by Quinn Loftis
Myanin had not expected the show of understanding or compassion. She found herself unsure of what to say.
Peri squeaked, an almost gleeful sound. “This is one of those awkward moments where you’re grateful for a person’s understanding but at the same time you know saying ‘thank you’ isn’t really sufficient so everyone just sits in silence and wonders who will break the strained tension in the room.”
Before anyone could respond to her ridiculous but pointedly correct statement, the door to the room flew open, and two warlock warriors stood in the threshold. Myanin, Tenia, and Peri jumped to their feet.
“My queen,” one of the males said, his words rushing out of his mouth as he seemed to catch his breath, “Lysander is here and demands to see you. He says he has a declaration of challenge to the warlock throne.”
“Well, looks like the awkward moment has been saved by the enemy. Myanin, you’re off the hook.” Peri’s eyes gleamed way too excitedly for the current situation. “Queenie, you’re up.”
“There is seriously something wrong with you,” Lilly said at the same moment Peri snapped her fingers. Lilly’s clothes instantly changed from casual to warrior/queen chic.
The queen wore dark pants with black leather boots that laced up to her knees and matching leather arm braces. The dark vest around her torso fit her like a glove. Her shoulders were bare, but a second finger snap gave her a dark indigo cape attached to a piece of hard leather that ran from one shoulder across her neck to the other shoulder, completely protecting the vulnerable flesh and bones. The final touch was a silver crown that rose into sharp points all the way around her head. Myanin smiled. It was what the trolls would have called badass.
“A crown, Peri? Really?” Lilly said as she looked at herself in the mirror. “Will it even stay on?”
“Of course it will stay on. What do you think I’m here for? Eye candy?” Peri rolled her eyes. “It makes a statement. You wear the crown. It is rightfully yours. You are the queen. He has obviously forgotten that. The wicked, pointy thing on your head is a perfect reminder.”
“Well,” Lilly said as she looked around the room, “I really thought we’d have a little more time to plan for this.”
“Unfortunately, bad guys don’t care about your timeline,” Peri said.
“You don’t seem worried,” Lilly pointed out what Myanin had been thinking.
“Why should I be?” Peri asked as she motioned toward the door where the two warriors were still standing. They looked worried. “Your mate passed his power to you. The Great Luna has blessed your position as queen. Who can stand against what the Great Luna decrees?”
“Apparently, lots of people,” Lilly said. “Like ... the Order, packs we didn’t know existed, and Lysander. Should I continue?”
“No, we don’t have time. You need to march your kick-ass looking self down there and take care of the rat who thinks he has a right to your throne. Later I can say, ‘I told you so.’” She looked at Tenia and then at Myanin. “You two need to stay out of sight. Right now, we don’t know if Lysander or anyone in his clan is in league with the Order or if some will rebel once he’s taken out and join them.”
“Of course,” Myanin said as Tenia nodded.
Lilly turned to Gerick. “Gather the warriors but instruct them they are not to engage.”
Myanin watched as Gerick’s jaw clenched. He didn’t like what his queen was telling him.
“You know they can’t,” she said. “I must defeat him on my own.”
Finally, Gerick nodded. He turned to Myanin and, to her utter shock, pressed his hand to her cheek. She didn’t slap his hand away this time. The general leaned forward until his mouth was next to her ear. “I apologize, mate. But I’m going to have to disagree with your ‘no touching’ rule. I find that I rather like touching you.” He pressed a swift kiss to her neck before releasing her. She didn’t have time to respond, as a second later he was out of the room giving orders to the two male warriors.
“And the awkward moments just keep coming,” Peri sang as she grabbed Lilly’s arm and then her mate’s.
“Wait,” Lilly said as she leaned down and picked up a rather ancient looking book that had been sitting on the coffee table. “I’m going to need this before I kick the rat’s ass.”
“Queen Lilly,” Myanin said before Peri could flash.
“Yes,” Lilly asked. Her voice was a bit strained, but her shoulders were pulled back and her chin raised.
