by Bella Klaus
Beowulf’s hard gaze finally released mine, easing some of my tension. The corners of his mouth twitched with annoyance. “Kresnik killed the first wave of enforcers I sent. A group of ward masters are surrounding the studio to shut off the broadcast and contain Kresnik.”
“The TV show was still running ten minutes ago when I left,” I said. “If ninety-nine wards that were set up when he was unconscious didn’t work, what makes them think that these new wards will?”
Beowulf bent his neck from one side to the other, making his bones crack. My skin tightened into goosebumps, and every nerve in my body twanged at the sound. I held my features still, trying to keep a neutral expression.
“The Angel King seems to think that combining the magic of his underlings with demonic wards might make a difference.”
“Maybe someone needs to attack Kresnik directly,” I said.
“Tell them that yourself,” he muttered. “I left those bastards a moment ago.”
“Can you take me through, please?” I clasped my hands. “Valentine shouldn’t be behind bars at a time like this.”
He grunted his agreement and walked out into his secretary’s room. I followed after him, meeting the pink-haired woman’s gaze.
“Wolfie?” she asked.
“Later.” He placed a hand on the frame of the mirror and made its surface ripple.
Captain Zella poked her head through and furrowed her brows. “Are you ready to return, Your Majesty?”
Beowulf hooked his thumb over his shoulder. “Plus one guest.”
The captain offered me her hand. I took it, letting her pull me into the meeting room.
As I stepped through, I met the usual Council Members around the table. The Angel King sat between the Witch Queen and an empty space. Beside the Witch Queen was another empty space, then the Fae King and then Hades.
The scene I’d recently watched on television played out on the table’s surface. Sarah’s charred carcass lay on the stage with the melted remains of the stripper pole and Kresnik standing in the foreground with his arms outspread. He’d gotten rid of his ifrit appearance and wore a pristine white robe, his golden hair flowing down his shoulders, reflecting the studio lights.
My steps faltered. He kind of looked like a beardless Jesus, especially with all the studio staff sitting at his feet with their heads tilted up toward him.
Hades stood and pulled out the empty seat next to his. “Miss Griffin,” he drawled. “I was wondering when you would grace us with your presence.”
“I thought you were cutting off the broadcast,” I said.
“We have,” said the Angel King. “Our tech wizards have diverted the camera feeds to this room only. The Human World is seeing reruns of the previous week’s Annie Chong show.”
“Take a seat, Miss Griffin,” Hades said in a voice as slippery as rancid oil.
Folding my arms across my chest, I fixed my features into a determined scowl. I knew these people well enough to predict that asking them directly for Valentine’s freedom would be futile. If they’d wanted him here, they would have released him from jail or at least patched him in from his luxury cell.
It looked like what Kain had said about his being a threat was right. The Council didn’t know what to do with him and wanted him out of the way… But for how long? I inhaled a deep breath, gathering all the authority and courage I could muster, and spoke.
“Valentine and I have been researching ways to kill an immortal god.”
The Witch Queen leaned forward, her fingers steepled. “You’ve found a way to counter Kresnik?”
“We were getting very close and were about to synthesize something when he was arrested.”
“Could you share your findings?” asked the Angel King.
“When you release Valentine—”
“How droll,” said the Fae King. “Withholding important information at a time of war to save your lover from the consequences of his crimes.”
I turned to the silver-haired man, my insides bristling at his words. The worst part was that he probably didn’t care one way or another if Valentine was free—the Fae King seemed to live for spectacle. “Your Majesty,” I said those words like an insult, “I’m not withholding anything. If you had read my records, you’ll see that I only had a rudimentary education. Valentine is the one who understands the weapon’s magic. I’m helping him gather ingredients.”
Hades appeared at my side. “Sit with us. Perhaps I can help—”
“Kresnik broke out of your wards. He’s slandered the Supernatural World as a den of demons determined to destroy humanity, and he’s gearing up to create a zombie army.” My blood simmered as I said those words, because they were true. “The one person who knows Kresnik’s current strategies is still behind bars. Why?”
