Page 59 of The Shattered Kingdom
Abby looks over. I shrug, my gaze flickering between the two before returning to the map on the dining table. Why hasn’t Abby told Kie about the map she found in my bedroom? What’s shewaiting for?
“I don’t want your mother’s office,” I admit.
Each council member and several high-ranking nobles have offices on the property, but I was never given one. I attend meetings when requested, but I never held my own. The queen never found it necessary to provide me with an office despite my title of prince. Kie and I shared more often than not, much to her annoyance.
The queen was never unkind to me, and I’d go as far as to say she treated me well when I was a young, frightened child, but we grew apart as I ventured into adulthood. She found me too troublesome to bother with, and I decided that every faerie besides Kie wasn’t worth my time.
“You should still take it,” Kie urges. “It sends the impression that you’re settling into your position.”
“Hm.” I’m not going to do that. “I’ll consider it.”
There’s shuffling outside, boots scraping against dirt before somebody knocks on our front door. I’ve never been more relieved to have a distraction. Kie is closer to the door, but he doesn’t answer. He moves toward Abby instead. I wait until he’s in position before responding.
Anox stands on the doorstep, frowning.
“What?” I ask.
“Do you two intend to hide in your home all day?” He sounds just like the queen, and I press my lips together as he continues. “We received word from Alpha Theon this morning.” He extends an arm, gesturing inside my home. “May I come in?”
My gaze shifts to the guards behind Anox. They’re pretending not to be eavesdropping, but I know better.
I move aside, allowing Anox to enter. I hate this little robed man, and I glare at the top of his head as he saunters inside with more confidence than he deserves. I’d strip him of his position ifit wouldn’t cause such intense backlash.
Kie remains where he is, continuing to block Anox’s view of Abby. The council leader is wise to avoid looking even remotely in her direction.
Anox is an intelligent man. He knows better than to push the limits of a shifter whose mate was just attacked. Inviting himself inside my home is already teetering on the edge, but we didn’t leave him many options. Kie and I couldn’t agree on who should remain with Abby today, so we both decided to stay.
The mere thought of leaving her fills me with all-consuming dread. There’s no conceivable way I’ll be able to get anything productive done without her in my direct line of sight, not until we’ve dealt with the faeries who attacked her.
Anox clears his throat. “The scouts you sent to the Redstall Forest outpost met with one of Alpha Theon’s representatives late last night. It wasn’t the friendliest of exchanges, but we received this letter from Alpha Theon.”
Anox pulls a sealed letter from his robes. I’m surprised he didn’t take it upon himself to read the contents.
“Was there any mention of Callie or Lillian?” I ask, taking the letter.
“No.” Anox shakes his head. “Alpha Theon’s representative refused to speak with our scouts about anything of value. The letter was passed off, poorly concealed threats were shared, and our scouts were dismissed.”
Not surprising. Relations between the shifters and faeries have been steadily declining for years.
Anox gestures to the letter. “What does it say?”
Wouldn’t he like to know? I blink, pointedly tucking the letter into my pocket. Anox would never have been so daring with Queen Gitta. He’s testing my boundaries, seeing how much he can get away with.
“We’ll come to the council should we have any concerns,” I say.
Anox purses his lips. “Very well.”
He lowers his gaze and excuses himself, slamming the front door with more force than necessary. He’s upset with my dismissal. I don’t give a fuck. I wait until he’s gone before ripping open the letter.
There’s not much here—a date, time, and location.
“Alpha Theon has requested a meeting at the mouth of Traul River tomorrow morning,” I say.
Kie snorts. “He wants to meet on shifter lands? That’s not going to happen. We can meet on neutral ground, and—”
Traul River is deep within the forest. It’s easily a two-day trip for a faerie. If there were magic, they could teleport, but it’s rare for a faerie to possess enough power to open back-to-back portals, especially in a location without magic to draw from. Kie and maybe a few nobles can do it, but the list is small.
In theory, we could have a unit of faeries travel into the forest through a portal made by Kie. It would weaken him to hold it open for so long, which wouldn’t leave him with enough strength to adequately protect Abby. The soldiers can then open themselves a portal and retreat should things go south, but it’s risky. There’s not enough margin for error, and it puts Abby at risk.
