Jacob flashed his sapphire eyes and growled, then attempted to take a step toward me.
Ranulf stood resolutely in his way. “Are ye threatening the Queen?”
“That bitch cannae get rid of us!” Jacob spat furiously, his face bulging and red.
Ranulf grabbed him by the throat and lifted him up, digging his claws into the former Council member’s neck. “Do nae forget who yer speaking to or I’ll have ye thrown in the dungeons!”
I smirked at Jacob. “This bitch can get rid of you, but I’ll give you until the end of the week to get your affairs in order. I want your things out of the council room immediately. Your clearance will be stripped at that time.”
“By law ye must have a council!” Finlay shouted. “A king or queen cannae rule on their own!”
I nodded. “Oh, I know, but I don’t want you to worry about that. I’ll have a council, it just won’t be made up of you guys. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a very busy day. You are dismissed.” I stood from my chair and started walking out of the council room. Ranulf dropped Jacob with a loud thud and followed me outside without another word.
The guards encircled us in a tight formation as we entered the corridor. Once we were far enough away to not be heard, Ranulf stopped me with a tug on my arm.
“What were ye thinking, Yer Majesty?” he said, aghast. “That could have been handled more smoothly, ye ken.”
I chuckled and shook my head. “Well, I told you I was going to shake things up on my first day as Queen and I wasn’t lying. Do you really think I can just sit there while they plot to get rid of me? No, Ranulf. They needed to learn their place. I can build my own cabinet that doesn’t include them.”
“This will rattle the Summits,” Ranulf said knowingly. “They will be expecting the aid of the Council.”.
I grinned. “I know. Make sure you give Lucas that meeting he wants.”
I started walking away from my rooms and Ranulf hurried to follow me. “Where are we going, Yer Majesty?”
“We’re going to visit the Sisters of the Sight—”
Ranulf grabbed me by the arm and pulled me to a stop. “Are ye crazy? Ye cannae go into the forest, Yer Majesty!”
“It’s fine, Ranulf. I have business with Ophelia to tend to and I’d prefer to be accompanied by you and the guards instead of sneaking out on my own. Don’t make this difficult.”
He growled, “Yer giving me gray hairs, ye ken.”
“I know.” I smiled. “Now let’s go get Bash so he can come along as well. I promised him he could join this little party.”
After finding Bash in the South Tower, we headed into town and toward Caledonian Forest. The Sisters’ temple was closer to that end of the forest than it was to the entrance from the castle. Luckily, I didn’t need the Highlanders as escorts since the guards knew how to get to the temple. We hiked through the forest on high alert for any potential attacks from Fenrir and the Valkyries. After encountering the strange, winged women twice now, I was more interested than ever to learn all I could about the Valkyries.
If I could get Raven one on one, just maybe …
The wind whistled through the trees, but the only other sounds were our soft footfalls and the creaking of limbs bending with the force. Though it was an overall eerie atmosphere, I had to trust Ophelia and her riddle to trust the trees.
After a forty-five-minute hike, we emerged from the underbrush and entered the opening that led to the temple. A rocky pathway meandered to a small pond where a ruined pyramid loomed behind it, its cement blocks disintegrated in some areas and covered in vines.
The guards directed us to the front steps and Ranulf, Bash, and I walked up to the door. Ranulf grasped the ring handle in the center of the door and knocked three times.
The heavy door opened slightly and Ranulf pushed it open just wide enough to allow our passage. Two guards followed us inside while the others remained outside, patrolling and guarding the perimeter. Stone bleachers ringed the inside of the temple, funneling down to an archaic altar in the center. The last time I came to the temples, the bleachers were filled with silent, sightless oracles, but this time the bleachers were empty and Ophelia stood by the altar, alone and waiting for us. I had no idea how she could possibly haven known we would arrive at this precise moment. Perhaps she saw it in a vision.
“Mackenzie,” Ophelia greeted warmly, “how are ye feeling?”
“Better,” I answered as we approached the altar. “A heads-up would have been nice,” I groused, peering around the empty structure.
