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I hit the ground next to Adeena with a thunderous force, and her arms are already outstretched, waiting for me. I snake one arm around the small of her back, pulling her against me while I use my other hand to cup the back of her head as I kiss her. She’s shaking at first, but she quickly stills, melting against me as I tighten my grip around her.
Her bottom lip is the last thing to stop trembling as I suck it into my mouth. Her hands rest against my chest, gripping my shirt as she kisses me back.
“I missed you,” she breathes against my lips as our kiss comes to an end, interrupted by the uproar around us.
“I missed you, too,” I smile before planting a soft kiss on her forehead.
“What’s going on here?” I ask as I turn away from her, facing the unidentified woman. “And who are you?”
She opens her mouth to speak, but the voices filling the air around us are too much. They’re becoming so loud I can hardly hear myself think. She closes her mouth, looking around as the shouting increases.
Izan stands behind Adeena, throwing his hands up in frustration. He gestures toward his ears, signaling to me that he can’t hear himself think either.
My patience has worn thin by the lack of respect, so I clear my throat, preparing my voice as I stalk toward the edge of the landing overlooking the front lawn. “SILENCE!” I roar, my voice ripping through the crowd.
But, it has no effect. Absolutely none, zero.
I clear my throat once more. “SILENCE,” I repeat louder this time.
Still, nothing. They’re not paying the slightest attention to me. Their eyes are focused on Adeena, and they’re yelling for her.
Flames light at my fingertips as my anger is fueled by their blatant disrespect for the high lord of the court they’re currently standing in. How dare they show up here uninvited, demand my mate’s undivided attention, then ignore my commands.
As I’m about to explode, I feel a gentle hand on my arm. I look down to find Adeena at my side, eyeing me with those stunning sterling eyes.
“Let me try,” she mouths over the crowd.
I nod, taking a step back for my mate, but I don’t think it’ll work. If they can’t be bothered by my booming voice, it’s going to take a lot more show of force to catch their attention.
But I must let her try. If I don’t, she’ll be even more mad at me than she was yesterday.
She takes another step forward, and now she’s standing at the very edge of the landing overlooking the lawn. She stands there in silence for a moment, straightening her back and correcting her posture as she eyes the crowd.
They’re watching her, and they quickly catch on. One by one they shut their mouths, and silence falls upon the lawn.
I’m fairly certain my jaw hits the ground while I watch her. She hasn’t said a word, yet this crowd ten thousand strong gives her their unwavering attention, quietly waiting for her to speak.
She watches them for a moment, wrapped in the blanket Revna brought for her after she ran outside in nothing but that stupid fucking lace robe I love so much.
That robe should have been for my eyes only, and now not only has this entire group of people have seen her in it, but so have my castle staff, legion soldiers, and my second-in-command. It infuriates me to no end as to why she was beyond the doors of our bed chambers in such attire, and I’ll have this chat with her later when there aren’t ten thousand people standing on my front lawn.
Once she has their undivided attention, she turns to face the unfamiliar woman still standing on the landing with us. “Why are you asking for me?”
The woman is nervous now that all eyes are on her and Adeena. Her voice cracks as she says, “Zeus spoke to me in a dream.”
Adeena takes a step closer to her. “And what did Zeus tell you in this dream?” Her voice is far more calm than mine would be.
“He told me to find High Lady of Sky, Adeena Devna. He showed me visions of you, then he kept repeating ‘defender of the forgotten…’”
Adeena suddenly holds her hand up, cutting off the woman’s word. She gravitates her attention back to the crowd as she rotates her body toward them.
Her voice is clear, calm, and commanding as she speaks. “The Fire Court soldiers will escort you to the legion camp we’ve set up. You will wait for further instructions once you are there. All your questions will be answered soon enough.”
“I’ll get the rest of the legion out here to assist,” Izan says as thousands of people begin to move, following Adeena’s command without hesitation.
The woman on the landing starts for the stairs, falling in line with the rest of the people exiting the lawn.
“Wait,” Adeena calls to her. “I’d like you to come inside with us.”
