Page 7

Chapter Seven

Colbie

T he rest of the morning flies by, and it’s almost lunchtime when I remember a question that has been in the back of my mind since I found out that Violet is a fairy shifter.

“What’s the difference between a fairy shifter and a fae from the kingdom of Shayla?” I ask, interrupting Lucas who was telling me about the various trade agreements the shifters have with other kingdoms. “I always thought shifters were only animals.”

Evie’s eyebrows jump in surprise. “You know about fairy shifters? How?”

My eyes swing to Violet unbidden, and everyone’s attention follows my gaze. She swallows nervously, playing with a strand of hair that has fallen into her face.

“You’re a fairy?” Lucas sounds awed, and Violet shrugs uncomfortably.

“Yeah, but I had to promise my parents I would hide it when they agreed to let me attend university in the city.”

“Ugh, it makes me so angry that even amongst our own people, there are still prejudices against the humanoid shifters,” Mia growls, sounding much like the cat she contains within.

“Excuse me, you’ve lost me. Can someone explain what you mean? I thought you said you hid it because humans used to cut off fairies’ wings?” I ask Violet who winces slightly. I’m starting to get frustrated with everything I don’t know.

Layla rolls her eyes and huffs. “Some of the elite society shifters believe you are lesser if you don’t have an animal form, so fairies and merpeople are often shunned or disadvantaged, which is complete and utter bullshit. They are all still shifters with two forms, theirs just isn’t an animal.”

“And there are also the assholes who believe any of the equine shifters are lesser as well, and that they are prey animals as opposed to predators. That’s in spite of two of the equine species being magical and having powers, but they are also pretty, so how could they be scary? It’s all really stupid, to be honest. Prejudiced assholes exist in all societies, Colbie. Humans most definitely don’t have a patent on it.” Gracelin sounds disgusted, and I feel my own anger rise in sympathy.

“Did you say mer?” I ask, trying to wrap my head around everything. “And magical equines? Is that why I am a pegasus?” I haven’t really processed my three different forms yet. I am still coming to terms with being a hydra, let alone two others.

“Yes. The mer colonies keep to themselves and mostly live in the coastal region of the shifter section of Aramis.”

I try to picture the map of Aramis. I thought only the human settlements abutted the sea, but the shifter territory that is coastal is actually much bigger, I just hadn’t really paid attention.

“The difference between fae and fairy shifters is quite significant,” Violet explains. “We are good with animals and plants, but we don’t contain and control magic like fae do. They have powers that allow them to conjure, control the elements, and more. Mer are much the same as fairies, as in they are excellent at controlling marine creatures but don’t have any inner magic either.”

“They are fierce warriors in and out of the water though. Bryson has a couple of them in his army,” Lucas adds. “I’ve always hated the stigma associated with mer and fairies. I’ve tried to include them in matters of the shifter nation, but I have been rebuked every time. There’s too much bad blood over our kingdom’s prejudiced history.”

My brain is running a million miles an hour. “What if we invite one of them to be the final member of the council? Surely that would go a long way in proving that we want them to be a part of shifter society. Hell, we could invite one of each species. Would it matter if we had seven or eight council members instead of six?” I ask my advisors, who all wear looks of great pride that make me feel warm and fuzzy. My body heats, and I feel a wave of magic much like the first rush that flowed through me as I stepped through the doors of the palace. I shiver as the mark on my back warms, and it’s all I can do not to wince with pain. What the fuck was that?

“Holy crap, what was that?” Violet is gasping, and pretty fairy wings have appeared behind her, fluttering like crazy. They are just like her namesake, a variety of purple hues, and are thin and translucent.

“Goddess magic,” Lucas says with whispered reverence. “Obviously she approves of your choices, Colbie. Well done,” he tells me, and I feel my cheeks heat with his praise.

“I knew you were going to be an amazing queen, and this just proves it.” Evie beams at me. “You should definitely send invitations to them. Violet, do you know anyone who would be a good representative for the fairies?” She turns to my friend, whose eyes are glistening with unshed tears.

