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Luca was silent, and Viktorija was as still as a statue beside him. He knew that stance well since it was the one she had used while she served in the King’s Guard. She had his back.
“Thank you,” Luca replied. “I deeply appreciate your kind words and the loyalty of your clans. Your bravery in risking your lives to come here in uncertain conditions will not be forgotten since I’m sure you knew there might be a fight waiting.
“I gratefully accept your help, but we need time to clean up and grieve before we receive guests. I’m sure you saw that the path isn’t very…welcoming. All the palace witches were either killed or have long since fled. We have a great deal of horrific work ahead.”
The wolf clan representative stepped forward. He was a large, handsome man with a thick black beard and intelligent blue eyes. “My name is Anton, Your Highness. Your mother went against the king and was imprisoned for her loyalty to her people. My people.
“Anatoly is my uncle. The king punished your good mother because she sent her personal guard to hunt down the vampires who massacred a village of my clan.”
He stopped and cleared his throat. “We understand that your grief is far greater than ours, but we grieve all the same. You should not have to go through this experience alone, Sire. Besides, I believe you have misunderstood our purpose in coming here.”
Luca quirked an eyebrow at the wolf. “I thought it was to swear fealty.”
Anton nodded. “And we do, wholeheartedly and without hesitation, but that is not our only purpose here.”
The eagle Therian also stepped forward, bowing his head before he addressed his king. He was short and thin, with sharp features, wiry black hair, and observant green eyes that missed nothing. “I’m Bastien, Your Majesty. We found a wounded traitor who fought with your father, and he will be returned to you at your whim. During his imprisonment, we discovered what happened to your family and that we have a new king.”
The bear nodded and introduced himself. He was the largest of the group, seven feet tall and heavily muscled, with blond hair and gray eyes. “Gregov, Sire. Word traveled very quickly through the clans, and our rulers immediately went into action, gathering every available servant, craftsman, and guard. We are all here for you, Sire. By tomorrow morning, the palace won’t be a grave reminder of the loss.”
Bastien gave Luca a wide grin that showcased the contrast between his straight white teeth and his tawny skin. “As you know, my clan doesn’t employ human witches since our people are blessed with innate magic. My mother is our most prized teacher, and she educated me thoroughly. It would be an honor to use my skills to serve you in this, Your Majesty.”
The high king of the Therians shook his head. “Please just call me Luca. I haven’t been crowned, so I am just another Therian cleaning up the bloodshed so our queen can mourn the loss of her children. Bastien, Gregov, Anton, Destin, and Rancho, I welcome you all with open arms. My gratitude surpasses my ability to express it.”
Luca bowed to the Therians, who watched him in shock. Nikoli would never have spoken to them so informally, nor would he have treated them as equals. Bastien recovered first. He stepped forward and offered the king his hand.
“The coronation is just a ceremony, Si…Luca. You are our king. My magic can help set the palace to rights for the funeral and coronation, but first, if I may be so presumptuous to ask, may I help you attend to your dead? I couldn’t help hearing your concerns as we approached, and I would spare Queen Kittania that pain as well.”
Bastien gestured at the sheet-covered bodies on the balcony. “None of them deserved this fate, but if you allow it, I can clean and…prepare the bodies so they look whole and at peace.”
Luca sighed in relief and shot Bastien a grateful smile. A heavy weight slid off his shoulders. “That would be most welcome, thank you. What can I do to help?”
Bastien nodded, looking sick. “Forgive me for the questions I’m about to ask.”
Luca met his eyes. “I am aware that this won’t be pleasant. I am grateful beyond words for your help, Bastien. What do you need?”
The eagle led them to the balcony. “Help me with the sheets, please?”
Bastien and Luca pulled the sheets off in smooth, coordinated movements, and all the Therians looked at the mangled and dismembered corpses of the royal family with horror. Bastien swallowed past a lump in his throat. “Are you certain this is all of their…parts?”
Viktorija stepped forward. “As sure as we can be. Everything here belongs to a direct member of our family, but we aren’t positive that the…pieces are with the right person.” She looked sick, and the others mirrored her expression.
“It will help,” Bastien replied. “I need an hour to work the magic, and I can use the blood connection to separate them in the spell. I’m sorry, but I have to remove their clothing and clean them first. I can do it with magic, but it won’t be pretty. I will spare you that sight if you let me and call you back for the rest. That part will only take about ten minutes.”
Luca met Viktorija’s gaze, and she nodded. “We can step inside and make plans for the cleanup with the others.” He gratefully offered his hand to Bastien, then pulled the smaller man into an embrace. “Thank you. I will not forget this.”
The others gathered in the hall outside the throne room, and Gregov spoke first. “We all volunteered for this mission because we believe in you, Luca, but also because we are respected among our clans. When we pass on your orders, our people will follow them. The eagle’s magic will help with much of the work we need to do, but there are also repairs to complete, along with a mass funeral and a coronation to plan. Where do you want us to start?”
Luca cleared his throat, fighting his emotions. Viktorija had ideas about where to begin, so she pulled out her cell phone and handed it to Luca. “Go call Ash. I’ll get them started, and then we will help Bastien with the next step.”
Luca turned to the others and smiled. “I will hide nothing from my people. I took a mate during my exile, a human with a powerful spark. She then became the first of a new race of vampires born of love instead of hatred to prevent Nadya from turning me into her vampiric puppet. If that turns you from my side, go now. I will not abandon her.”
Without hesitation, they all bowed their heads to indicate their acceptance. “We heard about your vampire, Luca. Tales of her bravery circulate among your people. Neither we nor our clans will oppose her.”
The knot of worry in his chest loosened. Ash’s acceptance in the Therian world might not face as much opposition as he had imagined.
“I gratefully accept your loyalty and the assistance of you and your clans. Please continue with Viktorija. I need to speak to my mate.”
Retreating to a library the king hadn’t bothered to trash, Luca pressed Ash’s icon and waited impatiently as it rang. On the third ring, Dani answered, sounding frazzled.