“If we break the rules for King Valentine, then our laws become meaningless,” said the Angel King. “If there is something you can share with us to defeat Kresnik, I would hope you can put your feelings to one side and consider the greater good of the Supernatural World.”
Guilt plucked at my nerves, making them twang like guitar strings. I was being played. They wanted me to feel selfish for not telling them and now twisting facts to make it look like the world depended on this information. Maybe it did, but they were also the most powerful beings in the Supernatural World, sitting around a table doing absolutely nothing while they could overwhelm Kresnik as a team with their sheer strength and numbers.
Four sets of faces turned to me, each with the same expectant stare. All the moisture in the back of my throat evaporated, leaving me gasping for a drink. If I didn’t say something, the chances of being hurled into a cell were high, and the chances of them finding one that might contain a phoenix were even higher.
“It was more like tactics.” My tongue darted out to lick my dry lips. “Valentine has seen Kresnik fight and observed some of his weaknesses from the time he went undercover.”
“Such as Kresnik’s minor temporal distortion?” asked Hades.
I nodded. “Valentine also has the speed and strength to battle Kresnik. We’re searching for a weapon he can wield that can cut Kresnik into pieces.”
“Such as the trident his brothers confiscated?” said a cold voice from behind me that made my flesh crawl.
“Prince Draconius.” Hades inclined his head. “You’re just in time to introduce the vote of no confidence.”
My eyes bulged, and I glanced at each face around the table. The Angel King’s self-righteous stare didn’t waver, but the Witch Queen lowered her eyes, unable to meet my gaze. The Fae King leaned forward, his pale eyes dancing with amusement. Typical.
I turned to Hades and met his curious gaze, the blood in my veins now boiling with hatred. It took every ounce of effort to keep the tremble out of my voice, but I managed to ask, “Why are you all doing this to a good man who has done nothing wrong?”
Hades patted me on the shoulder and smiled. “It’s only a temporary measure until we’re assured that Kresnik won’t rise.”
I jerked out from beneath his touch. “And whose fault is it that Kresnik escaped from Hell? Why isn’t anyone holding you accountable for all the breaches in your security?”
“This is precisely why my nephew is unsuitable to rule.” Prince Draconius swept his arm toward me. “He allows unstable young women to speak on his behalf—”
“Fine words coming from the vampire who wanted to use my power to overthrow the throne of New Mesopotamia,” I snapped.
Prince Draconius shook his head and chuckled. “Thanks to his little rabble-rouser, King Valentine has run his kingdom to ruin. When I arrived in Lamia, it was to find the streets ablaze with riots.”
Palpitations of rage pounded through my skull, muffling the rest of his speech. The magic thrumming within my meridians accelerated, urging me to engulf the lying waste of space in flames, burn him to ash, and spread his remains across every Faction of Hell. Deep breaths heaved in and out of my lungs. My fingers trembled and spark
ed with the rage I failed to contain.
A large hand landed on my shoulder. “Do not react,” Beowulf rumbled. “They want you to lash out and prove their point.”
I turned to meet his amber gaze, forgetting that the Shifter King had been standing behind me this entire time.
Prince Draconius’s voice drifted back into my consciousness. “And it is for these reasons that I propose that my nephew be removed from the leadership of Lamia and replaced by a suitable monarch.”
“Hear, hear.” Hades clapped his hands together. “Nobody truly knows the true loyalties of King Valentine.”
“With Logris,” I rasped. Surely they weren’t suggesting he would be loyal to Kresnik?
“Of course you’d say that,” the Fae King drawled.
I didn’t bother to spare the winged wanker a glance. “Is that all you’re worried about? Valentine’s former association with Kresnik?”
Everyone around the table nodded except Hades, who stared down at me with narrowed eyes.
“What are you planning, Miss Griffin?” he asked in a voice sharp with suspicion.
