Page 3 of A Crown Without Mercy

Mira tugged on his shirt. “Alaric!”

“Mira, stop,” he demanded.

Calista gently grabbed the back of Mira’s night shirt and pulled her away. “Leave them alone.”

“But, Calista—”

Calista interrupted her and nuzzled her forward. “Go open the gate to the stable. Let us deal with this.”

Mira stood momentarily and looked at her siblings. “Fine, I won’t tell you at all,” she snarked.

Calista rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to her siblings.

“All of our kind possess powers, Alaric. What makes you think anyone is interested in us? No one so much as speaks about the war that took place. We’ve been living here for over one hundred and twenty-three years and in all that time, no one has ever looked at us twice.”

Alaric grabbed her wrist and held her hand up. “They do not wield powers like you do. Do not think the Acherons, or The Guild of Entente have forgotten. If they get wind of this, they will come.”

Sylvana pulled her hand back. “How do you know?”

Alaric cocked his head, and squinted his eyes. “I am a member of the Legion. It is my business to know.”

She rolled her eyes and walked away, but Calista stepped in front of her. “Where are you going?”

“To fetch the horses. Where else?” she snarked.

After they sequestered their horses and secured them in the outer stable, they went back to the manor. Calista snatched her cup off of a table and took one large drink, followed by another.

Alaric placed his palm on the edge of the window, the other on his hip, and stared at the barn. He then turned and looked at Sylvana. “I need you to understand. I know there are whispers in the castle—they have not forgotten. This is serious, and your lack of judgement puts us all in peril.”

Sylvana stared at Alaric and then looked at Calista, who was scowling at her. “Riordan and his brothers have never so much as whispered our names.”

Alaric rubbed his face, feeling exasperated with his sisters’ continued defiance. “Have you ever asked yourself why Riordan and his brothers have never taken a mate?”

“What does it have to do with us? Do you think they would ever consider me as a suitable mate?”

“Your naivety is not becoming. You are smarter than this,” Alaric scolded.

“What do you and father know you are not revealing?”

Alaric took another drink and stared at her.

“Well?” Sylvana asked.

“There’s nothing to tell. Father asked me to look after you and our sisters, and it’s exactly what I am doing.”

Sylvana furrowed her brows. “Does this have something to do with the Lycan I smelled in the fields a few days ago?”

“Leave it alone, Sylvana.”

Calista reached for Mira’s hand and smiled. “Let’s get you to bed.” She then addressed Sylvana and Alaric. “I don’t know about the two of you, but I’ve had enough for one night.”

Sylvana followed her sisters before glancing back at Alaric. “At some point, you’re going to have to tell us the truth, whether you like it or not.”

As they headed up the stairs, they heard the door slam shut behind them. Calista looked at Sylvana. “You sure have a way of stoking his temper.”

Sylvana shrugged her shoulders. “He’ll get over it.”

Riordan and Kieran were sitting on a large, ornate settee five steps above the main floor, watching the games. When Riordan noticed Nicolai entering through the doors, he nodded in his direction. “Nicolai has returned.”

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