I thought I faintly heard Maggie say, “Awe.”
“Brother,” Luke said.
I watched Flynn’s shoulder slump as if relief overcame him. Then they pulled apart.
Luke glanced to the sky, so did the guys with him.
“Take care of our girl. I’ll be back soon.”
“Wait,” I called out.
Luke’s back was halfway to me as he’d begun to walk away.
“You saw Nina.”
He gave a curt nod. I heard Maggie gasp.
“Was she with you?” I asked cautiously.
His head slowly turned side to side. “I will look into why she was there.”
And he was gone, again.
“What was that?” Maggie said. “Who were those guys and why were they dressed like those crazy angels we fought at prom.”
I didn’t want to answer even though I was pretty sure I knew. Saying it out loud would make it hurt worse. Instead, I had different questions that needed answers.
“What happened? How did you guys find me?”
Flynn pointed at Tristrom. “He came and got us right after it happened. And by the way, we’re all pissed you didn’t tell us what was going on.”
Everyone nodded.
“Speaking of which, I have to get back and confront the traitors,” Tom said.
“You haven’t done that yet?” I asked.
He shook his head and looked pointedly at me. We might have earlier if we’d known what was going on. Anyway, they are being detained. We waited to protect Tristrom to make sure he got Flynn and you back. We had no idea Luke was down there too.”
They all looked at me.
“Sebastian said he was a prisoner of war whatever that means.”
“We’ve been gone too long. I need to get back before my people start to speculate. We can talk about the rest after.”
We started the hike back to the party where the lights were still on, but music no longer played. As we neared, Tom grabbed my hand, reminding me of my ruse. Something in the way he held me tight said we were walking into something bad.
Chapter Twenty-One
The terrace doors that Tristrom and I went through were still opened. Tom and I stepped through, and immediately I took in the clusters of people gathered together in quiet conversations.
It felt like Tom had grown two feet taller the way he strode through the crowd commanding attention as we made our way to the platform. Conversations stopped along the way.
We climbed the few stairs and turned to face his people. Then without notice he shifted. Just like that, Tom became a lion and let out a deafening roar.
For a second, everyone looked stunned including me until one by one they fell to their knees with heads bent in submission. Knowing I had a part to play, I got to my knees as well.
Head facing the floor, I didn’t realize Tom had shifted back into human form until he spoke with a voice that could command legions of armies.
“I am King, and I expect respect from everyone allowed in this castle and in my presence.”
There were lots of Yes, My Lords, among those in the crowd.
“Huck and Riona, show yourselves.”
No one got to their feet, but they did swivel their heads around to see the two figures move between the kneeling crowds to stand in the front.
“Huck, my oldest friend, someone I thought I could trust. You are charged with treason.”
Gasps rolled through the crowd as guards seemed to peel themselves from the wall where they were stationed around the room prepared for anything. Two continued to stand behind the treasonous pair as if to ensure they didn’t run.
“Tom,” Huck began. I glanced to see Tom’s brow arch. Huck bowed his head. “My Lord, I only acted out of loyalty to you. I thought she,” he glanced at me. “I thought she was a danger to you.”
“And what did you learn, by your treasonous actions.”
Huck’s head hung low again. “She is human. It doesn’t explain how she could heal the marks I placed on her.”
Flynn got to his feet with murder in his eye. The soldiers, however, wouldn’t allow him to get near Huck.
“There was a full moon. And only the most experienced were can deny the pull that night.”
“That doesn’t explain why you didn’t bring your concerns to me.”
I found it interesting Tom didn’t share what I told him about how Huck claimed to serve a future King, who wasn’t him.
“I’m sorry.”
“Lucky for you, I have friends just as powerful as me in other ways, and we were able to retrieve her from the depths of hell you sent her to. Had she been harmed, or worse killed, you would be dead right here, right now.”
Huck’s eyes were dull. He appeared remorseful.
“Riona, what is your excuse for following Huck?”
Riona wasn’t sorry. “She doesn’t deserve to be your mate. I, in front of all these witnesses, challenge her for the status of first mate.”
“You aren’t one of my mates, and neither is she. She is my consort,” Tom decreed.
“Then I challenge her to combat for the right to be consort.”
Tom glanced over at his mother who had gotten up and moved towards the front. She nodded. Tom took my hand and pulled me close. He then cupped my face and with our lips a knife edge away, he blew, and I drew in the life force he offered. To everyone else it would appear as though he were kissing me. In fact, I could hear Flynn growl.
Tom said nothing, only stared in my eyes a second longer. He didn’t want me to do it. He feared I would lose. I’d frightened Riona before, but I would be able to win once forced to actually fight her. It seemed I had a lot to prove to my friends.
“Which form do you choose? Human or Beast,” Tom asked Riona. “And remember, if you choose Beast, she can use all her gifts.”
Riona glanced at Huck as if he held all the answers. He glanced away not saying anything.
“Human,” Riona chose.
Tom nodded in the direction of the servants. “Please bring training clothes. You both will have five minutes to change. No weapons other than those you were born with in your human form can be used.”
