Page 66 of Warrior Princess
She loved Caelan…like a son.
King Alwyn was there the night she was in labor…
“No!” I stumbled backward, only to have Shiro catch me.
“Leila? Are you okay?” he whispered in my ear.
But my gaze never left my mother. I swallowed deeply, not wanting to reveal to her what I’d just learned. “I’m fine.” I met my father and brother’s startled eyes and gave a slight nod. “Apologies; I just lost my balance.”
Shiro was obviously skeptical of my flimsy excuse. “It’s okay. Why don’t we wait downstairs for Ronan?” He continued to hold my shoulder as if worried that if he let go, I would collapse.
Marcel was also unconvinced, if the deep furrow in his brows was any indication. “Lyanna? Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” I gritted between my teeth. “Promise. I’m just going to get some air.”
Shiro slowly escorted me toward the door, but before we reached it, the wood splintered and the door was hurled off its hinges, revealing the last person I ever thought I’d see.
We stumbled backward from the force. “Orion!”
Orion grimaced and stepped into the room, followed by a horde of Eldwain soldiers. His gaze never left mine. “Lyanna, you need to come with me.”
In a blink, the room was filled with soldiers surrounding us on all sides, poised and ready in case we made a move. I looked around the room, trying to assess the best course of action.
“What is going on, Orion? Since when have you been working with Eldwain? Better yet, how long have you been working forCaelan?” I didn’t bother hiding the disdain dripping from my words.
He scowled. “It doesn’t matter. King Caelan requests your presence in Eldwain.” Orion stepped closer and reached for my arm when Shiro glided in front of me to block him. Orion frowned. “You don’t want to get the Crimson Clan involved,friend. Step aside.”
Shiro chuckled. “That’s where you’re wrong,fae. Leila is under the protection of the Crimson Clan. If she doesn’t want to go with you, she won’t. It’s that simple.”
Orion sized Shiro up and down, finally noticing the bristly white fox tail behind him. “You’re the demon fox!” He gasped as realization dawned on him. “H-How?”
I peeled the scarf away from my neck, revealing the slashed scar across it. Everyone in the room gasped.
Orion’s face lost most of its pearly sheen as shock set in. “You… youdied?”
I nodded. “Yes. Soyou’rethe one who shouldn’t get involved. Shiro is no ordinary man.”
Orion's eyes narrowed, a mix of fear and defiance flickering across his face. “No matter.” His voice regained some of its earlier confidence. “King Caelan's orders are clear. You will come with us, willingly or not.”
Shiro's stance hardened, his eyes glinting dangerously. “Over my dead body.” His growl was deep and formidable, echoingwith an unearthly timbre that vibrated through the room. Without warning, Shiro's form began to shift and grow. His body elongated, fur sprouting rapidly as his face pushed outward into a snout. Within moments, the man who once stood as my protector was gone, replaced by an enormous white fox with fur that glowed faintly in the dim light.
The soldiers hesitated, their discipline faltering in the face of this supernatural transformation. But Orion, with a hardened resolve, shouted, “Kill him!”
The soldiers surged forward with their swords drawn, but they were no match for Shiro the demon fox in his true form. With a snarl, he leaped into their midst, a blur of white fur and flashing teeth. Soldiers were tossed aside as if they were mere rag dolls, their armor clanging loudly against the wooden floorboards.
Shiro moved with a grace and ferocity that belied his size, each swipe of his massive paws sending another soldier sprawling. The air was filled with the sounds of battle—metal clashing, men shouting, and the deep, resonant growls of the demon fox.
Orion, realizing the futility of his men's efforts, drew his own sword, a finely crafted blade that shimmered with a light all its own. He advanced on Shiro, dodging a swipe of the giant fox's paw, and managed to land a shallow cut along Shiro's flank. The fox yelped but quickly retaliated, knocking Orion back with a powerful blow from his front paw.
As the chaos unfolded, I backed against a wall, watching as Shiro defended me with primal ferocity. Marcellus managed to grab a discarded sword from the floor and clambered to stand by Shiro's side, fighting off any soldiers who got too close.
Finally, with most of his men down or retreating, Orion glared at us. The once-unflappable fae was panting heavily and blood dripped from a gash on his cheek. “King Caelan will notbe so easily thwarted! You will come with us, or we all die here together.”
I frowned as I stared at someone I once considered a friend. “What happened to you, Orion? You didn’t used to be like this. Didn’t you promise Sir Edric to protect me?”
Orion blew out a breath. “I did. And this is me keeping that promise. Caelan will keep you safe.”
I shook my head and grimaced. “No he won’t. Look at what he did at his own father’s funeral!”
