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Ellie thanked Arianna and clutched Kirian’s hand as she walked past, then plopped down on the sofa beside her father. Kirian didn’t leave her side.
Gavin paused on the threshold for a moment before opting to stand in the back. He kept his distance from Ravina, who had taken up a place behind Talon. The female leaned against the wall and studied her nails.
Zylah, with the male youngling trailing her, opted to sit on the floor near Eimear. The two children ignored one another.
Fourteen were crammed into the small space. Twelve adults and two children. Arianna could already feel the tension in the air.
She gazed at each face one by one. It was strange enough to see her father seated on an old sofa, and stranger still to see him in such ordinary clothes. No finery or showing off then.
“Arianna.” She startled at her name and looked into her father’s eyes. He clasped his hands and sat forward. “You’re the Queen of Alastríona; therefore, I think it’s safe to say our future rests in your hands.” Every pair of eyes studied her reaction. Arianna merely nodded.
“Your throne has been jeopardized. The male stationed to act in your stead has done things that are nothing short of treason. He attempted to bend your mind to his will, he willingly acted against your laws, he committed murder, and,” Avalon’s gaze flickered toward Eimear. "He has committed atrocities far beyond anything I could have imagined.
“It stands to reason that he should be removed from the royal city and put on trial.”
She couldn’t disagree with that but— “Whose murder?” Arianna asked. She counted the faces in the room again. Everyone she knew was here.
“Niall killed the council, thinking they were the ones who betrayed the information regarding Rion’s location,” Saoirse said without looking away from the fire.
“He also figured out Ellie was involved,” Zylah added. “He murdered a half-breed, then tried to kill Kirian so your sister would talk.”
Arianna eyed the half-breed, who kept his gaze averted. Tried. But they were here. “How did you escape?”
Ellie turned in her seat slightly to look at Gavin. She sighed. “I guess it doesn’t matter since everyone else knows.” She waved her hand through the air. “Gavin and I are mates.” Arianna’s lips parted. Mates. She’d known the male cared for Ellie, but she hadn’t imagined—mates. Her sister had a mate. They were so rare and so treasured and yet both females from Móirín had found them.
Gavin inched forward. “When I told Niall about the bond, he released her to me.”
“So where’d all the bruises come from?” Saoirse asked.
“From the guards,” Ellie said, her fists clenched. “They thought using Kirian to taunt me was a good idea.” She flashed her teeth. “I showed them otherwise."
“Which is how her arm was cut,” Gavin said.
“And what?” Saoirse questioned. “You left right then?”
“We had to. I couldn’t risk him coming back in the event—” Gavin stopped himself from talking and peered over at Saoirse.
“In the event of what?” Arianna pressed.
“His other source didn’t pan out.” The words were soft and low as they left Saoirse’s lips like a deadly promise. “You knew.”
Gavin’s face visibly paled. “He went through with it.” Not a question. Disbelief.
“What?” Arianna pressed.
“She’s dead,” Saoirse said, taking a step closer. “She’s dead because you didn’t warn us—”
“I couldn’t,” Gavin said. “I wanted to, trust me, but Niall already knew someone close was involved. He put us all in a room together and drilled us with questions, trying to find the source of the leak. I think the only reason he didn’t kill us all right then was because he wanted to make a spectacle of it.”
“So why didn’t he kill you?” Talon asked.
“Because I was never privy to that information. I just happened upon it when I was looking for—.”
“You mean while you were snooping,” Raevina said, her voice silken and lethal.
Gavin met their accusatory stares then turned desperate eyes to Ellie. “I was just trying to get your attention.”
“What I’d like to know,” Raevina spoke again, “is how you managed to lie to someone like Niall and come out unharmed.”
