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“Starbloom!” yelled another one.

The one on Kian’s shoulder stood and placed her small hands around her mouth and yelled, “I’m Petalwing!”

“Dewdrop, would it be faster if we shifted?” I asked. If I released my wolf myself, I’d usually retain my own mind and sentience during the shift, and could take back control when necessary. But if my wolf took over, I’d lose my mind completely, and waking up far away with no memory wasn’t a good idea here.

The three pixies circled around each other, conversing quickly. Finally, Dewdrop flew back to me. “Good idea, good idea! Wolves fast on ground, vampyrs fast in air. I ride you?”

“I ride this one!” yelled Starbloom, flitting around Cam.

“I stay with vampyr, we lead!” called Petalwing.

I rolled my shoulders and took a deep breath. “Okay Dewdrop, you better hold on.”

41

EZRA

The king burst into my room in a rage, covered in Marlowe’s scent, and my chest constricted with worry. Had she turned down his advances? Insulted him again? I knew it was going to take a while for her to warm up to him, but Alaroth wasn’t a patient male.

“Your Majesty?” I asked, sniffing the air and checking for any sign of her blood on his clothes.

“Her pack ishere,” he seethed, anger rolling off him in thick, oppressive waves. “I want them found and brought to me before the morning.”

“I… wait, here? As in Vespera? How do you know?” There was no way they could have found the portal, or even have accumulated enough Aetherium to pass through in this short amount of time. Maybe the blonde one could have—when I’d last seen her pack at the Rite, I had detected the greatest amount in him. But it should have been weeks before the newest one was powerful enough.

He paced in front of the fireplace, his hands curling into fists and flexing at his side. “They communicated through their bonds, distracting her from… from me.”

It was unnerving to see the king like this—jealous and insecure. Leave it to my sister to be the one person to ever make him feel like second best. Or sixth best, I should say.

I would almost be impressed, if I wasn’t terrified for her. And terrified of leaving her here alone with him.

“Do you want to come with me, Your Majesty?”

“No, I will stay here with my beloved. I just want this done.Now.”

Dread filled my veins. He was too far gone in his anger to listen to the reminder that he would lose any chance for my sister’s loyalty if he hurt her pack. Once I took command of them and led them here, would he stick to the plan we’d discussed in the garden? Or would he kill them all in a rage?

Maybe I could convince them to leave. I would take the punishment for letting them escape, and…

As soon as the idea came to me, a sharp pain radiated from my temples.

“You want me to do what?” I asked. The fae female kneeled before us, shaking uncontrollably as she wept.

“Twenty lashes.”

Alaroth shoved the whip towards me and I took it, but didn’t make a move to start. “What did she do?”

“Does it matter?” he sneered. “I’m ordering you to deliver her punishment. Twenty lashes,now.”

I felt the weight of the handle in my palm, squeezing the leather slightly. “I’m not some mindless drone. If you want me to attack someone, I need to know why.”

The guards in the room shifted uncomfortably where they stood, keeping their eyes straight ahead. Alaroth grabbed the woman by her hair and pulled her to her feet, ripping the collar of her dress to reveal two holes along her neck. “She allowed a vampyr to feed from her.”

“I-I didn’t, Your Majesty! He came in the middle of the night, he compelled me!”

“Silence!” Alaroth yelled, forcing her back to her knees. “Now, Ezra.”

I looked at the female and sighed, handing the whip back to Alaroth. “I’ll take this for her. She’s already been traumatized eno—”