Page 73 of Magic Claimed
Only I could tell how much it was costing him. How much effort it took just to stand there and face them with such confidence, when he could no longer truly enforce his authority. Could no longer shift to prove that he deserved to rule. In truth, he was as vulnerable as a naked child in front of hungry wolves, and if any of them realized it? We might both be dead.
It was a bluff as terrifying as it was awe-inspiring, and if it weren’t for Angelica, I’m still not sure if we could have pulled it off.
But with a gryphon behind them and an angry dragon in front of them, none of the four seemed to decide it was worth their lives to challenge their king.
“If this accusation is indeed true,” the black man said gravely, “then allow me to offer apologies on behalf of the entire council. I do not hesitate to admit that I was one of those who voted to summon Raine Kendrick for questioning. Her history, her actions, her abilities, and her proximity to you, ro-Deverin, are all concerning enough to warrant investigation. But an attempt on your life is not only grotesque, but treasonous, and takes precedence over all other concerns.”
“How comforting,” Callum said flatly. “As it happens, there is a way for you to prove that your apology is indeed sincere. There are only a handful of poisons effective against shapeshifters. I wish to know which one wasused. If you can bring me the name of the poison and the one who provided it to the fae, I will consider this matter closed.”
It might sound like he was letting them off too easily, but in truth, it was a carefully worded trap. No matter their reaction, these four would eventually betray both their loyalties and their motivation. And if they did indeed turn in the one responsible for betraying him…
“I must also insist that the traitor still be alive,” Callum added coolly.
There was another moment in which any wrong move might have triggered a battle. Everyone was watching everyone else, waiting for a twitch that might reveal innocence or guilt, or telegraph intentions before it was too late.
“Of course,” the younger man agreed, his slight bow of courtesy a careful, brittle gesture. “I must regrettably add one clarification. Since you have apparently read our laws carefully enough to understand the limits of your authority, you must also be aware that a summons cannot be rescinded, either by royal commandorby vote of the council.”
It was my turn. Given his history, I wasn’t sure Callum could be trusted to respond to that one politely.
“I’ve never asked you to rescind it.” I looked each of them in the eye, holding their gaze long enough to establish that I was not intimidated. “Whether I agree with your baseless accusations and suspicions is beside the point. What I have a problem with is your underhanded method of delivery.”
The older man opened his mouth, but I talked right over the top of him.
“You went behind Callum’s back because you’re afraid ofhim. And you used a courier with a criminal history because you’re afraid of the Shadow Court. I understand your fear, but Hector Ademar didn’t just deliver a message—he smashed up the place where I work and tried to kill my boss.”
I shook my head. “Any one of you could have done the honorable thing, spoken to Faris politely, and looked me in the eye while you delivered your summons. But you didn’t, because at heart?” I felt my lips curl with disdain. “You’re cowards. Which means I don’t very much care what you think of me. I will answer your summons because the Shapeshifter Court matters to Callum, and therefore it matters to me. But I will never beg for your approval. Not when you’ve made it clear that my past, my pain, and my safety mean nothing to you.”
“Fairly spoken.” Once again, it was the younger of the two men who spoke up, and as he did so, he offered another slight bow. Possibly an acknowledgement of the justice of my accusations. “But I hope in turn you can see the basis for our fear. You are an unknown human with powers previously believed to be impossible. You have a past connection with a man who seems determined to destroy our kind, and our king is now so suddenly under your sway.”
“Oh, believe me, I havenodifficulty understanding why you’re scared of me,” I replied, and was shocked when his lips twitched in response.
“Well, it would appear that our trip has not been wasted,” the younger woman said briskly, speaking for the first time, and with an authority that surprised me, considering her age. Made me wonder who, in fact, was the most powerful among the four.
“We will look forward to seeing you back at court, YourMajesty, and you, Miss Kendrick, when you have a moment in your schedule to accept our invitation.”
I wasn’t sure how Callum would react to this characterization of my summons, and thankfully he didn’t have to, as Angelica stepped seamlessly into the conversation.
“If you have any further concerns, you may address them to me directly, and I will convey them to His Majesty as appropriate. And you may rest assured that he will rejoin the court as soon as his business here is concluded.”
It was a dismissal, and the four of them were sufficiently wise to hear it as such. I watched them go, searching for any hint of disappointment, or any indication that they might choose to attack instead of retreat, but an attack never came.
Angelica followed them out, but returned only a few moments later. “They’re gone,” she reported. “And I’ve asked Ryker to tail them to make sure they leave the city.” Her glance at Callum was transparently worried. “Do you think they were convinced by your threats?”
“I think they weren’t sure enough of anything to make a move,” he responded grimly. “And I genuinely doubt that all of them were in on it. Without access to my dragon…” He cursed under his breath. “I couldn’t quite read them. Raine?” His gaze burned with anger and frustration, though I could tell none of it was aimed at me. “Did you sense anything?”
I had to shake my head. My hunch magic still wasn’t that reliable, and activated pretty much only when it wanted to. “Nothing for sure. The younger of the men… I didn’t feel any kind of hostility from him. Or guilt, now that I think about it. Just caution. He might be really good at hiding his intentions, though.”
Angelica tilted her head thoughtfully. “No, I think you’re correct.” For once, she didn’t even seem disgusted by the necessity of agreeing with me. “I don’t think Landon knew about any conspiracy, if there truly was one. He was clearly in agreement with the summons, but he reacted pretty strongly when you mentioned Hector and the attack on Faris.”
“A problem for later.” Now that our unwanted guests were gone, Callum sounded somewhere between exhausted and relieved. “Let them take that back to the court and stew on it for a while. See if it stirs anything up. We have plenty to do here while we wait for their next move.”
Wait to see if they would reveal the traitor.
Wait to find out whether we would learn the name of the poison in time.
“How are you feeling?”
I could tell he didn’t want to answer that, but he did anyway.
