at the people who stared at me, waiting for me to say something.
“I was told that you were here for me, for my people. I do not mean to sound rude, but help me understand, why are you all here exactly?” I asked, forcing my words not to tremble.
“You know why we’re here,” Faern replied.
“I do?”
Semuel did me the favour of answering. “We’re all here because we believe in the liberation and freedom of the Ilmans. Who turns out, areyourpeople.” Semuel looked at his husband and laughed. “Can you believe it? Our Wildheart.” Faern shook his head.
I pursed my lips at his heartwarming reaction. But then they tightened at the realisation. Were Semuel and Faern rebels? Were we all rebels?
“Can one of you explain whatever this is?” Leannon asked, pointing a palm in my direction, then at Semuel and Faern’s. “And oh, since we are not meaning to sound rude, I have to ask”—she shifted her gaze from me to Ryvar—“are you sure it’sher?”
“Yes,” I replied, before the king could answer.
“If I wasn’t sure, I wouldn’t have called this meeting,” Ryvar added defensively, and the princess lifted both palms at him.
“Do we at least get an explanation?”
Ryvar gestured a silent demand that meant, “You, explain.”
And so I did.
“So let me get this straight,” the Jebeli Prince, Yanik, said, twisting one of his dangling black curls around his forefinger. “A witch was bound to your mother through the oath of tears, andshe aided your hiding when Naar attacked. Then a full shifter, who happened to be your soulbound’s cousin, sacrificed himself alongside your parents.”
I was certain my eyes turned glassy, but I forced an impassive front. I didn’t want to appear weak in front of these powerful people, so I only nodded.
“Can you tell uswhythe immortal king came after you and your mother?” Amani asked. She shook her head. “What kind of a spineless beast must one be to kill a child?”
“That, I do not know. Well, when I asked—I mean, when Galen asked—thatwhy, King Arden mentioned something about visions. But that could be just a rumour.”
“Visions, huh?” she murmured, swirling her wine. “Vague much.”
“It is, but there is someone I know who may be able to confirm it, or better yet, explain it. But I’d have to return to the Sand Castle first.”
“That’s where you met these three, right?” Prince Yanik asked.
