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She would admit to feeling disappointed at not being able to throw her hat into the ring, but Kin had been right. She had to recover from her fight with the Sphinx Alpha and her succubus hunger was darkening the edges of her vision.

“Why did Cherry give you the grimoire?”

Rowan turned her full attention to Dae. The facade of a put-together witch slid off so completely she could hardly recognize him.

“She said it was a condition of my freedom.” Rowan answered carefully, noting any change in his face as she spoke, “I tried to refuse, but she wouldn’t hear of it.”

“How did she appear when you last saw her?”

His strained tone and his glassy eyes tickled Rowan’s inner succubus. Longing and worry, the kind reserved for lovers.

“Sad.”

The words seemed to siphon more energy from the witch. “Tell me.” He whispered to his brother, “Do you know where Cherry is?”

Hye’s nostrils flared, “The False Elder is gone. Help me, Dae, help me and tell Elder Antoni you are on our side. We have always been of one mind. How can you be on the wrong side of this?”

Curses streamed from Dae’s mouth as he stalked a few feet away to recollect himself.

Zeva spoke for the first time since they’d arrived back home, “Rowan, if they do come, the Coven has the media on their side. They’re the most influential mystics to exist. They could paint us to be the bad guys here.”

“Yep.” Rowan let out a breath of uneasy breath. “Come on, I think they’ll come from the south.”

XOXOXOXOXO

When Alessandro and the competing group made it to the throne room, the Bloody Elf was shaking the ice out of his hair.

His nose flared at the sight of the intruders. “Explain.” The voice was low, full of threat if given the wrong answer.

Louisa stepped out from behind Blaise and the king released some of the tension.

“The Coven just threw a deep ice spell over the kingdom. Rowan is waiting at the south border for them to phase in and trigger intruder number six protocols.”

“Nine.” Kin corrected as he extended his forearm for King Kyron to grip and both men tapped each other’s shoulders in greeting.

“Nine.” Louisa corrected herself as she wrapped her arms around King Kyron, melting the rest of his tension. “I’m glad to see you’re okay.”

King Kyron returned the embrace and placed a soft kiss on the top of her head. “You’ve been gone for far too long.”

“I know. Ma decided she liked your idea and is implementing our own family dinner nights.”

King Kyron chuckled. “Perhaps one day we can simply invite her.”

Louisa laughed, “I wouldn’t put people I actually like through that. If you’re thawed out, the jewelry may have worked for everyone else.”

“Indeed, they did, little Lou.” in the doorway was a stunning black haired elf. Eyes a shade of periwinkle that glowed when they landed on Alessandro.

It took a moment to realize what that meant and a moment more to recognize the woman from the tearoom in the cabin. He noted with confusion that she, like Zeva, didn’t have the appendages that would denote her as a succubus. Her demonic levels were definitely higher than Rowan’s. Her mere presence had Stone and his Elemental Generals straightening, their breathing coming out labored, scents tinged with arousal.

He wasn’t surprised that she didn’t affect him as well. His beast had already chosen the one and only succubus who could tease that reaction from him.

He took a moment to scan for a concealment charm like the one Rowan had worn the first time he’d met her, but there wasn’t a single trace.

“Well, well, if it isn’t the Dragon King.” Her voice was little more than a sigh tinged with the slightest ring of a Spanish lilt.

“Ama.” The warning came from the white-haired woman behind her.

He made the connection between this elf and Rowan as he had the one with her mother. Unlike Rowan’s short white waves, this elf’s hair fell past her shoulders. Her eyes were the sky blue of their father and she shared a similar nose to their mother. This woman’s skin had seen the sun, it glowed bronze; her body was lean and toned where Rowan was soft and curvy.