“Helena!” I cried without thinking and was very glad there was a silencing ward around us.
“You are both all right,” she gushed in utter relief as she rushed forward quickly to wrap her arms around the both of us together. “Thank the gods!”
“Where is Riordan?” asked Orion as she stepped back. Our bond was faint, but I could sense he was as nervous as I was about our king meeting Rian without us there to try and mediate between them.
“He is overseeing a… transaction,” she explained with a pensive look at me. “He will be here soon.”
“Good. Don’t hurt anyone else. We have been making good headway on negotiations with Rian. I don’t want to jeopardize them,” I advised her, relishing the comforting squeeze from Orion as I glanced regretfully at Mator.
Helena looked conflicted, and then she shook her head at me sadly.
“That is not my decision, Amira. Riordan has been… Perhaps you will be able to speak some sense to him,” Helena advised as she went over to check the orc’s pulse. Finding him dead, as I expected, she closed his eyes with two fingers and then turned him onto his back with his arms crossed over his chest.
“Thank you,” I told her as another portal opened.
Orion and I turned, hoping to see our king, but I was shocked when two people with bags over their heads were shoved into the room and forced to their knees.
“Thárrosi!” called Ares who stood behind them with a curved blade to the man’s throat. I wanted to return his pleased smile, but my attention stayed on his prisoners. Even with bags on their heads, I knew who they were.
“Helena!” I objected as I turned to glare at her.
“I am sorry, Amira, but these were the king’s orders!” she insisted in exasperation.
“Ah, of course,” sighed Rian as if he had just realized who had attacked him. “I suppose you did warn me that he would be angry and reckless,” he recalled with a smirk in his voice. His irreverence made Ares snarl and press his knife harder against the fey’s throat.
I had no idea why the Autumn Prince allowed Ares to manhandle him that way, but I suspected they may have found a way to disable his power.
“I hope you haven’t already forgotten our discussion,” Rian warned me, ignoring Ares. “Be sure they are gentle with Nuala. She was injured in the battle,” he added.
“I am alright,” replied the witch. Although I could tell she was in pain from the grip of the griffin warrior behind her who had his hand squeezing the back of her neck.
“Release her. Now,” Orion ordered the warrior who was confused but obeyed immediately.
“I have not forgotten our discussion,” I assured Rian, and Orion followed me as I walked toward where he and Nuala knelt. Helena stayed silent, but Ares flicked his tail in reluctancewhen I nodded my head for him to step back from Rian. He glanced up at Orion behind me as if hoping he would disagree, but my mate growled his impatience. Once Ares released Rian and stepped back, I removed the hoods from both of the prisoners.
Rian glanced around, his stunning gold-and-emerald eyes checking on Nuala first before he took careful note of every person around him. When he finally looked back at me it was with a hard edge of warning in his gaze that told me our deal was hanging by a thread.
“I must admit I am impressed,” he said begrudgingly. “Very smart of you to take us off guard right after a battle while we are still recovering. And that powder is—”
Rian hesitated when he noticed Mator’s body on the floor behind Helena, and his expression darkened.
“He was barely grown,” he snarled as he looked from Helena to the two Vale orcs as if trying to decide who was to blame for killing the young guard.
“He was in the way,” retorted one of the orcs.
Rian stared at him hard as if to burn his face into his memory for later.
Another portal opened, breaking the tension, and this time it was my king who finally came through.
“Riordan!” I cried in relief and rushed for him without caring how it looked to Rian or anyone else as I crashed into my mate. And he clearly didn’t care either because he swept me off my feet and crushed me against him before sinking to his knees with me cradled on his lap. I could feel him shaking slightly as he kissed my head and neck, his every breath harsh. Then I felt him reach out one arm, and Orion was pulled against him too, which sandwiched me between the two men. It would have been much more comfortable if Riordan were not wearing his gold armour, but I was just happy to be back with both of my mates.
“We are safe,” Orion promised, his voice muffled in the king’s neck where Riordan had pulled him.
“Why can’t I speak to either of you or even hear you through the bond?” Riordan demanded once he sat back. He began to look us over, his hands trailing down both of our backs to ensure that we were unharmed.
“I think the magic used to bind us may have muted it,” Orion explained.
“But I can still feel you,” I added when Riordan’s face hardened. “It is coming back gradually.”