“Look for his tell before he attacks. Everyone has one. It will be a shift in his eyes, maybe a slight turn of his torso or even the slightest movement in one of his feet,” Myanin said, hoping she could help even now. “And you can’t show him any mercy. One of your own that is willing to attack in a time of war shows he has no respect for authority. For a king or queen responsible for thousands of lives, that cannot stand. You must kill him whether or not he yields.”
“Yep, I like her,” Peri said with a disturbing smile. If that was how Myanin smiled, she really did need to work on it.
“My mate said the same thing,” Lilly said as she looked at Myanin.
“Your mate said he liked her?” Peri asked, her brow furrowed and the weird smile gone.
“No, you weirdo,” Lilly huffed. “He said I couldn’t have mercy on Lysander. Cypher said if he were in my place, he would kill Lysander simply for attempting this takeover.”
Myanin nodded. “He’s wise. I’ve no doubt you will be victorious. And then we can focus on getting you ready to deal with the Order.”
“All right, in the words of Jen, let’s do this,” Peri said and then flashed.
“Who’s this Jen person?” Tenia asked once they were alone.
Myanin looked at her and shrugged as she pulled out a small bag of cotton candy. “I have no clue, but I think I’m going to like her.”
Tenia glanced at the cotton candy and shook her head. Then she smiled.
“Now you look creepy,” Myanin said slowly as she put a piece of her treat in her mouth.
“So …” Tenia said, ignoring the comment. “Gerick, huh?” She bounced her eyebrows up and down.
Myanin swallowed and then shook her head. “Never do that thing with the eyebrows again. And if we’re going to talk about mates, then be prepared to share.”
Tenia’s mouth snapped shut.
Myanin smirked. “Didn’t think so.”
Chapter 15
“A long time ago, I was an orphan. I was a child who was lost in a world in which I didn’t feel I belonged. Now, I’m the queen of a supernatural race, an orphan no longer. I have a family. There are people who love me and who I love. I’ll be damned if I let anyone take that away from me.” ~ Lilly, Queen of the Warlocks
Lilly felt his hand on her lower back and knew her mate stood at her side even though she couldn’t see him. She felt the heat of his lips next to her ear as he spoke. “You are the rightful leader of our people, beloved. Prove it to them.” The next moment his breath and hand disappeared, but she could feel that he was still with her.
“You’ve got this, Lilly,” Peri said as they stood in the grand foyer of the warlock mountain stronghold. Lysander and his clan were on the other side of the immense walls, waiting to see what she would do. No doubt he thought she would falter under his challenge. He had obviously not raised a teenage daughter. There would be no faltering.
“Lilly!”
Her head snapped around at the sound of Cindy Morgan’s voice. What the hell?
“Cindy?” Lilly said at the same time Peri muttered, “Bloody, meddling sprites.”
The woman hurried up to Lilly and threw her arms around the queen. “I wanted to come sooner, but Andora wouldn’t let me.”
“And just before Lilly is about to go stomp on a pompous ass’s head, she let you come for a visit?” Peri asked through narrowed eyes.
Cindy pulled back from Lilly and smiled sheepishly. “Not exactly.”
“I brought her,” Nissa, the high fae Lilly hadn’
t noticed, stepped forward.
“Nissa, you’re becoming as bad as me when it comes to ignoring people’s wishes.” Peri folded her arms in front her.
The high fae smiled. “I learn from the best.”
Peri smirked.
“Cindy,” Lilly said, “what are you doing here?”
“Do you remember the first time we met?” Cindy asked.
Peri groaned. “This is not the best time for a trip down memory lane.”
Lilly ignored the high fae. She thought back to when she’d met her new neighbor. Lilly and Jacque, the newest members of the neighborhood, had been out for a walk. Cindy was working in her yard on a gorgeous spring day, just on the cusp of summer. The mornings weren’t cool for long, but the pollen had finally stopped falling, and Lilly’s allergies were no longer forcing her to stay inside.
