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I smacked him in the side of the head. “Shut the fuck up.”

He glared and dramatically pressed his lips together so only a line was visible.

“No.” Hya shook his head. “I’m sorry, Véa, but no. It’s not just about punishment but protecting our people. Lux is a threat. He always has been.”

“I disagree,” Neia said. “He’s too valuable to the Angels. Killing him would make him a martyr.”

“Thank you,” Véa said. “Another point I was going to make.”

“I think you overestimate how important he is.” Luna laughed. “Angels have made a mockery of Lux since before Véa and Nix took his throne.”

Lux sighed dramatically.

I smacked him in the side of the head again.

Face screwing up, he said, “I didn’t say anything.”

“You made a noise, and it pissed me off.” I leaned back in my seat. “So shut up.”

He rolled his eyes, but reclined as well, crossing his arms like my toddler when I put her in time out.

“You’re neglecting his many,manychildren. Most of whom adore him,” Osonia said to Luna, pointing a finger at Véa. “I agree. Killing him isn’t wise.”

“Fine,” Brynn said. “But I’m killing the bastard who killed my son.”

Lux began, “N—”

I smacked him again.

“Nix, if you don’t—”

I grabbed a fistful of his hair, forcing his eyes to mine. Perhaps I was as childish as he was, but damn it, I’d held my temper long enough. “You don’t get a choice. You don’t have an opinion in this court. You ruined that. Now, shut your fucking mouth, sit back, and wait for a verdict.”

Jaw tightening, his nostrils flared. “Let go of me.”

I did so. “Quit being a wee shite, or next time, it’s gonna be a lot worse than a hair pull.”

Only a glare.

“What do you think we should do about the boys, Nix?” Brynn asked me.

“I think Véa’s better with politics than I am, and she feels it’d be a mistake.” Yanking my hair into a ponytail at the back of my head, I raised my shoulders. “But you and I had the same idea.”

“It’s stupid,” Sanvi said. “Killing them won’t amount to anything positive for us. Like if we killed Lux, they’d be martyrs, and we’d be villains.”

“Not to mention hypocrites,” Eike said. “We’ve founded this world on peaceful principles. I don’t know about the rest of you, but aside from hunting to eat, I haven’t killed since we lived on Matriaza.”

I hadn’t either. There hadn’t been a need.

We were so much stronger than the people who resided on our world, it was like managing toddlers. Even when they misbehaved, even if a man spoke poorly to me when I happened upon him in the forest, or if he attempted to touch my wife in a way she wasn’t comfortable with, resolving those situations had been simple. Why kill when I could teach them a lesson? Why end a life that posed no threat to me?

“Me neither,” Anise said. “Well, except that one time.”

“It was his fault.” Drogo kissed Anise’s knuckles. “But agreed. We haven’t had much need for violence aside from hunting.”

“And it would not speak well to our authority if that changed,” Neia said.

“Do we think imprisonment is enough?” Rion asked. “These aren’t small crimes. The punishments have to be severe.”