Page 69 of Madness of Her Mages

I bristled, for I knew she was speaking of Ember and Aurora, and, yes, they were running through the halls this morning. After spending three days cooped up in a sling hanging from Nikkos and Drae, could we blame them?

“I’ve made an exception for my grandnieces, Felicity.” Malvolia arched a brow, her eyes turning cold. “Do you have a problem with my decision?”

Felicity’s cheeks flushed crimson as she sat up straight. “Of course not, My Queen.”

It’s not fair she’d allow those brats at the palace and not our Teddy. Felicity’s whiny voice echoed in my head.

I know,her mates grumbled.

I clenched my hands into fists while forcing a smile, pretending as if I hadn’t just listened in on the private thoughts of bonded mates.

“I take it you don’t care for children,” I drawled while picking a little flower off the top of my tea cake.

Felicity shrugged. “I tolerate them.” She cast Malvolia a knowing grin, as if she was proud they shared in their dislike of children. “Steffan,” she said to one of her mates, the one withmore freckles and a flatter nose than the other. “Will you be a dear and get me some more cakes?”

“Of course,” he said, jumping to his feet and piling pretty cakes with yellow and pink flowers on her plate. He quickly returned and handed her the plate before turning to me. “We have a child of our own, Teddy.”

“Oh.” I pretended to be surprised. “Where is Teddy?”

“He is back at our estate,” Felicity answered, her voice lacking inflection as if she cared nothing for her child’s welfare.

Why did I get the feeling Felicity’s indifference was disingenuous, that she was inwardly mourning the absence of her son?

“How far away is your estate?” I asked, refusing to drop the subject, even though I suspected it made them uncomfortable. Why would they pretend not to care about him? Was it all to please Malvolia? If so, what a twisted way of thinking. I’d never pretend not to care about Ember and Aurora just to please my aunt. Too bad if she disapproved of my love for them.

“I don’t know,” she drawled, then looked to her other mate. “How far is it, Geoffrey?”

“About two days’ flight from here along the Northeastern Coast,” Geoffrey answered, his voice sounding strained, as if the topic physically pained him.

“So far.” I flashed a sympathetic pout while watching Felicity for any cracks in her mask of indifference. “You must miss him.”

“Of course not.” Felicity waved away my concern with a laugh. “We see him every Maiadramas.”

I gasped. “But that is only once a year.” Maiadramas was a week-long celebration of our goddess, the white witch Maiadra. How odd to think in four hundred years Fae could be holding celebrations honoring Tari and me.

“It is.” Felicity took a delicate bite out of her cake with just the edge of her teeth before smiling broadly at Malvolia.“But our queen needs us here at court, and he has an attentive nursemaid.”

“Oh.” I scratched the back of my neck while sharing a look with Nikkos.She’s lying,I projected to him.She misses him.

A slight smile tugged at his lips.I know.

“So tell me again how we are related,” I said to Felicity.

A look of annoyance flashed in Felicity’s eyes before she plastered on a smile. “We are related through your grandfather, Gaius, Malvolia’s father. He was my great-uncle.”

So she was related to my mother’s paternal line, which meant she had no claim to the throne. Good. So why did I get the feeling she still considered me a threat?

I tilted my head, giving her a curious look, pretending I was a cat toying with a mouse. She wasn’t the only Fae who knew how to be a bitch. “He died in the Dark Tide, didn’t he?”

She set her plate with cakes down on the low glass table in front of her. “He did.”

“And what about the rest of your family?” I asked. “Do I have any other cousins?”

She stilled, giving me a glare that could melt iron, and I swore all air had been sucked from the room. “They died during the Crimson Tide.”

I batted my lashes, feigning innocence while probing her, for I wanted to make her uncomfortable, if for no other reason than revenge for calling my nieces brats. “The Crimson Tide?”

Felicity turned up her chin, her bottom lip quivering. “When your mother and fathers killed the nobles who refused to help them overthrow our queen and our queen so righteously killed those who betrayed her.”

---