Ophelia’s gray hair was pulled away from her face. With her lips pressed together in a straight line, she looked austere and cold. “Everything worked out as it should.”
“And what if I’d died?” My eyes snapped to her accusingly, meeting her milky white eyes.
“Ye wouldn’t have,” she asserted. “Yer destiny is already written and sealed. Nothing can change its course.”
“What did ye see, Ophelia?” Ranulf asked urgently.
“It is nae what I saw, but who,” she replied in true cryptic fashion. “The greatest ruler the Lycan will ever know—” I sucked in a breath and reached for Bash’s hand, but my heart plummeted with her next words. “But it will nae be Mackenzie.”
I froze in place, my hand gripping Bash’s tightly as I stared at Ophelia. Was she confirming my fear that I would lose the crown? And if so, would it be a good thing, since the Lycan would get such an amazing leader in return? It would have been selfish of me to stand in their way if that was the case.
“What do ye mean?” Ranulf shouted, his deep voice booming in the temple. “She cannae lose the crown! It belongs to the MacCoinnich bloodline!”
I hadn’t even been Queen a full twenty-four hours yet and I was already at risk of losing everything. I’d never realized just how hard this would be. With enemies everywhere, I didn’t know where to turn. What I did know was that I couldn’t just give up the throne. I couldn’t do that to Alexander.
Ranulf was still ranting while Ophelia stood there calmly, absorbing his words. Even though she was blind, it felt as if she was staring at me.
“Ye must be wrong!” Ranulf yelled. “Who is this ruler? Huh? Give us more information!”
Ophelia carefully navigated down the altar steps and walked toward me, ignoring the irate guardsman. When she stopped mere inches from me, she held up a hand and cupped my face.
“Trust yer instincts, Mackenzie. They have never steered ye wrong,” she said tenderly. “Ye will face death, and the fate of the Lycan will depend on that outcome. It is in yer hands.”
I frowned and concentrated on her words, but was no closer to figuring out what the hell she was talking about. “I don’t understand … If I’m not meant to be Queen, then why does it matter if I die or not?”
“Yer the key,” she insisted, then let her hand slip away. “Ye are the tether that holds it all together.”
I shook my head in confusion. “None of this makes sense, Ophelia. Can you speak plainly for once?”
She smiled softly. “It will soon.” Ophelia stepped back, putting space between us. “Now go. Ye must return to the castle.”
“Wait!” I reached for her arm before she walked away. “Will you help us? Against Fenrir and the others? You’re in the forest; we need all the help we can get,” I urged.
Ophelia gave another enigmatic smile. “The trees are yer friend, Mackenzie. Do nae fear.”
I frowned at her response and opened my mouth to ask her to clarify, but before I could say anything further, Bash tugged at my arm and motioned for us to leave. I sighed and nodded my head in acceptance. There was no point pushing the topic any further. Ophelia was filled with nothing but riddles.
Ranulf stomped out of the temple angrily while I walked out slower with Bash by my side. The two guards who accompanied us inside followed us back to the clearing where the other guards were waiting for us. We headed back to the castle in silence, each of us lost in a sea of questions and no an
swers.
When we arrived, Alexander was waiting for us in my office, which used to be his. But instead of sitting behind the desk that once belonged to him, I dragged myself to the sitting area and plopped down on the sofa. I was exhausted, mentally and physically. I still hadn’t recovered from last night’s injuries, and after the mental gymnastics of today, I was spent.
Bash sat beside me and pulled me into his arms, kissing the top of my head. Ranulf paced the room with long, angry strides. Alexander watched us quietly, a frown forming as he examined our individual reactions.
Alexander stood and walked over to the sofa where Bash and I sat in resigned silence. “What happened?”
“That damn oracle!” Ranulf growled, his fierce eyes glowing gold.
“What did Ophelia say?”
I sighed. “Well, apparently I’m going to lose the crown,” I revealed, looking up at Alexander’s face. “The greatest leader the Lycan will ever know will take the throne, but it won’t be me.”