“Yes,” the queen finally said. “You had dirt smudged all over your face because you kept wiping sweat away with your gardening glove,” she said with a grin.
“You do realize that you’re about to go fight for your life, right?” Peri said, attempting to regain the woman’s attention.
Cindy smiled back. “I didn’t even realize what a mess I looked. I was just so shocked to see you.” Cindy, of course, had known Lilly was a sprite, though the queen had been oblivious.
“Do you remember what I said to you?” Cindy asked. Her eyes were eager and bright. Apparently, she felt it important Lilly remember.
“Yes.” Lilly laughed. She remembered because she also remembered thinking Cindy was nuts. “I asked you why your yard looked like you were digging for gold.” Because that’s what it had looked like. Small holes were scattered across the lawn where Cindy had used her tiny, pointy gardening shovel to dig.
Cindy nodded. “And I said?” she prompted.
“You laughed and said, ‘Just wait until the damn pixies figure out you’re in the neighborhood. Your yard will look like a groundhog war zone, too.’”
Cindy was still nodding, looking very expectant.
“That’s what you came here to say to her?” Peri said, her voice sharp as she tried to step between them.
Lilly stared intently at Cindy as her longtime friend practically bounced like a ball. She was trying to tell Lilly something without actually telling her. Her eyes widened as she realized the seer sprites must have seen something, but Andora would not let Cindy tell Lilly what. Cindy literally couldn’t say what she wanted to say.
“Lilly, for the love of—” Peri started but the queen held up her hand, stopping whatever ridiculous thing the high fae had been about to say.
“Pixies,” Lilly said.
Cindy nodded, looking like an eager golden retriever, bless her heart. “Pixies,” she repeated. “And holes,” Cindy quickly added.
“This conversation is getting weirder by the second,” Peri muttered.
Lilly clasped the book to her chest and tried to work out what Cindy was trying to tell her. “So, the pixies are going to show up today.”
Cindy nodded. Her lips were pressed tightly together as if she was trying hard not to blurt anything out.
Lilly thought about the holes. What would the holes have to do with the coming of pixies?
“You were digging holes that day because of pixies?”
Cindy nodded vigorously.
Lilly snapped her fingers as she practically jumped. “You weren’t simply digging holes for the sake of digging holes. You were setting traps. Pixie and traps. The pixies are setting a trap!”
“Yes!” Cindy yelled so loud that Lilly wondered if those outside might have heard her.
“Wait, what?” Peri said.
“Keep up, Perizada,” Lilly said. “Cindy came to warn me. But she couldn’t just spit it out because Andora probably put some sort of spell or some spritely magic on her.”
Cindy nodded like a golden retriever again.
“That damn pixie king,” Peri growled. “I’m going to skewer his ass if it’s the last thing I do.” She turned to Cindy. “Are the holes literal or merely an analogy to the use of traps?”
“Can’t say, but the first thing you say is usually correct, Perizada,” Cindy replied.
“Of course it is. So the holes are real.” Peri tapped her finger on her lip as she thought. Lilly had no clue what Cindy meant. Had the pixies actually dug holes and disguised them outside, hoping Lilly would fall into one? Like a bear trap? Surely not. That seemed so … not magical. Not that a magical being had to use magical means to defeat their foe. It just seemed like the most logical way. But maybe that’s what would make it work? Because she wouldn’t be expecting it.
“Lilly, when we step out there, I will tell you stop at a certain point and you will not move from it,” Peri said suddenly.
“That’s going to make it challenging to fight,” Lilly pointed out.
“It’s a good thing you like a challenge then, isn’t it?”
“Umm, I also like winning. How the hell am I going to win a battle if I can’t move out of my opponent’s way?” Lilly snapped.
“Nissa,” Peri said to the fae, completely ignoring Lilly’s question, “Gerick and the warlock army are outside. Please make him aware that we’ve got more than just Lysander’s nonsense to contend with.”
Nissa nodded and then disappeared, returning a few seconds later. “Done.”
