Page 57 of A Monarch's Fall

I exhaled my frustrations once I was alone again.

By the end of the Royal Conference, order would be restored, and power would lie firmly at the feet of Borealis once again.

Chapter thirteen

Meet the Squad.

Percy Flores

Iturned as the door to the room opened, and Jack stood at the entrance awkwardly.

“She knows now?” he asked.

Lady Flores turned with a warm smile from Jack to me.

“Percy, you might have noticed that I asked Jack to retrieve my photobook from Chloe. Chloe is my youngest daughter, your aunt, and Jack’s mother,” she revealed.

I looked back at Jack, and he ran his hand over his head.

“Surprise?” he said with a laugh, and it was like a question.

“Don’t be upset with Jack, I asked him to keep his relation to you to himself until I had a chance to speak with you,” Lady Flores explained.

“I’m not upset,” I replied, “at least not that he didn’t introduce himself as a cousin.”

“Did something happen between you two?” Lady Flores asked.

“No!” Jack answered quickly, his eyes widening and flashing to me in a pleading way.

Lady Flores turned to me, obviously not believing him and who would with a performance like that?

“Percy?” Lady Flores asked.

“I guess I’m not the only one with a novel ability,” I answered.

I watched the corners of Lady Flores’ eyes pinch in what might have been anger or irritation. She smoothed her face quickly, though, and turned to Jack.

“Is that any way to treat family, never mind a guest of our coven?” she asked him.

I was simultaneously family and a guest. Was it possible to be both? I suppose it was. I might have been related to them both, but we didn’t share anything other than blood. I was a guest, if I was being generous, a hostage was more fitting, but if I wanted out of here and back to Selene, I had to play the part of a willing guest, at least to some extent. If Arvid was to be trusted, The New Foundation wasn’t just going to let me go. And I wasn’t naïve, I knew they wanted something from me, and it wasn’t to welcome me unconditionally into the family.

Jack bowed his head.

“No, I’m sorry for my actions. I was curious,” he replied.

Lady Flores hummed in what I thought might be an amused way, but her initial anger was all I could see.

“Don’t make a habit of following your curiosity, Jack, with novel abilities come unexpected outcomes, which you may not be prepared to handle,” she warned him.

“Yes, grandmother,” he answered, lifting his head. “It won’t happen again, I promise.”

“Stick to practising within the confines of your lessons, where it’s safe,” she continued.

Jack nodded his head.

“Is Percy ready for her tour?” he asked, straightening his stance and brightening after his initial chastisement from Lady Flores.

Lady Flores turned to me, “Jack has offered to show you the way to your accommodation, where Sergeant Kathrine is awaiting you.”