Page 16

The lion falls flat on his belly, all four legs splayed out, and with a ripple of air and light, the lion disappears and Gabriel returns to form.

He groans loudly as if the shift was painful, and maybe it was. I’ve never bothered to ask.

“Oh, my baby boy!”

Glinda has no problem letting the world know she’s the mother of Gabriel. Sweet, kind, and so very innocent Gabriel.

“Fucking hell,” Gabriel says to the marble floor.

“Language,” Glinda says.

“Ma,” Gabriel groans.

My youngest brother is still in his prisoner clothes. A torn and dirty white shirt and a pair of trousers that might have once been tan but are now the color of filth.

“Let’s get you cleaned up and fed.” Glinda takes him by the arm and helps him to his feet. “Can he have the Oak Room?”

“Fine. I don’t care.” I just want her to leave.

“Lacosta, can you tell the kitchen to prepare a feast for Gabriel. What would you like, darling?”

“Anything other than porridge.”

“Anything other than porridge,” Glinda tells Lacosta as if the Witch of the North isn’t standing right beside them.

“Of course.” Lacosta steals a glance at me. When we last spoke, she proposed to me and while I didn’t exactly accept, I also didn’t outright reject her.

But how the fuck am I to think about marrying a witch when a girl who fell from the sky is likely plotting my demise?

A smile tugs at the corners of my mouth and I turn to the bank of windows that overlook my reflection pool on the grounds below.

Kansas would be a fool to come after me without a plan. My brother will help with that, no doubt. But there isn’t a weapon that can kill me, other than the axe, but Silas wouldn’t dare. There’s a reason he and I have barely crossed paths since I stole his heart. He can hardly summon the desire to kill me, let alone the courage.

“Your Eminence,” Glinda calls out. “Once I have Gabriel settled, I’d like a private audience with you.”

Of course she does.

“I’m busy.”

“You’re never too busy for your mother.”

She does like to play that card when it benefits her.

“Very well.”

Glinda, Gabriel, and Lacosta leave.

Bayla comes up beside me, bringing with her the scent of rose oil and recently roasted pecans. Her black hair has been tightly wound into two knots on either side of her head, a few curls loose around her face.

The black wool double-breasted jacket she’s wearing is the standard captain’s uniform with metallic green epaulets on the shoulders and the captain’s double bars pinned to her collar. Since she’s captain of the Cardinal Command, there’s a stylized compass rose embroidered on the left sleeve.

Her brother is in a similar uniform, but as captain of my personal guard, he has the Wizard’s W embroidered on his shoulder. Bron smells of burning tobacco and the same pecans. It’s their favorite snack. They roast them in sugar and cream and vanilla. They’re sweet and sticky and so fucking good it makes my eyes water.

The brother and sister are some of my oldest friends, my most trusted advisors. They grew up in the north, but moved to the Emerald City with their mother, a witch. Their mother was one of my teachers.

“About this girl,” Bayla says.

I glance at her.