“Cindy, you look like a bobblehead. Stop” Peri snapped her fingers at the woman.
Cindy immediately stilled, though her eyes remained filled with worry.
“Thank you, Cindy,” Lilly said as she pulled her friend into a hug. “I appreciate you taking this risk to warn me.”
“I didn’t break any rules,” Cindy said with a grin. “Well, except the one where she specifically said not to come see you until she said it was okay. But I did ask her if there would be a time when she would actually say okay and she said yes. So, I just sort of mistakenly took that to mean, yes, as in it was okay right then.”
Lilly smiled. “Now I know where the girls learned to get around the rules.” She was trying not to let her nerves get the better of her, but knowing that Lysander wasn’t the only enemy she had on her doorstep was testing her resolve. The book she’d picked up was clutched to her chest as she turned to face the inside of the hidden entrance to the mountain. She could do this. She had to do this.
“Lilly!” Peri’s sharp tone was not appreciated. Judging by the irritated look on her face, she’d called Lilly’s name more than once.
“What?” Lilly said, still clinging to the book, as if it would somehow protect her.
“I’ll deal with Ainsel. You focus on Lysander and do what I told you, at least until I give you the signal. Okay?”
“Okay.” Lilly nodded. “Focus on Lysander and wait for the signal.”
“Perfect.” Peri held her hand up to the front of the mountain. She spoke in the warlock language, and the massive, hidden entrance began to open. Then she flashed and was gone.
“Wait, what signal?” Lilly called out as if the high fae could hear her. She looked behind her to see if Nissa knew, but Cindy and Nissa were both gone as well. Lilly was left standing there as the entrance continued to open, still completely unaware of what the damn signal was. “Stupid, not helpful, butthead high fae,” she muttered under her breath.
“Don’t forget to read from the page I’ve marked for you.” Cypher’s voice came from beside her. Lilly didn’t jump this time, but she did let out a startled breath.
“Warning, mate, you’re supposed to give me a warning,” she said and turned to look up at him. He was so handsome. And solid. He looked as if he was really here with her, not just some manifestation of his soul. Lilly bit her lip, hard. She didn’t have time for tears.
“I’ll be with you, beloved,” Cypher said. His hand was on her lower back, and even as he faded from sight, she still felt it there. She also felt when he pressed her forward so that she had to take a step or risk stumbling.
“Still bossy,” she mu
ttered as she began walking toward the opening. Lilly took several deep breaths, releasing them slowly. She looked down at the book and let it fall open. It automatically fluttered to the page Cypher had made sure was translated to English. She looked up and took a few more steps forward, pulling her shoulders back and lifting her chin. You can do this. Then her stride increased as she let the anger inside rise to the top. The anger pushed aside all other emotions. She thought about how the warlock people were suffering over the loss of their king and how Lysander dared to divide them at such a time when they needed to be united. How dare he? Lilly’s hands tightened around the book. How dare he show up at her doorstep and think to challenge her, the queen of their people anointed by their late king? She felt Cypher’s power filling her, starting at her feet and rising. It moved up her legs, thighs, hips, stomach, neck, and all the way to her head until she felt like a walking electrical storm. She could hear her feet as they crackled against the floor, as if tiny lightning bolts were striking with every step. Oh yes, she was good and pissed when she finally stepped out into the early morning air. The sun had yet to rise, but the moon was so bright it illuminated the forest. She had no trouble seeing her enemy.
To her surprise, Peri was waiting on her left side and Lucian on her right.
“Stop there,” Peri said in a very soft voice as Lilly stepped slightly in front of the fae and her mate.
Lilly looked out at the group of people waiting outside. They were gathered in a semicircle, leaving a small space open between her and Lysander, who stood about thirty feet away from the entrance to her mountain, her home. His own clan stood behind him, but the group making up the semicircle was her army. Gerick stood at the bottom of the steps leading up to the mountain’s entrance. His eyes roamed the area, no doubt watching for any sort of sudden pixie invasion.
