AllFreeNovel
Share Us
People were watching in horror. What they didn’t realize was that he was a sniper. He’d shot at us, but without that context, he was the victim.
“Audience,” I muttered.
I wasn’t sure what Beatrice intended, but she was the oldest, strongest person I’d ever met, and she was pissed off.
Sheflowed, carrying the man with her.
“Fuck,” I yelled as Eli and I ran toward the angrydraugr.I didn’t want toflow, not with this many witnesses. They might be drunk, but they had cameras in hand.
“Hey! That’s the faery prince and . . . shit. That’sthem.”
“The royals!”
The cameras were on us then, and I made a note to learn that camera erasing trick of Beatrice’s. I hated the idea of our images being splashed all over.
“Bonbon,” Eli said as soon as we turned the corner. “Flow.”
And we both did, following Beatrice into a graveyard. I felt her there, watched as she tore open a mausoleum and shoved the bleeding, human man inside.
“Stay,” she ordered—not that he had much choice.
He was whimpering, and I had no idea what had been done to him in such a short time or if her rage was enough to frighten him. He looked at me.
“Help?” he pleaded, reached toward me from where he had crumpled in the dirt.
I looked away, turning my back on the man who had shot at me.
“You are lucky she found you before I did.” Eli stared at the shooter. “Do we need him alive?”
“We shall see.” Beatrice shrugged. “Corroboration and all that.”
Eli scowled. “It is easier to handle such things inElphame.No courts.”
“Indeed.” Beatrice shoed the stone back in place, trapping the man inside.
I tried not to think at the fact that they were lamenting a court of law—or that there was no court of law when I’d beheaded fangers. If one was caught in the act, I was a sword before word person. Why was this different? Was it?
“You’re in shock.” Eli wrapped an arm around me.
I nodded. Ithadbeen a lot. I was awake after a soul-meld, discovered that I was married, and nearly shot in a space of mere hours.
“Daphne is working for one of the government agencies.” Beatrice frowned. “Her . . .handleroffered her my empire in exchange forcleansingthe city. Of me. Of witches. Of fae. They would start a war with such notions. She would rule mydraugrin exchange for giving them an army of the dead for their military uses.”
Eli tensed.
“An army of the dead,” I echoed.
“They think to replace me and thereby give her power to command mydraugr.To use us as weapons in their war machine.” Beatrice’s voice was radiating rage.
“My people are inElphame.” Eli sounded like earth to Beatrice’s fire but I knew him too well to think him unmoved.
“They had not identified any of the fae here, but now”—Beatrice gestured at us—“there is you, Prince ofElphameand your betrothed. And though Geneviève is merely your betrothed in their knowledge, she is still a target. As if—”
“Grandmother.” I took her hand and realized that she was shaking with rage. “Let us find Daphne.”
Beatrice nodded, but then she dipped her head to Eli. “My word that this violence toward your people is not the wish of those who are under my rule, Heir ofElphame.”
“That truth will be shared with my uncle.” Eli bowed his head even deeper.
