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“Did he deserve it?”

“You know he did.”

She didn’t even want to ask why, and it was time for a change of subject. “So are you going north?”

“Yes, to talk to Ronan and the dragons but not for a few days. We need allies.”

“Why wait?” Hel asked. “We don’t have time for you to twiddle your thumbs.”

Looking annoyed, Thane tapped the toe of his boot. “Because Palenor is my responsibility. It was one thing to leave when the danger was in another realm, but now they are coming here. Preparations need to be made. I need to make sure my generals are running necessary training.”

“Well hurry up with that and while you’re busy, I’ll take care of some other business.”

“What business would that be? Killing Aldrich?” Thane asked, brow raised.

Valeen heard what he said when she first walked in, but he couldn’t mean now. “You can’t do that. We might be able to get them on our side,” Valeen argued.

“Why did you have to rat me out like that?” Hel glared at Thane then turned to her. “You know, you didn’t seem all that upset when I cut out thatPalenor Scrollwriter’s tongue and killed Baby Drakonan, so let me do what I need to do.”

Valeen ran a hand over her hair and rolled her eyes. Shewasupset about Caliban Drakonan’s death, but it needed to be done, or they’d have been caught. “Do you have to call himbabyDrakonan?” She looked at Thane. “He wasn’t a baby.”

“You killed aDrakonanon Ryvengaard?” Thane groaned and rubbed a hand down his face. “What is wrong with you?”

With a shrug, Hel said, “It had to be done. You weren’t there.”

“You can’t start problems with the woodland elves right now,” Valeen snapped.

His tongue slid over his bottom lip as he brushed his fingers across her collarbone then pushed her hair behind her shoulder. “Mmm, I’m not starting problems. I’m taking care of business. There’s a difference.”

They did not need another enemy. “Hel.”

In a few long strides, he was halfway across the room.

“Hel,” she said sharply.

“You know he does what he wants. There’s no stopping him,” Thane murmured, resting his chin on his palm.

Clenching her teeth, she turned to shadow and in a blink, she reformed directly in front of the exit doorways. Hel paused, dragging his gaze down her body, then the corner of his mouth curled upward. “Are you planning to physically restrain me, Mrs. Black?”

“I’m planning on you listening toreason.”

“No one wants Aldrich dead more than me, but she is right,” Thane added, making his way down the steps from his throne. At least he was backing her up.

“You know when I get an idea in my head it doesn’t just go away. This elf starved you and kept you isolated in a tower. I don’t care what his reasons were. Nobody does that to my wife and gets to live to speak of it. I specifically told his father you were not to be harmed. In fact, I told him you were to be treated as a precious jewel, safeguarded and well cared for. And while we’re at it, why don’t you tell me who else was involved. Thane said they drugged you with katagas serum and didn’t even give you water. Who drugged you? I want names.”

All Mother, I should have expected this.

Thane walked up behind them and stood beside her. “Anyone who was involved with my father or what happened to her is already gone.”

Eyes narrowed in suspicion, he said, “In the grave? I know they aren’t in the prison cells below. It’s barren down there. The fact that you allowed thePalenor Scrollto write about her and allowed this group who wants her dead to live, makes me think you didn’t do what should have been done, so once again, I have to be the bad guy.”

Valeen loved and hated that he was this way. Loved that he would do anything and hated that he was so spiteful, he couldn’t see how they could use Aldrich in this war. “If Aldrich is the newLord of Calladira, we could use them as allies. If youkillhim that isn’t going to happen. Aldrich will listen to me.”

“I already kept one asshole alive who doesn’t deserve to be here because you asked me to, and I even let Thane stop you from killing him. That piece of shit rotting in the dungeons should be dead already and would be. And now you two are going to stand here and stop me again? No. Aldrich doesn’t get mercy whether or not he is a Lord.”

“It’s not mercy, it’s strategy. The same reason I asked you to keep Synick alive.”

“We don’t want Synick here either, Hel,” Thane added, “but because he is, we were able to get something useful out of him. I don’t think Aldrich would help us, but I don’t want to go to battle with the woodland elves right now.”