I ignored him, too. Releasing Hades from those jars was the biggest mistake since Pandora opened the box containing the world’s evils. My breaths turned shallow, and the room seemed like it was spinning.
The monarchs’ gazes fixed on me, and I swore I could feel the sharp daggers of accusation. I stiffened. Why were these people sitting around a table, plotting against Valentine, when Kresnik was out there playing God? Couldn’t they see that Kresnik was attracting humans to join his crusade against them? My mind raced for solutions, for a way to make these blind cowards focus on the real issue.
“How do we know King Valentine isn’t another King Antonius?” asked the Fae King. “Some of us around the table still remember the former Vampire King’s betrayal.”
An idea slotted into place. It was bold. It was reckless. It was downright stupid and would probably get us killed. Before I could stop myself, the words spilled from my mouth. “If Valentine and I destroy Kresnik, will that prove his loyalty?”
“Of course,” said the Angel King.
The Witch Queen nodded.
“I’d like to see him try,” the Fae King said with a smirk.
“What’s your answer?” I snarled.
He waved a dismissive hand. “Fine.”
I turned to Hades. “And you?”
“This is ridiculous.” Hades’ nostrils flared. “King Valentine is incapable of defeating an immortal god—”
“But if he’s successful, will you end this quest to remove him from his throne?” I asked.
“Yes,” Hades replied through clenched teeth.
With a nod, I turned to Beowulf. “Your Majesty?”
“This is bullshit. One.” Beowulf counted off the points on his fingers. “I don’t agree with this vote of no confidence. Two, King Valentine has already proven his loyalty by doing more for the fight against Kresnik than any other monarch. Three, you’re manipulating his mate into agreeing to a battle because you’re all too chicken-shit.”
The Angel King leaned forward. “If we employ the resources of Heaven, Hell, and Elphame to deal with Kresnik, thousands of human lives will perish in a supernatural skirmish that will destroy the realms.”
I glanced at Hades, who looked like he was suppressing a snort.
“My esteemed colleague is correct,” he said. “Besides, if King Valentine is the hero you purport him to be, defeating Kresnik will be a breeze.”
Bile rose to the back of my throat. What if they were waiting for Kresnik to kill Valentine?
“You’re cowards, the whole lot of you.” Beowulf raised his chin. “Prove me wrong.”
Nobody spoke. Even Prince Draconius, who stood at the door, remained silent, his red eyes burning with the intensity of his hatred. I wasn’t scared of him or his pathetic ploy for power.
“How about you?” I said.
“What are you talking about?”
“I want assurances that you’ll leave Logris and find somewhere else to haunt if Valentine kills Kresnik.”
The muscles in his jaw tightened, and every vein in his temple stood out like bolts of lightning. He glowered down at me with irises that were so dark, their edges turned as black as his heart. “I will not concede to your petty games—”
“But the rest of the Supernatural Council must listen to you slander a perfectly good king?” Beowulf snarled.
“You don’t know what you’re talking about, dog,” Prince Draconius snapped.
The two men glowered at each other, their teeth sharpening into fangs. I’d seen this tactic before at the academy. Hurl an insult to distract everyone from the real argument, let them squabble about something insignificant, and then win by trickery and stealth.
“Dracs,” I yelled.
The prince turned to me with his fangs bared. “Do not call me that.”
“Will you agree to leaving Logris if Valentine and I kill Kresnik?”
“Yes,” he said through clenched teeth.
I stepped back, exhaling a long breath, but it was too early to feel relief. “Since we’re all in agreement, I’d like to see it formalized in blood.”
Hades hissed through his teeth. “Now, look here—”
“You and I both know your word is shit.” I turned to the council. “Someone needs to draw up a simple agreement, saying that King Valentine is exonerated of all suspicion if either he, I, or someone in connection with us kills or permanently incapacitates Kresnik.”
“And if he fails?” asked Hades.