Interesting wording choice, I thought.
I was ushered out of the room in the opposite direction of Riona. Maggie scurried after me.
“Are you crazy, Mercy?” she asked.
I sat and fought a wave of dizziness. I was tired and had expended much energy in the last twenty-four hours. I ran on empty and needed reserves. Tom had given me a boost. I held on to hope it was enough.
“What choice do I have? Anyway, I can take her.”
Maggie’s eyes widened. I glanced at the two female servants helping me out of my dress. Maggie's mouth pursed.
I quickly got into the stretchy black outfit they’d brought. I had to change my top twice before they found one that fit. I declined the boots they offered. They may have provided more protection, but I would be clumsy in something I wasn’t used to wearing. My chucks would have to work.
I gathered my hair into a ponytail and twisted it to create a bun, something Riona couldn’t easily grab. Then I stepped back out into the ballroom ready to take this girl down a peg.
A ring that formed, with bodies and not barriers, awaited me. I stepped through the open path and faced Riona. She stood in the center with a smug look on her face. I met Flynn’s eyes. He lifted his chin. My mouth curled into a smile before I stopped it. He believed in me, but better yet, I believed in myself. Tired or not, I could do this.
I stopped two feet away from her. I was tempted to cross my arms over my chest but wanted to be ready to defend or strike.
It wasn’t Tom who spoke, but his mother.
“No weapons or outside help allowed.” She paused a millisecond. “Begin.”
Riona’s fist shot out like a cannon. I dodged to the side easily missing her strike and chopping down at her elbow joint while sliding underneath her arm. Grasping her, I used my leverage to swin
g her over my body. She flew up and over but unfortunately for me, the cat landed on her feet. She jabbed out with a left. I ducked, but she landed a punch to my jaw with her right.
The blow sent me backward, but I kicked my feet up as she came in for another jab. I caught her by surprise and sent her in the opposite direction as I somersaulted to land on my feet. I’d found my second, no fifth wind.
She wiped blood from her mouth. Good, my kick caught her in the teeth. She came at me, and I kneeled to knock her feet right from under her. I rolled and was about to spring, when she scissor kicked me and caught me by the throat.
Before she could squeeze the life out of me, I jackknifed up, bending her legs in the wrong direction. She let go before I broke her legs at the knee joints. We slid apart on our bottoms and glared at each other. She moved before I could and cartwheeled over to me. I rolled again and got to my feet. It happened so fast, her back was still turned. I took advantage and wrenched my arm around her neck.
She tried to slam me over her back in the same move I did earlier. Only after she flipped me, I used her momentum to flip her over and smashed her to the ground with my forearm against her throat. With my body planted on hers, she couldn’t get out from under me.
“Do you yield?” I asked. It was something I’d learned in practice training.
She gritted her teeth and thrashed around, hoping to find some way out of my trap. I pushed down on her throat some more to constrict her airway. A part of me wanted to end her as the voices around me turned into static.
“Never,” she croaked.
I slammed my forehead against hers and knocked her out. She lay limp as I got up.
The room went silent as I stood. The light in the room hurt my eyes, and I blinked. I found Flynn, and in his eyes, I saw my demon ones. I closed them and breathed.
When I opened them again, the light no longer bothered me.
“What is she?” I heard as the sounds came into focus.
It was too late. People had noticed. If they knew I was truly a demon, it would hurt Tom. So I focused on the power Tom lent me. It wasn’t hard to find considering I had almost nothing left. I wasn’t exactly sure how the shifter thing worked, but I wished my body into a complete change. And seconds later I exploded with fur and fell on four feet. Handy thing being able to borrow other’s power for my use.
I stepped over to Riona and pressed a paw to her chest.
My vision changed. Colors weren’t the same. Scents weren’t the same. Sounds were sharper as I heard the gasp from clear across the room. I shifted my head sharply as footsteps neared. Friend, I thought as I bit back a growl.
“You are the victor, Mercy, and have claimed your place as my son’s consort.”
I felt the power drain within me. I wouldn’t be able to maintain the lioness shape. I also didn’t know if I would be naked or still clothed after the change. I turned and darted forward. People moved, giving me way. I leaped towards the room where I initially changed. I skidded to a stop unused to my new feet. I crashed into a dresser, and boy did that hurt. My claws clicked as I tried to get to my feet again and stumbled forward into a standing mirror where I’d checked myself out earlier. I made it to the corner and let the shape of the lioness go.
“Mercy, wake up.” Maggie tapped me. “You have to get up. Tom needs you. You have to prove that you can shift back.”
“What?”
“I don’t know how you did it. But that was totally badass. But you’re not done tiger.”
“I was a lioness, not a tiger.”
“Doesn’t matter. You have to get up and now,” Maggie stubbornly said. I just wanted to lie down and sleep for a week.
“Get up, Mercy.”
She tugged on my arm, and I felt sick to my stomach. The poison, voodoo or magic Riona had dosed my food with still hadn’t worn off.