His gray eyes widened and his mouth dropped as he stood perfectly still. “That cannae be,” he whispered.
“She’s not exactly a five-dollar fortune teller on the corner of the street,” I said with a snort. “Her visions are legit. There’s no point fighting it. It wouldn’t be fair to the Lycan. They deserve a good leader. Someone better than me.”
“But ye are a good leader, Mackenzie!” Alexander exclaimed hotly.
I offered him a sad smile. Of course he would say that. He loved me. But honestly, none of us even knew if I would be a good leader or not. I hadn’t had the opportunity yet.
“Thank you for that vote of confidence,” I said, “but whoever this person is, when we find them, we have to do what’s right. Even if we don’t like it.”
Alexander collapsed onto the couch across from us and loosened his tie, releasing a breath. “The MacCoinnich have held the throne for centuries,” he muttered in shock.
“I’m sorry it’s come to this,” I mumbled, ashamed.
“It’s nae yer fault, darling,” he added quickly. “We will figure this out, I promise. For now, we must keep the crown away from the Summits and Fenrir. No matter what, I refuse to believe they are who Ophelia was talking about.”
I gave a derisive snort. “I agree. Whoever it is, we haven’t met them yet.”
“Ophelia didn’t give us a timeline,” Bash said thoughtfully. “This might not happen anytime soon. We have to continue as if everything is normal for now.”
I nodded. “You’re right. I can’t just give up. I’m still Queen.”
Alexander ran a hand through his hair, brushing back that single curl over his forehead. I knew I was stressing him out.
“I heard ye fired the Council members,” he chided tiredly. “Do ye have a list of new members?”
I met his eyes with a determined spark. “I want you and Bash on the Council. Besides Ranulf, you’re the only ones I trust right now.”
Alexander’s eyes widened and he straightened. “I’d be honored, Mackenzie.”
“There’s no law against it, right?” I questioned.
He shook his head. “Previous kings have served on the Council or as consultants to the newly appointed Kings, if they were still alive.”
“If they were still alive?” I raised a brow.
“Most successors ascended to the throne because the previous Kings died,” Ranulf answered. “Alexander became King when his father died during a war with the vampires.”
“A war with the vampires?” My head ticked back in surprise and I looked back at Alexander.
He nodded. “It was a very long time ago. We’re at a delicate peace now.”
I never even bothered to ask about my grandfather—Helena’s husband and the former King. There was so much family history I still had to learn. If I ever told Alexander about what Alistair—the newly appointed Head Vampire of New York City—did to me, that war with the vampires could easily be reignited.
“Ye must fill the Council soon, darling. The Summit will be coming for ye because of it. The sooner ye have a Council, the better for ye,” Alexander chided.
“Lucas already requested a meeting,” Ranulf grunted. “I set it up for the end of the week.”
“And this is with both the American and European Summits?” I asked.
Ranulf nodded. “Be prepared. They won’t hold back.”
“Neither will I.” I grinned. “I won’t let the Summits run all over me, either.”
“Just … be careful is all we’re saying, Mackenzie.” Bash squeezed my shoulder. “You’re not in New York anymore. You don’t have many allies over here.”
He wasn’t wrong. I had more enemies than friends, and that wasn’t a secure position in which to find myself.
A brilliant idea popped in my head and I sat up straighter. “Ranulf!” I exclaimed, getting his attention. “I want Ailios to have a seat on the Council.”
“The Highlander?” he cried.
“I know ye want change, darling, but it takes time,” Alexander said carefully.
“Change happens when someone takes the first step,” I argued. “They deserve a seat at the table, and besides that, I trust her.” The Highlanders were one of the only allies I had in my new homeland.
“I’ll send an envoy this afternoon,” Ranulf conceded begrudgingly.
I placed my elbows on my knees and leaned forward. “Tell me about William.”
“Jacob’s lad?” Alexander asked with a raised brow.
“Yeah, the one I fought.”
“Well, he works with the town blacksmith,” Ranulf answered. “We’ve tried recruiting him into the King’s Guard, but he refuses. Even his grandda has tried to get him to join, but so far he’s been unsuccessful. He’s an exceptional fighter.”
