Page 85 of Madness of Her Mages

Felicity held up her goblet with a smile. “A toast to Shirina’s return.” She watched us over the rim of her goblet while sipping her wine.

Steffan downed his drink in a few swallows before giving us a questioning look. “Will you not toast with us?”

“Not when the drinks are poisoned,” I answered, thanking Drae when he took my drink from me and set it on the table beside us.

“Poisoned?” Felicity looked at me as if I’d sprouted wings. “Cousin, whatever are you talking about?”

Blaze stood, flexing his wings. “I saw Geoffrey slip something into our drinks.”

Felicity gasped, splaying a hand across her heart. “You must have imagined it. Why would we wish to poison you?”

“Then if you would be so kind,” I said to her. “Please trade drinks with us.”

“W-what?” she stammered, her eyes flashing with rage. “Don’t be ridiculous.”

I released a shaky breath as Drae and I shared a look.

“Set down your goblets,” my siren voice rang through the night, shaking the ground beneath my feet.

Felicity and her mates moved like puppets on strings, setting down their goblets with choppy movements.

“Cousin!” Felicity shrieked. “What are you doing?”

A strong wind blew into the garden, extinguishing the fire between us and obscuring everything in a dark fog.

Drae and Blaze cupped their hands together, manifesting fragile flickers that gave us enough light to see the faces of our adversaries.

“Felicity, stop using your weather magic!” I commanded, and the dark fog dissipated.

Felicity looked ready to pass out with fright as she clutched her mates’ knees. The virulent looks in her mates’ eyes as they glared at me promised retribution.

She will pay for this,Geoffrey’s deep rumble resonated through my skull.

I gave him a challenging glare while gritting my teeth, daring him to try. Then I motioned toward our goblets. “Now pick up our drinks.”

“Cousin!” Felicity pleaded as she reached for my wine.

Her mates picked up Drae and Blaze’s goblets.

“Now drink,” I said with a sneer, feeling a deep sense of satisfaction while watching my cousin and her mates drink the poisoned wine. “All of it.”

“Cousin, please!” Felicity cried as she gulped down the wine.

I arched a brow. “Please what?”

“Don’t make me,” she pleaded between gulps.

I noticed how she didn’t beg for leniency for her mates, just for herself. How could I feel sorry for such a selfish bitch?

I flashed a saccharine smile. “But wasn’t it you who said compassion was for the weak?” My voice dropped to a commanding rumble, echoing into the dark void. “Keep drinking.”

After they finished, my mates and I stood.

“Stay seated until after we leave,” I commanded while glaring down at them, “and if you ever try to harm my family again, I will make you slit your own throats.”

Felicity gasped. Her mates swore. Blaze and Drae laughed.

My mates took my arms, and together we left my cousin’s garden, the icy ocean breeze at our backs. If Felicity and her mates disliked us before, they loathed us now, and I feared they’d attempt revenge.

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