CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Galan stepped into our suite and set a large satchel on the floor. Tham came in behind him and they both stared at me standing beside the bed in my new outfit. I knew my brother well enough to read his displeasure but before he put it to voice he saw my cheek. “Sweeting, what happened?”
He strode to me and touched the gash. Both he and Tham glared at Samuel.
“What? Ye think I’d hit her, do ye?” Samuel’s hand tightened around the hilt of his little dagger. “Ye condescending, piece of—”
I stepped between the three and stared Galan down. “Stop this. Samuel had nothing to do with it and you know it. Stop stirring up silt. The waters are plenty muddy and we have more important things to worry about.”
Samuel turned back to the bed and picked up our two wet towels and shuffled into the bathroom to hang them to dry. When he returned, he had regained his composer. “So, I’m assuming that if yer here, Tham fetched ye as I asked and ye dinnae come empty handed?”
Galan inclined his head and pointed to the satchel inside the door. “I brought the volumes of Highborne law and your notes from Reign’s study, and Lia’s personal items, yes. Though I am still at odds with her living here.”
Samuel nodded and held his hand out to me. I took my place at his side as he headed toward the door. “Good, thank you. Now that yer both here, we should head down and settle a few other details. If ye’ll bring the and follow me.”
Samuel led us down and through the three upper levels of the elegant manse to a large set of double doors on the main floor. The wide archway curled between stone columns and held heavy, iron-studded doors.
I glanced up at the spiked metal portcullis suspended in its brackets above the entire opening. The tips, sharpened to pierce and impale, hung with threatening intent above those who passed .“This entrance seems imposing.”
Samuel glanced up, his kilt swishing as he moved. “Aye, the Queen’s living and guest quarters are in the south wing and all the rooms related to realm business are in the north wing. These doors and gate separate the two and can be dropped and locked from either side if anything dangerous should happen in the course of yer duties.”
My duties? That reality remained bizarre.
I spun the blue diamond on my finger. “And have these battlements needed to come down in the past?
Samuel raised a brow. “No, this Citadel was constructed long after the fall of Rheagan. The Order and their families use the buildings and grounds, but as the first to serve Castian and the Realm of the Fair from this location as Queen—you are the true and rightful owner of everything here.”
Galan’s silver brows arched so high I laughed. Well, what does one say to that? he asked into my mind.
I shook my head. I have no idea . . . gratitude?
As we breached the threshold and moved across the glass sheen of the granite floor, the heels of my new boots beat out a solid, surefooted rhythm. It was a grave misrepresentation of my current condition. Galan, did you feel this overwhelmed and under - qualified when Castian made you the Sentinel of Souls? Did you try to decline?
He chuckled and hid his smile by scrubbing a hand over his . At least if not more, sweeting. Plus, it was the day after my mating and I found out my bride was Castian’s biological daughter. Not where I thought life would take me.
I slipped my hand in the crook of his elbow and pressed my good cheek against his arm. He smelled, as always, like and suede. I breathed his scent deep into my lungs. Quite a pair are we not? So why us do you suppose?
He barked a laugh. It rang through the corridor and eased the knotted ball twisting in my belly. I have no idea, sister-mine, but this is Life’s Journey after all. Why should only the males of our race endure an Ambar Lenn? In this world, females have equal rights.
Wonderful. All the pomp and power I never wanted in a destiny I never asked for.
He kissed the side of my head and squeezed me to his side.
The meeting room Samuel took us to was located down the widest hall, in the center of the north wing, first floor. By the sounds of the male voices rumbling up the art-adorned corridor to greet us, there were a dozen or more people in there.
Samuel nodded to the young male standing sentry outside the doorway and we entered the meeting room. A massive rotunda with a gold gilt dome
high above, the space was decorated in charcoal gray with pale blue
,
velvet drapes.
A circular ebony table with a four-pointed star inlay anchored the center of the room. Fifteen gray upholstered chairs tucked under the table in even intervals around its edge. And where the sixteenth chair sat, the gray
upholstery
was replaced by an ebony, high-backed throne proportioned for a female. If this building did belong to me, I would not change the décor in any fashion.
It suited my tastes well.
As our presence became realized, the room fell silent.
Reign gazed from the document laid out on the table, to me and straightened. He pulled out the ebony throne and extended a massive scarred hand, gesturing for me to take my place. “Join us. We have many realm issues to address and many questions to ask and answer. Let’s get started.”
Some questions?
That was a gross understatement.
I strode to the main point of the table’s design and settled into the cushioned throne
and
as the males assembled. Samuel sat to my left, Galan to my right. Reign and Colum Murray, Samuel’s sire, took the seats at the side points of the star inlay, opposite one another and Castian sat opposite me. Savage sat with Kobi and across from them, our escort and the other men from the small hall settled around the table. I cast a wandering glance at the males of the Order.
I raised my fingers to my sore cheek and realized each of five men of the Order wore matching injuries. Castian had settled the matter by mirroring the pain they inflicted on me. Samuel’s father, though, looked worse. He wore the swollen bruise on his cheek like mine, but also bore the he orchestrated for his son as well.
Hah. Served him right. I would bump his ribs in the hall if I could manage it. I cast a glance to Castian and sent him my gratitude.
The smile he gave me was more radiant than the mid
-
day sun.
