Page 37 of Microburst

Seriously, my life was fucking chaos and just… There really weren’t words for it most days.

“Open it,” the guard with us ordered someone at the door, and he was clearly someone in charge because they didn’t even hesitate, others around us bowing to me.

People gasped as I walked in like I owned the place. Most immediately stood and others hurried to scramble then, bowing and behaving as they should.

All but one. Theragecoming off of him was unreal and he was the one I was there for. I knew what he looked like from interviews and articles. He was always at one fundraiser or another for the family or companies. Always smiling and talking about the moral duty of the fortunate to help others.

Apparently, while completely lying about… All of it.

Darren had rushed over to me. “Your Majesty, are you okay? What’s wrong?”

I didn’t meet his eyes, too focused on Grandfather. “You never have to call me that, Uncle. Not ever. We’re beyond that, but at least you are actually the person you say you are unlike others here.”

“You aren’t welcome here,” Grandfather bellowed as he finally stood.

I moved faster than any of them could keep up with and broke several of the big bones in his body before anyone could think to intervene… Including his spine. “I amqueen, old man. You have no authority over me. That was always your real problem with what Mother did. You lostauthorityover yourpropertywhen she becamequeen, right?”

I felt it and started chuffing. I couldn’t think why he would risk the whole family by what he was trying to do to Darren, but it hit me on the flight over as I was trying to cloak my hand.

Mother becoming queen made Grandfather’s authority over here invisible—just gone. He was no longer in power. Even if she was mated to another man,hewould have chosen that man and had power as the father-in-law.

But with the royal family?

No fucking way. There wasno fucking wayhe could exert influence and control over his “property” when she mated into the royal family.

Belinda swore under her breath and I glanced up to see her looking around the room before she met my gaze, anger in her eyes.

I smirked at her. “This is why I’ve always respected you beyond being an ancient. You are always the smartest person in the room, definitely the fastest to catch on to things.”

“Not always, darling, since you caught it first,” she said with a dark chuckle.

I swallowed loudly. “I had inside information that made it easier to put together and it ends tonight.”

“Sagan, what’s going on?” Darren asked, his tone scared.

I ignored him and focused on Grandfather. “Pick a leg or arm. I’ll give you that choice and let you still fly.” I grabbed him by the hair and yanked him up so he could see me. “Pick, or I will, and take the whole thing, not just cripple you so you can’t be head of the family.”

“You wouldn’t dare,” he bit out, trying to hide his pain.

I smiled and let him see the darkness I carried. “I want a wing for what you’ve done, but your dragon doesn’t deserve that, so pick a leg or an arm, old man, before I really lose my temper.” I felt someone approaching and didn’t even look at them. “I’ll burn you to ash if you interfere. This is a score I’m settling for my mother and myself.”

“Touch her and I’ll kill you,” Darren warned, his voice cold. “Sagan, he’s already out. Please, tell me what’s going on.”

“He went to the media,” I snitched, smirking when Grandfather’s eyes filled with my death. “I was warned that he’s working with a dirty reporter who’s framing it all that you’re corrupted—weaklycorrupted bymealready and he was sorighteous to stay out of it all of these years. To smear us both so badly to cover up the truth and his own sins.”

“June,” Darren whispered. “June warned you.” He didn’t even wait for me to confirm it. “How could you, Father? That would ruin the whole family, not just me. It could ruin all ofThovudin!Our companies would—thousands of jobs would be lost in an instant. How could you risk all of that for your pride?”

“Oh, it’s not even about pride anymore, is it, old man?” I purred. “Darren’s yours, and another of yourassetsdidn’t pay out and must be punished just like the last one? If you can’t have them, no one can, right? That’s the way of this fucked-up family?” I smashed his head into the solid wood table, satisfied when I heard something break.

And not from the table.

“Pick. Leg or arm.”

“Wait, Your Majesty, please, do not go this far and tarnish yourself,” someone called out.

I glanced up to see an elder, based on the hair color, and frowned. I snorted. “Tarnish? Right, because I’m a woman? If I was male, you would think it my duty and a point of honor.” I snorted again when I saw it in his eyes. “You sexist, pompous asshole.”

I slammed Grandfather’s head into the table so he finally cried out in pain and then let him go so I could gesture around the room.