“Then he’s no better than any of you.” I folded my arms across my chest. “If you punish him for failing to kill Kresnik, then you all suffer the same.”
Silence stretched out for several heartbeats, and every monarch in the room stared at me with varying degrees of interest. My heart slammed against my sternum, trying to break free, even as I forced the rest of my body to hold still. In a second, any one of them could lash out and strike me down for my insolence.
Seconds passed and then what felt like a minute. Nobody moved, nobody spoke, nobody seemed to blink. Maybe they were waiting for me to crumble. I wouldn’t. I didn’t suffer through the Flame, my fiendish father, and a feral fiancé to let our story end with these supernaturals punishing him for imagined misdemeanors because of something King Antonius had done under the influence of Kresnik.
The pounding of my heart became the only sound in the room. That, and the roiling of my stomach. The silence continued, mounted, until the pressure against my chest became too much to bear. Someone had to speak first, and it wouldn’t be me.
“Mera.” The Witch Queen gazed at me through eyes that shone with compassion. “It’s not customary for commoners to have audiences with the Supernatural Council, and challenging us isn’t the wisest course of action.”
I raised my chin. “Someone has to advocate for Valentine, considering he wasn’t allowed the courtesy of attending his own vote of no confidence.”
“You make a valid point,” said the Angel King. “I will agree to waive all suspicions over King Valentine if he defeats Kresnik.”
“What?” Hades’ eyes bulged.
My lips tightened. How typical of Hades to object to any attempt to exonerate Valentine.
The Angel King sighed. “Perhaps we need their fresh perspective. Kresnik has clearly learned to overcome our former methods of warfare.”
I bit down on the inside of my cheek, refraining from asking them which methods they had employed. From where I stood, it looked like they’d just erected a few useless wards and sent out enforcers to get killed.
The Angel King unrolled a scroll from thin air. “I’ve simplified your wording. This document exonerates King Valentine of all suspicion provided that you, he, or your associates incapacitate, destroy, or kill Kresnik. In addition, Prince Draconius will leave Logris and never return.”
“May I read it?” I asked.
He beckoned me closer.
I walked to the table, expecting to read sentences of legalese in an archaic script, only to find those exact words in English. “That’s fine. Thank you.”
The Angel King pulled out a fountain pen and signed his name in blood. After waving a hand over the signature to dry it, he pushed the scroll to the Witch Queen, who also signed. The Fae King hesitated before signing, and Beowulf signed without being prompted.
Everyone turned to Hades, who stood a few feet away from the table with his jaw clenched.
I held my breath, waiting for Hades to suggest that I become his property if I failed to kill Kresnik, but he strode to the scroll and signed his name with a flourish. He handed the fountain pen to Prince Draconius, who also signed.
“Thank you,” I said with a long relieved breath. “Could someone direct me to Valentine’s cell, please?”
Hades tilted his head to the side and grinned. “Another conjugal visit, Miss Griffin?”
“No. We’re going to—”
He held up a finger. “We didn’t grant King Valentine early release.”
My mouth dropped open. “But…”
Hades’ eyes glittered with mirth. “If he wants to destroy Kresnik, he must do so from the confines of his cell.”
Chapter Fourteen
My breath caught, and I stepped back from the table, trying to stay upright. Thoughts whirled through my mind. Had I just damaged Valentine’s chances of ever getting free? No. Had I condemned him in any way? No. Then what had I done?
The Council’s meeting room became too hot, too bright, too crowded, even though four of the seats were empty. My gaze darted to the left, where Beowulf stood on the other side of the table, his thick brows furrowed at his colleagues’ antics. It looked like I wasn’t the only one trying to puzzle through what had just happened.
I shook my head, trying to dislodge my confused thoughts. “What was the point of everyone signing that contract if you intended to keep him behind bars?”
The Angel King rose from his seat, staring down at me like I was little more than a child. “It’s admirable that you want to help your fiancé, but how well do you really know him and his intentions?”