“You’re serious, aren’t you?” She looks at me with wonder.

“Of course. Why should they be excluded? They are shifters too. I’m just surprised no one has done it in the past. While we’re at it, what about one of the equine shifters?”

Lucas snorts. “The previous queen was as speciesist as you could get. She doesn’t even like the mythical shifters. I think jealousy played a huge part. She was a wolf and hated shifters who had access to magic she didn’t. All of the current council members are natural shifters except Emmett, who is a griffin.”

“Okay, well, my invitation will probably piss them off even more than when they find out they are being replaced. Gracelin, could you send invitations inviting the mer, fairies, and equines to put forward a member for council? They will still need to be approved by me. I’m not going to spend the next forty years dealing with an asshole, but ask them to send a few candidates to choose from. Talk to Violet for her recommendations, and maybe ask Bryson to speak to his mer personnel and see if they recommend anyone.” I sigh and slump back. “At least we have one thing sorted. Now we need to focus on those missing kids and ferals. Can we send a covert group into the human zone to search for them? Is there any way we can get a tracking spell earlier? Is the former witch ambassador still here or have they returned to their kingdom yet?”

Mia shakes her head. “No. They left with the witch consortium after the retirement party.”

“Is there any other way to track them? Do any of the mythical shifters have tracking abilities?” I ask, grasping at straws.

Lucas’s face brightens. “Actually, there is a mythical that can track. I’m not sure why we didn’t think of that in the first place.”

“Unicorns!” Gracelin sighs. “I’m not sure if any of them will help us. The previous queen did a good job of pissing them off, as well as encouraging the prey animals are lesser mentality. They and the pegasus have remained distant through your rule for a reason. They know how to hold a grudge.”

“Ugh,” I groan, unable to hide my frustration. “Why can’t one thing be easy?”

Lucas stands up and stretches his arms out wide. “I’m sure you sending an invitation for one of them to join the council will go a long way in trying to mend those bridges. I think we’ve done enough for the day. Why don’t you have some lunch and do some shift training with Watch Team One? They’ll also walk you through some basic self-defense, though they will go everywhere with you until your mates show up.”

My gaze goes guiltily to Gracelin, and I only just control the grimace that wants to cross my face at her stubborn expression. I know she said she was going to keep quiet for me, but it doesn’t feel right. I should be honest with the king and queens. They’ve been nothing but open and kind to me. I owe them that much.

“Yeah, about that… It turns out that none are going to show up,” I announce, and the king and queens exchange a confused glance.

“Of course they will, sweetie. Sometimes it just takes time,” Evie says gently, and I shake my head.

“No, you misunderstand. No one is going to show up because last night, we noticed that I have a bond mark on my back. Gretchin and Gracelin are familiar with the bond group I am matched with.”

“Really? That’s unusual. I can’t think of a time in shifter history when that has ever happened.” Lucas sounds partly intrigued and partly worried. “But the goddess bestows the marks, so she must be confident that you are a match for the bond group.”

“This is exciting!” Evie claps her hands and bounces on her chair. “We can get you coronated straight away then, no having to wait for you to choose.”

I wince internally, knowing that isn’t going to happen until I come clean about Nox.

“Is it anyone we know? I can’t think of any bond groups with six people in it.” Layla turns her attention to her daughter. Gracelin is staring at me with wide, surprised eyes. I shrug. I don’t want her to have to lie to her parents.

“Yeah, it’s Gryff’s mark,” she tells them, and Layla gasps, putting a hand to her mouth as the four of them turn their attention back to me.

“How wonderful! Welcome to the family, Colbie.” Evie reaches over and gives my hand a squeeze.

“They don’t know yet,” I warn them. “I wanted to take a couple of days to get to know them, but that doesn’t seem fair.”

