“Mother, wait—” Jayla started, but the heavy groan of an invisible door swinging open rushed over us. I pressed my eyes shut. Leena was half-hidden between Kost and me, obscured from the royal family’s view, but wouldn’t go unnoticed for long if she’d just summoned a terrifying beast. But Onyx didn’t come barreling before us, and the stunned glances of the royal family didn’t sway Elianna’s conviction.
“I said arrest him!” she barked.
Isla didn’t hesitate, but as she made a move to grab my wrist, her hand smacked into an invisible barrier. A ripple cascaded outward from the impact and traveled across the dome, and at once I knew what creature Leena had summoned.
With quiet authority, she cleared her throat and nudged me to the side. “I wouldn’t do that.” There at Leena’s feet sat Quilla, her Asura. The beast had planted two hands firmly on the ground with the rest extended around it, firmly securing the near-unbreakable dome that covered us. Ten milky-white eyes stared endlessly into the ink-black night, and Quilla let out a quiet huff.
Before us, Isla’s hands dropped to her side and her jaw fell open. Even Elianna was unable to hide her shock. Her wide eyes stared at the beast, then traveled upward to Leena. Jayla abandoned her throne all together and joined her mother to get a closer look at our group. Maddox remained an inch behind Jayla with a tense hand poised to pull her back in case of danger.
“Quilla won’t hurt you,” Leena said, gently patting her beast’s head. “She’s only here to protect us.”
“You…” Elianna’s eyes first roved to the bestiary dangling against Leena’s collarbone, then to the exposed wing of the midnight-blue griffin tattoo on her chest. Her shawl had slipped from her shoulders as she’d reached down to praise her beast. Elianna’s gaze snapped to me, and I tugged on my collar to reveal the same mark emblazoned on my skin. She’d know exactly what our matching symbols meant. “So much for not retaking the throne.”
“He hasn’t. Yet.” Kost’s voice was level as he addressed the queen. “However, that is part of the reason why we’ve come.”
“Part?” Jayla asked. Unlike the rest of her family, her initial shock had faded, and she’d crouched to the ground to be at eye level with Quilla. A slow smile pulled at her lips.
“Jayla.” Elianna’s warning was unmistakable, but her daughter ignored it.
“Shall we take this conversation indoors?” Kost asked, jutting his chin in the direction of the street. While the procession had died, there were still citizens about. Prying eyes had fallen on our group, and the steady thrum of music had come to a halt. Guards who’d been lingering on the fringe of the festivities inched closer, steely stares targeting us.
I cleared my throat. “We would, of course, be willing to be escorted by your guards. Our intentions are honest. We’re not here to hurt anyone.”
“And the beast?” Elianna asked.
“Quilla’s abilities are purely defensive. She can’t—” Leena tried, but the queen cut her off without even deigning to give her a glance.
“The very fact that you expect me to trust you proves how naive you are. I will not allow a threat into my home. Not now, not ever.”
Jayla stood slowly and turned to her mother, placing a soft hand on her shoulder. “They would’ve already attacked us if that’d been their plan. I believe them.”
The queen bristled. “You believe everyone, Jayla. This…thismonster”—she spat in my direction before glancing at her daughter—“nearly destroyed our kingdom. And now you want to entertain the notion that he’s here for what? To offer his blessing?”
“A trade agreement,” I said softly.
“And maybe another gift,” Leena said as she touched her bestiary. There wasn’t an ounce of hesitation in her voice, but I caught it in the way her fingers tensed over her pendant. In the subtle way she tangled the chain before letting her hand fall away. While she’d agreed in theory to trade a beast, determining whether or not Jayla was an appropriate recipient was something she had to do in person—and on her own.
With cautious eyes, she studied Jayla. And then, without warning, opened the beast realm door and sent Quilla home. As soon as the groan died—along with the protective dome Quilla had magicked into place—Leena took a step forward, putting her within easy grasp of the mage. A dull ringing started in my ears as I watched her. Slipping my hands into the pockets of my trousers, I willed my nails to elongate and poised them over my palm. I wouldn’t allow Isla to harm her. Even if it meant sacrificing a potential alliance with Rhyne.
For a moment, no one moved. We became statues in a standoff, each one of us daring the other to break first. And with every second that ticked away, my heart raced faster. A nail pricked my skin, and blood lined the creases of my palm. Waiting. Ready to do my bidding. Finally, Jayla extended her hand toward Leena.
“Welcome to Veles, Charmer. I would be most honored to have you in my home.”
Leena nodded and shook her hand, allowing the slightest of smiles to claim her lips. “Thank you.”
There was no masking the anger on Elianna’s face—and I highly doubted she even tried—but she turned on her heels and stormed toward the castle gates, guards immediately flanking her sides. Isla positioned herself behind us to bring up the rear, and Jayla and Maddox led us after the queen.
Slowly, I let my nails recede and the blood dry. I glanced at my brothers and gave them a tight nod, ordering them to follow the royal family. Together, we walked toward the jade castle. It had been tense, but we’d overcome the first obstacle—gaining an audience with the queen. Now all that was left was the much more difficult task of convincing her to join a war she had no idea was brewing in the first place.
Twenty-Two
Leena
Aside from the keep in Hireath, I’d never been inside a castle—and the one in Veles did not disappoint. The subtle beauty of it all was breathtaking. My heels clicked against the marble tiles with rich, dark veining, and we passed countless stone columns wrapped in jade vines. A glass dome ceiling provided an unobstructed view of the indigo night. Thousands of stars winked from above, adding their light to the dangling, golden chandeliers. Queen Elianna and her daughter sat at the two high-back thrones beneath an ornate arch. Guards lined the perimeter, and Isla positioned herself faithfully at her queen’s side, her hard gaze flitting between Noc and Oz. Maddox stood at his lover’s side. One day, he’d sit where Elianna did, but not until she relinquished the crown.
We’d come straight here from the gates, and none of the tension had dissipated from Elianna’s expression. With a pinched mouth and her arms firmly crossed over her chest, she glared at us with an intensity that made me sweat. Noc, for all his worth, seemed unmoved. Or maybe he was. Stock-still beside me, his expression was perfectly masked and his hands tucked in his trouser pockets. The only inkling that he was experiencing any sort of discomfort was the errant muscle feathering his jaw. Beside him, Kost mirrored his stance, and Calem and Oz stood by me.
“Speak,” Elianna said. “And make it quick.”
