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She nods enthusiastically.“I won’t leave your rooms until you get back.”

She hasn’t earned my trust, but I give it to her anyway.It’s not because I feel guilty about taking her silence as her agreement to come inside her.It’s a step in a new direction, showing her that I’m prepared to give her the benefit of the doubt.Or so I tell myself as I walk with long, angry strides to my mother’s reception room.

It’s so typical of the queen to face me standing instead of sitting, even in her weakened state.My father takes up a position at her right while Vitai stands a small distance to her left.She’s dismissed the guards, which means the subject she wants to discuss is sensitive, too sensitive for the ears of the commoners, but she’s summoned my cousins.

The presence of Suno and Tarix shows just how important the matter is.Suno is the legal arbitrator while my mother values Tarix’s advice above that of everyone but my father.

My father isn’t holding her elbow or supporting her arm, but he looks ready to catch her at the slightest sign of swaying or fainting.

My mother holds herself regally, an iron will shining in the silver gaze she fixes on me.“What happened?Why wasn’t the mating successful?”

I clench my teeth.“I don’t know.”

She considers me for a moment before declaring, “She rejected you.”

“Did she?”Vitai sounds surprised.“That’s unheard of.No person on Zerra has ever rejected a mate.”

“Our circumstances aren’t exactly ideal,” I say, a tad defensive.

“The bond won’t be forged if she doesn’t accept you,” my mother says.

Irritation rises in me.“What does that even mean?I thought that fate was undeniable.I’ve claimed her.What else is there to do?”

“It won’t work if she doesn’t love you.”My mother gives me a pitying look.“Establishing a physical bond is easy.Acceptance comes from the heart.You need both for the bond to be complete.”

“This is the first I’m hearing of it.”I scoff.“No other mated couple on Zerra has ever had this problem.”

My mother sighs.“Normally, mated couples love each other.It comes naturally.”

Vitai smirks.“It looks as if you have your work cut out for you, Aruan.You’re going to have to win your mate over.”

I slide my gaze his way.At my cutting look, the smile vanishes from his face.

“That’s not why I asked you to come,” my mother says.

“Naturally,” I drawl.“Whatdidyou want to talk about?”

“I heard about something that happened even before Elsie tamed a dragon,” she says.“The talk is that spiked pets and pixie dragons swarmed to her in frighteningly great numbers, right here in the palace.Does she know how to control her power?”

I cross the floor and stop in front of my mother.“Out of everything that’s happened,that’swhat you’re concerned about?”

“Elsie’s power has enormous ramifications,” my father says.“It could be dangerous.”

The muscles around my eyes tighten.“Aren’t all our powers dangerous in some way?”

Tarix steps forward.“We’ve had since our childhood to learn how to master them.Elsie discovered her power only recently.”

I direct my ire at him.“And whose fault is that?”

Tarix cringes.

“Aruan,” Suno says in a pacifying tone.“Your mother is simply concerned about everyone’s welfare.”

“If she can command animals,” my mother says, “who’s to say she won’t eventually be capable of commanding more advanced species?”

Meaning us, the Alit.They’re worried that Elsie would be able to control us.Interesting.I wonder if that’s the case.If so, her power would be fearsome indeed, and just about every man and woman on Zerra would have a good reason for wanting her dead.

Just like they do with me.