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He used the opportunity to bite down on my bottom lip—hard. I tried not to react, too aware of the gazes of the people around us. His magic was agitated, and I could almost feel it snapping like electricity beneath his skin and see it dancing in his eyes as he pulled away. "And now we're all yours," he said, his melodious voice jovial and happy as he delivered what I knew was a threat.
They were mine. But I had a feeling I was now in possession of something dangerous and unpredictable that could as easily be my downfall as it could be Larkwood's salvation.
I was in so much trouble.
Chapter 46
I stood on the front steps of the palace with my terse new bonded mates behind me, as I said my goodbyes to our hosts. The townspeople were waiting outside the palace gates, but I still felt like I was putting on an act for the courtiers who had roused themselves to witness our early morning departure.
"All will be well," Ama whispered in my ear as she hugged me tight. "You'll see."
I couldn't quite muster her level of conviction. Nevertheless, I tried. Pulling away to hold her at arm's length, I gave her my best smile and pitched my voice to be pleasant and airy. "Of course. I'll tell you all about our journey the next time we meet."
More like cry to her over the scones, most likely.
Her eyes narrowed slightly, but I didn't give her time to berate me for my pessimism before I released her and moved on to address the king and queen of Elfhaven. They both stood on the sweeping stone landing, their personal guards forming a half circle behind them. The guard was mostly for show. If someone was stupid enough to attack our king and queen, either of the rulers could bring them to their knees with a simple hand wave and a bit of deep magic. They looked stately and intimidating with their entourage, though. And I knew it gave the queen great delight to let people think she needed protecting—she loved to be underestimated so she could terrify people when they realized how wrong they were.
"Thank you for your hospitality, and for everything you've done to help me choose the best co-stewards for Larkwood," I said, dipping my head respectfully.
King Wolfsbane nodded, but the queen gave me a sly smile. "Oh, you're quite welcome, she purred, letting her eyes slide over the handsome males behind me."
I just kept the brittle smile plastered on my face, even when it felt like it might crumble at any moment.
"Surely the excess number of guards isn't needed, since I have such capable traveling companions," I said evenly.
We had been assigned an entire escort of royal guards, which seemed like overkill to me. After all, Lion team had been carried off to the dungeons to await whatever punishment the royal advisors came up with. They had confessed that they had been approached by someone who promised to help them win if they agreed to serve as this person's eyes and ears once they were bonded to the Prize.
Talon and his teammates had been just greedy enough to enter into a fae bargain sealed with magic. It ensured they would have assistance in the tournament. If they won, they stood to gain wealth and status from being bonded to the Prize, in addition to the large sum of money their patron offered them for agreeing. But they had recklessly agreed to serve as spies to an unknown employer. And a magic-sealed bargain ensured they had to do as they were told. There would be no backing out of the agreement once they won.
Like with the mercenaries who had been hired to sabotage the tournament, Lion team had no idea who their employer was. They had only ever dealt with an intermediary—a female who matched the description given by the mercenaries.
The queen shook her head at my naïve question. "Oh, dear child, this paltry attempt is nothing in the grand scheme of things."
The king gave me a darkly frightening look. "There will be others who seek to cause issues," he predicted. "This plot may have backfired on whoever was behind it, especially now that they know the prize was never someone of royal blood. But there is nothing our people love more than games. I am not entirely sure this is over. Until we confront the culprit directly, there is still a possibility of danger."
He attempted to adjust his expression to what I assumed was meant to be a comforting smile. To me, it looked more like an evil grin filled with the promise of bloodshed. "We have already deployed additional forces to Larkwood to protect our interests there. You will take the escort."
Well, that was unsettling. Ama's father was terrifying when he got that look about him. The one that said he'd like to be out hunting something two-legged and people shaped like the good-old-days. But thankfully, I knew his bloodlust wasn't directed at me.
I moved away, stepping aside to allow my new husbands to pay their respects and say their goodbyes as politeness demanded of them.
They moved forward as one, but Bach spoke for all of them. His deep voice was soft, but resonant, and his polite expression was the perfect mix of warmth and formality. He did a much better job hiding his displeasure than I ever could, but I knew it was there, suppressed for now but not gone.
"Your majesties," he said with a courtly bow. "Thank you for hosting this tournament, and for giving my team your blessings. We will serve your interests in Larkwood to the best of our abilities."
The king had murmured a polite acceptance of that promise. But of course, the queen just had to stir the pot. I had not confided in her about my mates' reaction to this bonding. But she was too perceptive to miss the tension between us.
She smiled prettily at Bach, her gaze flitting to each of the others briefly before returning to their spokesperson. "Our most precious interest in Larkwood is Lady Katrina," she said sweetly. "So, see that you do your duty thoroughly." She winked at him and leaned in to stage whisper so that everyone could hear. "Perhaps next time we meet you will bring the new heir to the Larkwood stewardship along with you."
I felt my temperature rising as I no doubt turned beet red. Bach sketched another, notably stiffer, bow and we all turned to head toward the waiting carriage and mounts. I could not get out of here fast enough. I had never wanted to strangle the queen before, but the urge was certainly prominent now. Of course she would imply that we should run off and immediately begin making babies the moment we arrived in Larkwood.
As if my mates would ever deign to touch me again.
The waiting carriage was lavish and beautiful. Sitting inside would probably be as comfortable as riding on clouds. But I couldn't stand the idea of riding in close proximity to my new mates for hours in awkward, stilted silence.
I swung up onto Balefire's back and awaited the commander's signal to depart. The extra escort of royal guards was a sore point. I felt like a spectacle with the extra attention. But the king and queen knew far more about when to be cautious than I did. I was an important person in Larkwood, yes, but the territory itself was rather small and unimportant in the bigger scheme of things. However, I knew that would all change with the construction of the mountain pass and the discovery of the mines. Somehow, it still didn't feel quite real. It didn't seem as if I should warrant any special consideration.
But aside from all that, even if there were no changes coming in Larkwood, recent events were a strong reminder that even if I didn't feel like I warranted any special attention, it was possible to be in the wrong time at the wrong place and be drawn into dangerous games, anyway. I didn't want my new mates to be hurt if someone held a grudge over the outcome of this tournament or the way I had foiled their grand plans simply by not being who they thought I would be.