I stood on shaky legs while Maggie smoothed my hair. I was still dressed. That answered one question.
“Alright, you can do this. Plus Flynn is going to come in here and give the crowd something else to doubt Tom with if you don’t show your face.”
Still disoriented, I said, “Why?”
“Sometimes I wonder about you. He’s worried because the boy is in love with you, what else.”
I shook the cobwebs off and took some shallow breaths. “I don’t know how long I can stand on my feet. Tom better not take too long.
The things you do for your friends. I managed to walk out with fluid steps somehow. I felt like a doll tethered to strings because it was sheer will alone that got me out there.
Tom held out a hand, and I took it.
“My consort is strong. As you can see, Huck and Riona’s actions to change her from human to lioness worked. And she is able to change at will on her first go. For those who have doubted me, you will lose whatever challenge to bring to me.”
The people there didn’t know that if anything, I should have shifted into a leopard. I hadn’t thought when I acted. Tom smoothly fixed that by implicating Riona too. A single file line formed, and people began to get on their knees and recited words I didn’t have the energy to pay attention to. I simply did my best to stay upright.
Tom’s mother moved into view when everyone finished. “Your swearing of fealty is duly noted. However, it doesn’t mean much if your king doesn’t have the support of your clans. As with all changes to the throne, you have thirty days to get your houses in order. After thirty days, the King will show up without notice. We will expect you to swear in front of your clan and then each member of your clan will also swear fealty to our new King as well. If this doesn’t happen, it will mean war. We expect hospitality, financial tribute as well as blood tribute when we come. You are dismissed.”
“Who are you?” someone stupidly asked.
Tom stepped forward and growled. “She is the Queen Mother, and you will show her respect. She speaks for me and will be obeyed as if I were speaking to you.”
The man, who dared to speak, bowed to Tom and then to his mother.
“Everyone will leave. No one will be allowed back into the caste until I’ve met with all the clans, unless I request your presence.” People began to speak. Tom roared. “That means starting now.”
That got people moving.
Then Tom spoke to his guards. “Place Huck in the dungeons and send Riona out with her clan.”
“Is that wise, my Lord?” When Tom gave the guy a withering look, he added, “Letting Riona go.”
“Riona may have allies inside. I’d rather she not be within these walls for now. You can have someone shadow her movements and report to me if she doesn’t stay with her clan.”
The soldier bowed and helped disburse the crowd.
“Flynn, please escort my consort to her rooms.”
Flynn nodded.
I walked and didn’t let Flynn touch me until we reached the stairs. Walking up four flights was not possible. My legs finally gave way.
“There you are.” Flynn lifted me in his arms.
“I love it when you carry me like this.”
He grinned. Then, I guessed he carried me to my room because I finally passed out.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Voices woke me from a dreamless sleep. I sat up in bed and blinked my eyes several times orienting myself. I was still in Tom’s castle. Tom’s castle, I repeated in my head. That was just plain weird.
I shifted my legs on the other side of the bed and padded my way to the door that separated Tom’s and my rooms. I slid the door left and was granted a view of the other side.
My friends were slouched on chairs positioned at the end of room nearest to where I entered. Everyone looked up as I walked in.
“You up?” Maggie said brightly.
I nodded even though she asked the obvious. She started to get up, but it was Flynn, who was by my side in a second. He steered me over to his seat and stood to lean behind me on the high back of the chair.
“So what’s the plan?” Flynn asked.
/> I had no idea what they were talking about, but decided not to speak. I still didn’t feel well. I decided to continue to keep that fact to myself. If my friends knew, they would baby me and I didn’t want that.
Tom shrugged. “Not much to do now. With everyone gone, the castle is pretty much secure. We can go back home.”
Doug, who stood with his hands folded over his chest, said, “What about here? Aren’t you expected to rule?”
Tom nodded. “Yes, but I have thirty days until I’ll being touring the world. I need to go back. There is something I need to do.”
His words were cryptic and the boys just nodded. I wasn’t satisfied with not knowing. “And what’s that?”
Tom glanced my way. “I need to find the girl.”
As if that was all I needed to know he didn’t say more.
“What girl?” It was like pulling teeth to get an answer.
He sighed. “There is a legend that a girl will be born and will be the queen of the shifters.”
“Aren’t all shifters born?” I asked.
“Wasn’t your mom born?” Maggie asked at the same time.
“Yes, and yes.” Tom looked resigned to answer our question. “All shifters born from the blending of the original Native American tribe and some Vikings who happened to stumble across them were all male. The original tribe members included the women who had the shifter gene. As they continued to have offspring, they could be turned and their offspring who had the gene could too and so on. Women with the gene can be turned into were animals, and many became mates of the shifters. To make a long story short, my Mom was the first woman born of a shifter. She was thought to be the prophesied woman would become queen. Her birth strengthened my grandfather’s power base. Only when she came of age, she didn’t shift. She had to be turned. Now, there is another, possibly two. Rumor has it, she has the ability to shift without being turned.”
“So why find her?” Doug asked.
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