“I could tell,” I mused as I replayed our fight and rubbed the side of my face where he almost knocked me out. He was the opposite of Jacob. He didn’t want to fight me, and only relented when I pushed. He didn’t seem like a bad guy. “Bring him to the castle. I want to talk to him.”
“He won’t join the Guard, Yer Majesty,” Ranulf insisted.
I shrugged. “Maybe, maybe not. I still want to get to know him. Also, I want Liam on my detail. Make sure you switch him.” I wanted guards I trusted protecting me. Not that I needed much protecting since I got into enough trouble on my own, but still.
Until I learned who was loyal to the Council and who was loyal to me, I would keep a close eye on everyone.
8
I didn’t remember the last time I’d felt this exhausted. I’d spent the last four hours doing paperwork, but everything was all a blur and honestly, I didn’t even know if I did it correctly or what I actually signed off on. Which, when you thought about it, was extremely irresponsible of me. As I sat in my new office, all by myself, playing at being Queen, I felt completely drained and lightheaded. Beads of sweat pooled on my forehead and I wiped them off with the back of my hand. I closed my eyes and tried to catch my breath.
I glanced at the grandfather clock to see the time and saw it was time for dinner. One of the guards would be popping in any moment now to escort me. I shuffled my paperwork and put them away neatly just as someone knocked and opened the door.
Liam entered with a bow. “Yer Majesty.”
“Hi, Liam.” I smiled weakly. “Glad you’re here.”
He gave me a boyish grin. “Thank ye for requesting me, Yer Majesty. I came to tell ye that dinner is served.”
“Thank you, Liam.” I stood from my chair and wobbled a bit, nearly tipping over.
“Yer Majesty!” He rushed to me and caught my arm. Other guards ran into the room after hearing him yell.
I shook my head a couple times to chase away the dizziness and straightened with the help of Liam. “Sorry, I think I just tripped over my feet.” I chuckled awkwardly.
“Are ye sure, Yer Majesty?” he questioned. “Ye don look well, if ye don mind me saying.”
I patted him on the arm comfortingly.
“I’m fine, Liam. Don’t worry. Let’s get going.” I adjusted myself and walked slowly toward the door, surrounded by guards.
A cold sweat was coming on and my head felt as light as a cloud. I struggled to concentrate on putting one foot in front of the other.
What the hell is wrong with me? This can’t still be from my fight with Fenrir. Did he poison me? Fuck.
Surrounded by the Queen’s Guards, we walked stiffly through the castle, down the grand staircase, and toward the dining hall where the others were already waiting for me. I quickly wiped my face and cleared my throat, hoping I didn’t look as bad as I felt.
Two guards opened the double doors to the dining room and I entered quickly with my head down, aiming straight for the head of the table. It was still awkward to have everyone stand in my presence. I wasn’t used to all these stuffy rules. Once I sat down, everyone reclaimed their seats.
A bevy of servers entered and began serving the first course, which was soup. I was secretly glad. Maybe soup would make me feel better. My stomach churned at the thought of eating the remaining courses.
Could I have a fever? Did Lycan get the flu? Maybe I should go see Cosima at the apothecary and see what remedies she could give me. But if I did that, I would have to do it without alerting anyone. The last thing I wanted to do was make a big deal out of an upset stomach.
“Everything okay?” Bash leaned in and whispered beside me.
Tight lipped, I nodded. He frowned but continued to eat his soup while stealing random looks at me.
“William will be here after dinner,” Ranulf announced as he took his seat beside Alexander. “It was quite difficult to get him to agree to come. If it wasn’t because the Queen was requesting his presence, I think he would have refused.”
“Yer looking a little pale, darling,” Alexander interrupted Ranulf’s tirade. “Are ye nae feeling well?”
“Huh?” I popped my head up to look at him. “No, I’m fine! Probably just need some sun.”
He pondered my answer for a moment but seemed to accept it, because he bent his head and continued eating. I sagged in relief and drained my bowl, waiting for my entrée.
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