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“Laelia, why don’t you go back to your rooms? I’ll make sure there are plenty of guards outside in case you need them. They will keep you safe,” the queen dismisses loudly for the whole hall to hear, a poisoned smile pulling at her lips.
It’s a poorly disguised threat if ever I’ve heard one. I’m to be confined to my rooms, and the guards will be there to ensure I don’t leave. However, if I’m able to see it for what it is, then those watching will too. I don’t have time to think on that, though, as she’s speaking again, gesturing towards Maliki with disgust.
“Ivar, take the prisoner down to the cells.”
“No,” I snap instantly, my voice leaving no room for argument. “I’ll take him.”
I wouldn’t put it past her to have Maliki killed on his way to the cells, especially with Ivar being the one to escort him. Once the former lord is locked away, there is little I can do to protect him, but I need to make my point clear, especially with everyone watching.
“Fine, you may escort him with Ivar,” she grits out, her jaw tight as she concedes. She glances over my shoulder, and I get the impression of several bodies approaching my shield. They don’t touch it, simply moving closer—my mates.
The queen’s eyes narrow on them before focusing on me once more. “You can only take one of your mates with you for safety reasons. Atlas perhaps?”
Mentioning Atlas instantly makes me suspicious, and I don’t trust her not to attempt to take my werewolves while I’m away. Atlas will act as a deterrent if he’s with them, and I know he would fight to protect my other mates. It doesn’t take me long to decide whom to choose.
The shield drops in a shower of stars, and I take a moment to absorb the appreciative oohs and ahhs of those watching. My limbs quiver with the amount of power I just used, but I feel exhilarated. Now that it’s over, my thoughts and worries start to weigh heavily on my mind. I can’t believe I just did that. I felt invincible, like no one could touch me. However, it now leaves me to face the consequences. It was reckless. Thank the goddess that it didn’t backfire on us.
Reaching for my bonds, I tug on the connection between Syn and me. He’s at my back in an instant, wrapping an arm over my shoulders possessively as he snarls at the queen.
While I was holding that much power, the bonds in my chest seemed to fade. They were still there, but they felt muted. Now that I’ve released the magic, their feelings slam back into me. Concern, fear, frustration, and pride all mingle together until I can’t tell who is feeling what. That’s not true, I’m able to pick out Syn’s emotions now that he’s touching me, his close proximity amplifying them.
With the shield separating us, he felt madness clawing at his mind, but he was able to keep himself sane by focusing on my glowing form. The word “beautiful” forms so strongly in my mind that I know it’s from him. I can’t usually sense individual words from my mates, just strong emotions. Awe and pride well in him as he holds me tight.
“You were magnificent,” he whispers in my ear, making me flush under the watchful eyes of so many. Syn doesn’t care though, nipping the soft skin of my neck and mumbling words between kisses. “My mate. My goddess.”
ChapterFifteen
“That was an interesting display,” Maliki comments lightly as he’s led down the large, twisting staircase taking us down to the bottom of Haven. We’re having to move slowly since he’s finding the steps difficult with his hands and feet bound. From his wincing, I’d say that his knees are causing him pain as well, and now that his magic has been blocked, he’s lost the natural ability to keep himself young. As such, he looks his real age and appears before me as a small, spiteful old man.
“I wonder if anyone opened their eyes to see you for the danger you really are.”
Gritting my teeth, I say nothing as we continue forward. Syn snarls at the man from his position behind me where he protects my back. Ivar walks in front of us, our prisoner under his control.
“How does it feel to know that you’re going to single-handedly bring down the witches?”
Finally cracking, I let a growl slip out as I ball my hands into fists to control the magic that so desperately wants to come out. “Will you shut up?”
Star snarls at my side in agreement, ready to leap forward at my command. It’s like Maliki is determined to annoy me into killing him despite the work I put into keeping him alive. He’s not afraid of me, so my words mean nothing to him.
“Say another word, and I’ll rip your tongue from your mouth.” Syn has been quiet until now, leaning around me as he threatens the old man. He’s possessive and protective, lashing out at anyone who dares to offend me. Honestly, I’m surprised he managed to last so long.
Maliki suddenly jerks in front of us, stumbling to a stop as magic flares around us. At first, I think he’s having a fit until I see the dark tendrils of shifting shadow that now cover his eyes, ears, and mouth. Only one of the three of us is capable of using that type of magic.
Raising a single brow, I turn my questioning gaze to Ivar.
“Now he can’t cause any more problems with his hate.” He smiles at me, tilting his head to one side, those black eyes gleaming. “He can’t see, hear, or speak, so we may talk freely.”
When we first met, I found Ivar disturbing, as do most here in Haven. He’s different, and his all black eyes give the impression he’s emotionless. I’ve learned that he’s fiercely loyal. We’ve started a tentative friendship where we help each other. Even so, when he turns those eyes on me and smiles like that, it feels as though he’s eyeing up his next snack and is going to eat me.
“Now that’s a useful trick,” I murmur, pushing aside my discomfort.
Prodding his prisoner gently in the back to get him moving once again, Ivar glances at me over his shoulder, his eyes then settling on Syn behind me. “It’s one your mate may be able to master depending on how much darkness hides in his blood.” Ivar shows a rare display of emotion and raises his brows in surprise at our confusion. “Let’s stop lying to ourselves. You have shadow abilities.” He addresses Syn fully this time, and I feel my mate’s discomfort at being under the male’s full attention.
It’s clear the moment Syn processes what Ivar said, and he instantly goes on the defence. His claws press against the skin of his knuckles, begging to be freed, and his teeth lengthen into fangs. “I’m not a witch,” he insists, the words slightly mumbled thanks to his extended incisors.
Ivar’s made comments about Syn’s abilities before, and it’s something I’ve been thinking about since. The others don’t seem to notice, but I’ve seen the shadowy tendrils that sometimes surround and hide him when he doesn’t want to be seen. When I tried to mention it, he brushed me off, but being confronted like this is making him examine his abilities further.
“No, you’re right,” Ivar agrees with a tilt of his head, jerking Maliki to a stop as he turns to face us. Syn seems to slump in relief behind me, but that feeling doesn’t last long. “You are full werewolf with a small amount of shadow blood. If I was to guess, one of your parents was a half-blood shadow being. We are rare, and it is almost impossible to find a full-blooded shadow being, as they become shadow.”
