Page 53 of Into the Dawn
“Nay, they are merely in a deep sleep. I have moved their bodies into the dungeon. We still need to figure out how they are getting around the protective barrier,” Ronan explained. “After we have all the answers we seek, we will hold a public hearing tolet our citizens know what they have done. It is the best way to ensure others do not ever stray down this path again.”
“Well done, son,” King Sonin praised. “Our people deserve the truth.”
“Too bad about the food,” Layla said with a sigh. “I’m pretty hungry, but I don’t think I want to touch anything those assholes might have poisoned.”
Dominic grinned. “I think we can take care of that.”
Standing, he pulled Kylie to her feet with him. “What are we doing?”
“I think we should provide our people with a feast fit for our mating celebration. I will provide the Arcadian food, but I think our people might also appreciate tasting some of your human food as well.”
Ronan moved to stand beside them. “I do miss the fried chicken and the barbecue ribs.”
“I can handle those,” Kylie said with a laugh.
As the three of them used their magic to replace all of the food, loud gasps of delight filled the room. Leaning down, Ronan brushed his lips against her forehead.
“Well done, mate.”
“You’re just hungry,” she accused playfully.
Chuckling, he shook his head. “We could have made a fatal error tonight if you had not detected the poison.”
“I wonder what other special abilities you have,” Dominic murmured.
“Whatever I have, I will use to protect you and our kingdom,” she promised. Using her magic to summon new goblets of wine in their hands, she lifted hers and said, “Now, let’s party!”
Epilogue
Kylie was nervousas she stood near the stage that had been erected at the edge of the sacred lake. She was about to give her first performance since coming to Arcadia, but last-minute doubts were making her rethink the entire concert.
Ronan and Dominic had talked her into singing at their official mating ceremony since they had invited guests from all of the neighboring kingdoms. They wanted her to share her talent with the world, but she was worried that it was her own misguided sense of vanity that had made her agree.
Her mates loved her voice, but that didn’t mean the rest of the Arcadians would.
The sacred lake really was a beautiful setting for a concert. With the two moons shining down on the water’s surface, there was ample light. Add in the glowing trees that grew around the water’s edge and the blanket of stars above, the setting really did look magical.
In the few weeks since she had arrived on Arcadia, she had found herself visiting the sacred lake whenever she had the urge to write a song. Not only was it a great place for inspiration, the acoustics there were absolutely amazing.
Although Ronan and Dominic had been busy interrogating all of the traitors, they always made time to walk down to the lake with her. They loved listening to her sing and always carried her beloved acoustic guitar for her. She’d been glad her guitar had survived the trip to Arcadia, although she could now use magic to create whatever instruments she wanted.
Back at the palace, they now had a music room filled with instruments, including an amazing grand piano. She had also recreated all of the recording equipment that she’d had backin her home studio, though everything ran on magic instead of electricity.
The entire mess with the traitors had been handled pretty quickly. They had discovered that the rogues had constructed a few underground tunnels that had allowed them to bypass the protection barrier. Ronan, Dominic, and Kylie had created new protection wards around the Western Forest, making sure to include the sky and underground.
No matter how many excuses the traitors had given during the interrogations, it came down to the basic fact that they wanted control of the females living in the city.
For Kylie, that was reason enough to execute all of them.
Luckily, Ronan and Dominic agreed with her.
That might have sounded a little harsh, but that was simply reality.
The traitors had put too many lives in jeopardy to ever be trusted again. Not after what they had done. Besides betraying their oaths as honorable warriors, they had tried to kill the royal family. That meant their deaths were justified.
The Western Forest would remain a haven where independence and freedom were granted to all residents, male and female.
“Five minutes ’til showtime,” Layla said as she hurried over with a group of their friends. “Not really, since clocks aren’t really a thing here.”
