Page 28 of Spells of Shadow and Blood

Did I believe him? Was he lying simply to earn favor with me? I hadn’t been hunting him. If he never came back here, he could safely hide in this realm until his dying days. But he had chosen to come here.Chosento face me.

“And why should I believe you?” I asked, my eyes narrowing on him.

“Blood runs thicker than water.”

“Meaning?” I asked, examining my nails.

I feigned a cold affect, but what curdled deep in my core was the opposite. I was shaken. The truth was…I wanted him on my side. I wanted him to join me here in the castle, but I wasn’t sure if I could trust him.

He was the only true family I had left. The rest of them had tainted blood and needed to be purged from this realm. He was the only one who had never left me when I was younger.

“Meaning, I would never betray my own flesh and blood,” he replied.

I was his kin. His only daughter.

Did he mean it?

“Why come now? Why not when the war ended two years ago? Why wait?” I asked, curious.

“I have hunted her for you, My Queen. I believe I have found her.”

Right away, I knew who he meant, but I needed to hear himsayit.

“Who?” I asked, innocence lacing my tone.

“The Stormshade child. Yoursister.”

“And where is she?” I asked without preamble. “With mother dearest?” I inched forward on the throne.

Zion shook his head. “No. Annelise has fled, though I do have Shades searching for her.”

Interesting. He must have a contingent of his own, then. Loyal to him. Had he truly infiltrated the resistance? Did he wish to be my spy?

“All my life you chased her as if you were her lap dog. How can I believe that you would turn on her after everything? Youalwaysloved her.”

Zion’s gaze fell to the marble floor as he was lost deep in thought for a long moment.

“Perhaps there was a time when that was true, but I have had some time to reflect on my actions. On my past. Annelise may have cared for me once, but that was a long time ago. It wasn’t onlyyoushe left when she came to The Stone City that day. She left me, too.”

That was the truth. She had left us both.

Left us all alone and then went and fell in love with another. Had a child by him. She had the audacity to come crawling back, tail between her legs, seeking shelter.

“And you would bring her to me?” I asked.

Zion bowed his head. “It would be my honor, My Queen, to deliver them both to you.”

“And how does this benefit you? What do you stand to gain from this?”

Zion crossed has hand over his heart. “I hope for a place at your side. To advise you. I may not have as much battle skill as you, but I have years of wisdom to impart. I wish to see you succeed, and to do that, you will need a council. It would be my honor to lead them.”

There it was. A thirst for power. Like father, like daughter, I supposed. He didn’t want to merely come back into my life to spend time with me; he wanted a prominent and powerful position at my side. But I approved of the idea of a council. There would be times where I couldn’t make every decision myself. I would need a council of similar-minded Shades to guide me.

If he betrayed me, I would slit his throat myself. He could prove to be of use to me, being an incredibly powerful Nightshade in his own right. He would get one chance, and after that…all bets were off. Blood or not. That never mattered to me, anyway.

“In that case…welcome back, father.” A smile lifted the corner of my mouth as I stood, descending the steps of the dais.

When I reached the bottom, I placed a hand atop his shoulder, giving it a squeeze. He pulled me to him, surprising me once more. He pressed me against him, caressing a hand down my hair in a soothing motion. I was instantly transported back to when he had put me to sleep every night when Annelise had been gone.

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