“So,” Reign said, gathering the attention of the assembly. “Let’s begin with filling everyone in on what we know for sure.” Reign described
to the Order
how Abaddon’s forces had gained in strength and purpose, kidnapping me, releasing Rheagan’s essence, and now escalating his violence. “We believe, as Queen, Lia will inspire
a
new order and unite the races of the realm. Our challenges lay in the fact that she has no experience in warfare and tactics, so we must each stand as her Council until she feels confident in her rule.”
Hah. He speaks as if that time might ever come.
“You lived among Abaddon and his men?” asked, looking disgusted.
Reign frowned. “She was taken, yes. I sent Samuel into Abaddon’s camp under the guise of a disgruntled Talon Enforcer to secure her and bring her back to safety.”
Samuel squeezed my thigh under the table. “Aye, I infiltrated the Scourge ranks and called for an extraction team once I found where Abaddon kept her. Unfortunately, she had already fallen prey to his dark sorcery, offering an opportunity for Rheagan’s return.”
“You?” said, the swelling in his lip making his sneer all the more twisted. “You retrieved the Queen’s heir from within the walls of Abaddon’s camp?”
“Aye, with the help of the Talon and her kin. What of it?”
“Ye shoulda called us in. Ye ken yer duty. The Aina Ohtar are sworn to protect—”
Heat crept beneath my skin once again as Colum berated Samuel. The hostility of the man
burning
burn
ed
hot in my veins.
Castian pointed a finger at Samuel’s sire. “Samuel knows his duty, Colum, and despite personal hardship, he served me, the Talon, and the Realm of the Fair. He did as ordered. To question him is to question me. Is that your intention?”
Colum glared at his son
;
,
the look, a silent promise of retribution. “No, milord.”
“Right,” Reign continued. “So, once Lia was reclaimed and safe at Haven, we hoped that would be the end of it.”
“Until?” Another Order member asked.
“Until a few weeks ago when Abaddon laid a formal claim against Lia in the Fae courts. He claims her to be his wife from the time they spent together in his compound. Since his act of force was thwarted, he means to take control of her through Highborne laws.”
Colum cursed. Ye gave Abaddon a foothold to the throne. How stupid are ye, ye fecking, Highborne—
Heat exploded within me and I stood, my palms leaning heavy against the table. “I gave him nothing.” The table looked startled. Had Colum not spoken aloud? I addressed his comments regardless. “If I lose my fight against Abaddon with the Fates , then trouble shall knock on all our doors. If I win, there will be violent retaliation to deal with. You need to bite your tongue sir, so we might work together.”
“Bite my tongue? I said nothing.” And I’ll not fall to my knees for the likes of a madman’s whore.
“Be silent!”My entire body tingled with fury. The moment froze in time, the rage inside me heating my very cells—for what he said, for what he did to Samuel, for the smug arrogance in his leering male glances. “You will be silent or be gone from my sight.”
Colum’s mouth fell open as a queer look flashed across his face. Stumbling back, his hands gripped at his chest and he fell to the marble floor. Chaos ensued as chairs scraped the floor and the Order men raced to his aid. Reign rolled Colum to his back, opening the collar of his shirt. Samuel and Galan moved to stand at my sides.
In the next moment, Colum’s reddened face fell lax. With one last shallow gasp, his brown-black eyes widened and fell sightless.
Castian raised his hand and a glass of red wine appeared in his palm. The god of gods took a long swallow and glowered at the males of the Order. “Well, that was dramatic. Take his body out so we might continue with the meeting.”
“Continue?” I said, my voice shaken. “Should we not . . . what about . . .”
“Death is nothing new, my dear. A man should consider his aging heart before getting so worked up. Still, no time for tears over a pompous tyrant. No offence to you, Samuel.”
“None taken, Sire.” Samuel’s expressionless mask lent no indication of how he felt as his father’s body was carried from the room.
My feelings were conflicted and I knew him less than a day. I lost my temper. And now, Samuel’s father was dead . . . because of me.
Not because of you, sister-mine, Galan said, moving me back to the throne and
reclaiming
tak
ing
his seat beside me. The male let his anger and prejudice do him in. Not your fault. But Castian is right, there is much to discuss.
The clarity of my brother’s thoughts in my mind brought me back to Colum’s insults. How did I hear Samuel’s sire without him speaking aloud? His words rang in my mind with such a vile distaste, I had indeed wished him ill.
Before I could think further, Castian sat forward in his chair and grew serious. “Samuel, as oldest born of the Murray clan, you now assume your father’s place as head of one of the founding families
and
.
t
T
herefore
, you
are sworn to protect your Queen with your life and on your honor. Do you accept?”
Samuel blinked, his mouth dropping open. “I . . . uh, I am honored, Sire, but I cannot.”
The four Order males
gapped
gasped
.
Samuel paid them no mind and kept his gaze locked on the God of gods. “I will guard Lia, of course, with my life and on my honor. I will serve you and your realm, but to do that best, I must be free to leave these grounds, fight if I must—with both sword and magic—and put her before all else. Even my own family oath. The honor of the Order should fall to Deaglan.”
A hint of a smile graced Castian’s face. “So be it. You can explain things to him once we’re finished here. Carry on, Maximus. You were saying?”