AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Her attendants fell back around her, gaping at her admission. Aaron fixed her with a stare of steel. “Why have you let those crimesslide?”
The monarch’s lips twisted, but my flames still surrounded her. “It’s been easier for us while the shifter community was disordered. We’ve been able to claim more territory, refuse more compromises. I was happy to let that situationcontinue.”
I winced inside at the admission. A hotter fire tickled the base of my throat, wanting to punishherfor all the hurt she’d allowed to happen. I held it at bay and sent another gust of the truthful flames over her. My dragon form was starting to quiver with the strain of this unfamiliarpower.
“Will you accept Serenity’s authority and ours from now on?” Nateasked.
“Yes,” the fae woman gasped. “As much as I haveto.”
I didn’t like the sound of that. But I couldn’t produce another burst of flames. I let them peter out, just barely holding on to my dragon shape. I stayed there and glowered down ather.
The monarch rubbed her hands over her arms as if trying to dispel the fire that had already vanished. She stared up at me. For the first time, I saw fear in her eyes. Fear—and a hint of rage underneathit.
I’d gotten the better of her this time, but she wasn’t going to forget it. Whatever conflict had been brewing between the fae and the shifters, it was far fromdone.
“These accusations don’t seem so ‘baseless’ now that you’ve admitted they’re true, monarch,” Marco said archly. “Where do you say we go fromhere?”
She seemed to catch a scowl. “I will make reparations,” she said. “The fae who have acted against the shifters in any way will be punished according to the treaty. So will others in future if I hear of it myself. You have myword.”
That last sentence settled in the air with a supernatural finality. We could trust her at least that far. I guessed we couldn’t exactly ask her to commit tofeelingany particular way about theshifters.
I bowed my head, blinking at her, and a shiver passed through her skinny body. “Does that resolve our business here?” sheasked.
“Other than one thing,” Aaron said. “When you address your people who’ve acted against us, that should also include any who’ve helped rogue shifters make attacks on us or the rest of our community.Agreed?”
She nodded with a jerk. “Agreed.”
She shot me one last look before she turned with a sweep of that flowing hair. A look that told me she was beaten for now, but notforever.
But as victories went? I’d takethat.
When the fae had disappeared back into the forest, I released my dragon form. My body crumpled with a shudder. I gasped a breath down my suddenly sore throat. The power I’d been granted had felt amazing, but it’d left my bodythrobbing.
Nate offered me my dress. I slid it back on, regaining my balance. “All right,” I said. “Let’s gohome.”
Chapter 21
Nate
“Idon’t knowwhy I feel so shaken up,” Ren said. “I already knew she was dead, and that the fae killedher.”
She rubbed her hand over her face. We were standing in her bedroom in front of the mirror where she’d been combing the dark brown waves of her hair. They spilled smoothly over her shoulders and the neckline of the teal dress she’d chosen for tonight’s farewell gala. Tomorrow we were moving on to my estate to thesouth.
I rested my hand on the small of her back, and she leaned into me automatically. Touching her had always made my heart leap, but nothing could compare to the steady heat of the connection that now thrummed between us. A bond that should last as long as we bothlived.
“You didn’t know how much approval those fae had from their monarch,” I said. “You had to hear her talk as if your mother’s murder meant nothing to her. Of course that botheredyou.”
“Yeah. I guess that makes sense.” She drew in a long breath and squared her shoulders. “Back out into thefray.”
I chuckled, taking her hand as we headed for the door. “Just remember that you did what you came here to do. We can’t bring your mother back, but we are getting justice for her. And you got it using the power she always wanted you tohave.”
Ren nodded, her hand rising to the hollow of herthroat.
The courtyard in front of the avian estate was already teaming with shifters, like it had been when we’d first shown up two nights ago. A band was playing a jaunty tune on the steps, and people everywhere were dancing. Ren swayed my arm in time with the music, but I had two left feet when it came to keeping arhythm.
“I think I’d better hand you off to Aaron if you’re in the mood for dancing,” I said with a grin. The eagle shifter was already making his way over tous.
“I’ll be back,” Ren said, with a quick peck on my lips. I watched as Aaron swept her away, spinning her and dipping her. Our dragon shifter laughed, her eyes shining, and the warmth in my heartgrew.