Lucas grimaces. “Now that you wear their mark, they are going to find themselves drawn to you more and more. It’s going to confuse the shit out of them when their animals insist on being close to you, but you have to do what is right for you. Don’t be surprised if they can’t keep their hands off you and vice versa.”

“Hang on, there are only five shifters in that bond, but you have six crowns. The math doesn’t add up.” Mia frowns, but before I can admit to knowing the last member of Watch Team One’s bond group, there is a furious knock at the door.

“Enter,” Lucas calls as all of our attention turns to whoever is on the other side. The door flies open forcefully, and a uniformed attendant stands there, breathing heavily. He looks to be in military garb, and not the normal uniform of the palace staff.

“Your Majesty, come quickly. Something happened in the throne room—something you need to see right away.” I’m not sure whom he is talking to. His eyes dart between me and Lucas as if he’s unsure which one of us he should be addressing as well. Lucas pushes his chair back, and the rest of us follow suit.

“Report,” he demands as we make our way out of the conference room. Gracelin and I exchange a glance, and she shrugs as we follow the guard and her parents through the palace, Violet keeping pace with us.

“What’s in the throne room?” I hiss.

“I have no idea. Dad doesn’t use it unless there is an official engagement with another kingdom or he’s holding a grievance forum with the shifter nation. Though the crowns were moved there after the retirement party so maybe it;s something to do with them”

“What’s a grievance forum?” I ask, trying to keep up with the princess. Apparently, though, I’m now a shifter that doesn’t come with automatic fitness. I struggle to keep up with her, and Violet grabs me as I stumble, my coordination not any better than when I was human. I hear her snicker and glare at her playfully. Her wings are tucked away again now that the magic has dispersed.

“Once a month, Dad sets aside a day to hear his subjects. Any person who has a problem, big or small, can make an appointment to see him. It allows his people to feel like they can rely on the king to hear their needs. Otherwise, the council would try to block anything they deem unimportant.”

Our footsteps echo through the long corridors, and I swear this place is like a maze.

“A wave of magic washed through the throne room, and when it dissipated, the crowns for the future queen and her mates were altered,” the guard explains breathlessly. I’m almost certain it’s not from exerting himself. Most shifters are fit, so I’m pretty sure it’s the magic that freaked him out.

“Altered?” Lucas repeats.

“You’re better off seeing it for yourself.” The guard looks worried as he holds open the elaborate doors leading into the throne room.

I gape in amazement at the ostentatious room. The marble columns and floors are almost blinding in the light shining through gorgeous skylights inlaid in the roof. Massive, sparkling chandeliers hang from the ceiling, which must light the room like a Christmas tree when it’s dark, but a startled gasp and a number of exclamations from my companions turn my attention to the problem at hand. I catch up with the others closer to the dais at the back of the room. Sitting on it is a large throne, for lack of a better word, and on either side of the throne are eight slightly smaller chairs. Above each chair floats a crown surrounded by a clear, sparkling, floating bubble.

“Eight crowns?” Gracelin murmurs as I try to make sense of what I’m seeing. “There were only six to start with.”

“Can someone please explain what’s going on?” I ask, completely bewildered by their reactions.

Lucas runs a frustrated hand through his hair, causing it to stick out in multiple directions, and paces back and forth in front of the dais, muttering to himself. Evie and Mia are having a quiet, intense conversation, and it’s Layla who turns to me, her eyes troubled and confused.

“When a new king or queen is marked, the crowns we used to wear are taken by the goddess’s magic and reformed for the new ruler and their mates. This happened on the night of our official retirement and the same night you got your marks.” She points to the bands around my wrists. “This is how we know how many mates you will have to choose.” She drops her voice and moves closer to me and the two girls, obviously not wanting the guards to overhear her next words. “With you having a mate bond, that’s now changed, but it still doesn’t explain this. Watch Team One still only has five members.”

“Can you find Lady Sable please?” Lucas asks the same guard who got us. “She will either be in her clinic or the archives. Please tell her this is urgent.”

