Page 5 of The Shattered Kingdom
“And?” I ask. “What does this have to do withyou?”
Lill sighs. “The failed mission created a lot of tension betweenfaeries and shifters. We have a peace agreement, the Sylvan Harmony Treaty. It was created shortly after the shifters moved into the forest, and the failed mission almost broke it. I was too young to understand what was going on. A few days after the attack, I was asked to bring a pot of tea to the king. It’s common for the young children of court to be given small tasks, so I didn’t think anything of the request.”
I fear I know where this is going.
“The tea was poisoned with delysum, and King Malcolm died,” Lill says. “My mom and I left for the human realm that same day.”
This is a lot to take in. “Who gave you the tea? Your mom?”
“No. My momwasworking with Alpha Theon, but she would’ve never put me in that position.” A momentary pause, then, “I don’t remember who it was.”
That’s a lie. Lill’s got the memory of a damn elephant, and there’s no conceivable way she would forget who gave her that tea. She would never.
“Surely, you remembersomething,” I say.
Lill spins around as I finish bandaging her back. Her eyes are begging. She doesn’t want me to pry. Why? I’d dig for more, but we don’t have time.
I change the subject. “You didn’t kill the king, at least not intentionally. Why are they blaming you?”
Lill cracks a half smile. “Why wouldn’t they? My mother and I ran away, and I’m sure it’s been discovered by now that she was working with Alpha Theon.”
“Well…” I scuff my foot against the ground, thinking. “You can tell them the truth now, can’t you? You don’t have to lie to protect your mom since, you know, she’s already dead. I assume being Kie and Mason’s mate will help.”
“I hope so.” Lill looks around, taking in the open space.
She seems to know a lot about mate bonds. I’m pissed she never mentioned them before. I’ve been in love with the concept of soulmates since I read my first werewolf romance book at thirteen.
I tap my fingers against my thighs. “I presume you were close with Kie and Mason. Mason calls you ‘Lilly,’ and Kie recognized your photo.”
Lill moves into the living room and plops onto the couch, her shoulders slouched. She looks exhausted. I don’t blame her.
“We were close,” she admits, “but it was a long time ago.” She clears her throat. “What happened in the forest? It seems you three went on quite an adventure.”
That’s one word for it.
Chapter Three
KIERAN
I SLIDE MY thumb down the side of my drinking glass, wiping away the condensation. Mason sits to my left, his plate of food untouched. Why isn’t he eating? It’s unlike him, and I shoot him a sideways glance before directing my attention toward Anox.
As the council leader, the faerie elder sits at the head of the table opposite my mother. He’s wearing traditional faerie robes, the thick, brown fabric wrapped tightly around his torso and draped over his arms. It’s an outdated style, which is likely why Anox prefers it. He wants to stand out.
“This is unacceptable,” he says, looking between me and my mother. “This decision cannot be made without council permission.”
Lady Cassandra makes a quiet noise of agreement, and Lord Bishop quickly does the same. They don’t like Mason, and they make no attempts to pretend otherwise. I eye Lady Cassandra, noting she’s chosen to wear her long white hair down this evening. The casual hairstyle is unlike her. I assume it’s a result of how quickly this meeting was called.
Lord Bishop is also dressed down. He’s traded his usual formal attire for a dark linen shirt and black pants. His short whitehair is even mussed, not slicked back as he typically prefers.
I’ve never held him in high regard.
I hoped he’d come into usefulness with age, but he’s yet to make a valuable contribution in the thirty-four years he’s been alive. If it weren’t for his family title and influence, he’d have been removed from the council years ago.
I might see to it myself when I—when Mason—takes control.
“There must be something we can do,” Anox continues. He turns toward me. “Did Zaha seem open to compromise?”
I raise my glass to my mouth, letting my mother take charge of this conversation. I have no problems leading council meetings, and I’ve begun doing so with increasing frequency as my coronation approaches. Still, my mother insisted we meet with the council immediately. She can handle this.
