Page 77 of Misbehaving With Minotaurs
I let my smile fall. “Or elsewhat, Evenia?” My words drip with acid as I spit them at her. “You’ll give someone else a portable portal generator and direct them to toss me into a dark hole somewhere?”
Her mouth drops open. “Of course not.” The quietness of her words tells me everything I need to know.
I lift my chin. “I know for a fact that you gave the portal generator to King Caralorn in Ever. He then used that portal to mount an attack against his niece, Amatheia, which was thwarted. But she very nearly got dumped right into the open ocean into a new mer clan that wasn’t made aware she was coming. She’d have been killed if she’d fallen out of the sky right into their kingdom. You knew all of that, and you did it anyway.”
Her protective white eyelid flashes over her irises. “I was keeping the peace.”
I lift a brow. “You orchestrated an attackwithina haven, Evenia. You know the rules about that because you wrote them with me, all those centuries ago.”
She snorts. “You’re breaking a rule right now, Catherine, creating portals you’re not allowed to create.”
“Ah.” I lift a finger to correct her. “The difference is that the law clearly states I cannot create new haven portals without going through the planning process. I didn’t do that. This portal’s personal, starting inside a locked room at the AnnabelleInn and ending in my home in Pine Gulch. No one else will ever see it or know of its existence.”
“Pot or kettle,” she says with a dismissive wave. “We’re at an impasse then, Catherine. I suppose I could allow you to?—”
I rise to loom over her hologram. “You still rule because I allow it to be so, Evenia. You have remained in power this long only because I do not want that role for myself. The true mother of the haven system is me, and if I wanted to, say, paint a dark hole and trap you inside it for the rest of your very long days, I could. Do you understand?”
I lean closer to the hologram and point a red-nailed finger at her. “You have ruled only because of your role in the system’s creation. But the reality is that we no longer need you, and you’ve broken the trust of monsters everywhere with your actions against Amatheia of House Zeniphon. As of today, you are relieved of duty. Formal paperwork will follow. I believe Betmal’s got it drawn up and sitting at the ready with the same lawyer who drew up your separation papers.”
She bristles. “The absolutenerveto have conversations about me behind my back.”
I set my coffee cup down, letting my smile fall. “As it turns out, Morgan and Lou Hector have a lot of interest in running things. Being that Morgan’s mate is your son, and he’s already been a beloved keeper for centuries, I don’t think we’ll have any problems when they take over your role. And Lou’s a blue witch, the only one who’s ever agreed to live within the haven system. If she makes it safer for blue witches to not worry about being pressed into service as your watchdogs, more blues will come into the system. The havens will be safer than they’ve ever been.” I grin. “There’s literally no downside. Plus the girls will have my guidance and Betmal’s. He and I have discussed this, of course.”
Evenia’s mouth drops open. “A coup, Catherine? After all these years we’ve worked together?”
“A coup, bitch.” I bat my eyelashes at her as I pull a victorious smile to my lips. “I have long waited for the day where you’d fuck up and a good replacement was available. Today’s that day.”
“And what?” Her expression goes bored. “Can I assume you want to throw me into Belcastle as well?”
“Not Belcastle, no,” a male voice rings out behind Evenia, and she spins, mouth dropping open. “Betmal?” She’s aghast as my friend appears in the comm disk space behind her.
I don’t recognize this version of Betmal. He stands with his arms by his sides looking like he’s about to pounce, the white eyelids covering his crimson iris. He bears both fangs.
“You tried to hurt my mate, to take her from me, toscareher.” He flicks his fingers, and dark claws slide out long from the tips. Slowly, one at a time, he unfurls his giant shadow wings until they shroud Evenia in darkness.
“Well,” I say with a chuckle, “looks like you’ve got your hands full, Evenia.” I glance at Betmal, who’s glaring at his former mate with hatred in his eyes. “Have fun, my friend.”
“Oh, I will,” he purrs cruelly. After a moment, white eyes flick to mine. “Catch up over lunch next week, darling?”
“Let’s,” I say as I click off. The beginnings of a shriek are all I hear as I direct the comm disk to end the call.
Slow clapping echoes from the far end of our long breakfast table. Manorin smirks at me as I rise and walk down the length of the table to join him. He flares his nostrils and grabs his giant coffee mug in both huge hands, the kitty cat timer nestled under one of his tapered, fuzzy ears.
“That was magnificent, Cath,” he says quietly. “Absolutely fucking breathtaking.”
I shoot him a smug smile and grab his coffee cup, taking a sip of the Azuro dark roast.
He pats the table in front of him. “Come sit here, sweet girl, and let your mate feast.”
I hand him the coffee mug, which he sets aside. The kitty cat timer slides down his neck and chest to the table and rolls away.
Nor grabs my shirt, ripping it down the middle and pulling me to the edge of the table. “Mine,” he growls as he bends low over my chest, pulling a taut nipple into his mouth.
“Yours at last.” I reach up and grab ahold of one of his beautiful long horns as I lose myself to the pleasure of his masterful tongue.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
MANORIN