The guard doesn’t wait and tears off back the way we came.

“Leave us,” Mia instructs the other guard, who salutes us and disappears in the same direction.

“Well, actually, Watch Team One has six members.” I don’t hesitate to explain now. “I saw their symbol on a man I met when I was staying with my grandparents for a couple of days when I was first marked.”

This has everyone focusing on me, and I find their collective attention slightly intimidating.

“What do you mean?” Lucas asks and takes a seat on the steps leading up to the dais. The poor man looks overwhelmed.

“When I was first marked, I had a panic attack and thought that if I ran, no one would find me. I stayed with my grandparents and was walking along the beach when the goddess made it very clear that running wasn’t an option.”

“Did you say goddess?” Layla almost chokes on her words, her golden skin turning pale.

I explain my encounter with the deity and how I met Nox. I skip over the more intimate details, but I’m blushing, and it’s not hard to guess why. While I appreciate their attempt at discretion, all five ladies’ eyes sparkle in a knowing way.

“You say this human had a mark the same as our boys?” Lucas asks, frowning. “That shouldn’t be possible.”

“Yeah, I don’t think he was human. He was wearing a pendant exactly like mine. In fact, he gave this one to me. I now suspect he’s a shifter, but as to why he’s living in the human zone and not acknowledging the bond group marking, I have no clue.”

“If he does have the same mark as the boys, then that means he is also your mate. We are going to have to go into the human zone and retrieve him.” Gracelin crosses her arms stubbornly. “You can’t be crowned without him.”

“But what about the two new crowns? Does this mean I now have eight mates instead of six, and who are they? Will they be marked with the same mark? Did Watch Team One’s bond group just grow by three?”

“Gryffin always insisted there were six of them. I guess it’s within the realm of possibility that there are now eight. The goddess works in mysterious ways.” The voice at the front of the room has us all looking at Sable as she walks toward us, her intelligent eyes assessing the display in front of us.

“Has this ever happened before?” Evie asks her. “Have new mates been added after the initial anointing?”

“No, but nothing about this new ruler has been the same as previous monarchs.” She focuses her attention on me, and it’s all I can do not to squirm under such intense scrutiny. “First, there were six mates, and then to have two more added later is unprecedented. Plus, Colbie is the first multi-shifter in years, not to mention she’s a hydra, which hasn’t been seen since the war. I have a feeling our lives are going to be very exciting.” She smiles at me now, and some of the intense pressure eases slightly.

Lucas stands up and brushes his pants, smoothing out some of the wrinkles. “Let’s tackle this one problem at a time. Colbie, you need this Nox person. You should head into the human zone and convince him to come back with you. Once he realizes he’s mated to the queen, I’m sure he will see reason. Take the boys with you. Normally shifters aren’t allowed into the human zone, so this visit will have to be off the books to keep it quiet. If you get caught, we can use the excuse that you want to visit your grandparents before your life gets too hectic.”

“Then I think we need to appeal to the equine shifters for some tracking help, because finding the shifter children is a priority. Maybe they can also help you track down the final two members of your bond group. That’s if they haven’t appeared while you are away. I don’t doubt they are newly marked. It would be unusual for three members of a bond group not to present themselves to the bond placement team. They are probably as confused as you felt when you were first marked.”

“Does this mean they will all be younger? Bond marks appear around seventeen,” Violet points out, and I grimace at the idea of having two mates who are teenagers. I look at the king, queens, and Sable in horror.

“No, please tell me that’s not going to be the case.” I can already tell that none of them have a clue. Sable puts a hand on my arm and gives it a squeeze.

“Have faith in the goddess. She won’t give you more than you can handle.”

I scoff, the laughter that bubbles up after it bordering on hysterical.

“Seriously? She gave me eight mates. What am I supposed to do with eight mates?” I hear the desperation in my voice, but Gracelin just smirks at me and winks.

“Have a good time. A very good time.”