Page 2 of Suspicions on the Stage
I squint at Tracer, letting Des taste the air for his truthfulness before I nod. “Fine. But I thought the meeting was the whole point of this shit. Why is everything so big and ostentatious?”
“To show off their power and wealth,” my siren says quietly. “They have these events as needed, but they announce them with enough lead time to set up the theater. It’s both a functional gatheringanda social one that lasts for several days. In theSons, there’s a lottery to pick which members stay behind to manage their interests while the rest attend. No one is forced to stay behind consecutive times. These rules are part of the by-laws.”
“Who knew you paid so much attention, bro?” Tracer says as he claps Slade on the shoulder. “But yes, that’s all true. When you enter this gate, you will effectively be in theSonsterritory and must abide by their laws, or it will be abig problem.”
“I’m not doing anything that prevents me from protecting the Prince—” Kaspar growls as if it pains him then adds, “and his chosen people.”
“Nice.” The kraken gives the dragon a dude-style appreciative head nod. “You are not required to break the laws of your own people or confirmed legal contracts or deals. They added that to the event by-laws about a century ago because Fae and demons refused to leave their territories unless their bargains were protected. Makes sense, of course, so the entire Arcanate approved it.”
“Arcanate?” Lucas asks. “Is that like… the Council or the Society, but for bad guys? You guys have your ownLegion of Doom?!”
The kraken looks like he’s going to strangle someone if we don’t stop asking questions. “Yes. It’s the criminal Council or whatever. Can wepleasego in before my father sends someone much less chill than me to fetch us?”
My ragtag family all look at me and I shrug. “Fine. I assume that we have to do something before we go in or we wouldn’t be standing here like morons. Right?”
“Good call, Boss Lady.” Tracer snaps his fingers and a host stand with a gnarly old woman appears next to him. “This is Ioana, and?—”
“Son of a bitch, that’s aMuma Padurii,” Ignatius says as he pushes to the front to look at the ill-tempered looking crone. “I thought only the Society employed them.”
Tracer scratches his nose, looking uncomfortable. “Yeah, well. Dad likes to find security outside of our enterprise at times. Supes loyalonlyto him, regardless of the club. Coup prevention, he calls it.”
Smart, but it tells me alotabout how little I’m going to like Axel Finn—and I didn’t have high hopes as it was.
“Okay, Iggy. You know what’s going on, so get us started. I’m tired of dicking around. I want to meet this fuckwad and then head home before something else goes wrong.”
The mage grins at me, stepping forward with all the swagger of his birthright. “Hello, wise one. My name is?—”
“Ignatius Leonardo Briarton, son of Claude Ludwig Briarton the third, head of Witchcraft and Wizardry at State University, mageof the Briarton line and future mate of—” Ioanna stops with a wicked grin. “Someone I won’t reveal.”
This little shit is asking for one of my cantankerous men to smash her flat.
“That’s what I was going to say,” Iggy says. “Mumaare rare and they love to cause trouble for anyone who is not their prey.Don’task what their prey is if you don’t know; it’s far too disturbing to discuss.”
Kaspar’s wings pop free and he stomps up to the stand with a low, angry rumble. “Watch your tongue, witch. If you cannot control your penchant for mischief, I will make you regret it. Announce us, record it in your books, and be done with it—or else.”
“Very violent, this one. Kaspar Auguste Peshko, protector of the royal heir to Daybreak Court, son of the King’s right hand, and storm dragon, you will find harming me will only cause you further grief in your long lifespan.”
I tuck the information about each person into my mental database, noting I’ve never heard their middle names or some of this family trivia. “Me next, witch.”
Her eyes light up and it looks like she getsyoungeras she turns to me with malicious glee. “You, Morgana Rhiannon LeCiel, are the cream of this crop, for certain. Slayer of dragons and evil men, hybrid of mysterious origin, and mate of Lucas Wolfberg and Prince Liam Spéirgheal… you will do many important and fearsome things.”
Have I mentioned how much I fuckinghatesupes with any sort of seer abilities? I do and this shit is why.
“Stop fucking with her and move on,” Kaspar snarls. “I’ll deal with my regrets if we’re not inside this fucking place soon.”
The crone tsks at him, completely unmoved by his dragon fury. “Next, Slade Ezra Finn, siren from the line of the gracious leader of theSons of the Seven Seas, President Axel Byron Finn, and brother to the whimsical Tracer Diego Finn… you have many changes in your future. Beware of the interlude.”
“My turn,” Lucas says with a wide grin. He looks at the tiny old woman with a serious expression. “Nothing you say will be worse than my parents, so out with it, you old bat.”
Ioanna studies him carefully, her expression turning crafty. “Lucas Cyrus Wolfberg, née Wolfenberg, mate to Morgana Rhiannon LeCiel and Prince Liam Spéirgheal, you are pure of heart and sharp of mind. Protect what is yours and be true to those who care for you.”
“Why is his announcement so damn positive? Fuck, everyone loves a rich kid,” Iggy grumbles.
I snort, shaking my head at the professor. “You drive a fucking Bentley, Iggy. You’re one to talk.”
Before he can respond, the old woman coughs then her eyes get dark. “I have been prevented from announcing the royal one by the tenets of Fae law. He goes in as he is known to the public. Now you all may enter.”
What the fuck doesthatmean?
