Page 19

After breakfast, I wanted nothing more than to spend time with my babies and Sever, but I had to tattletale on a tattletale.

With a sigh, I sat down before the crystal ball once more.

Killian, leaning in the office doorway behind me, said, “You could pretend to forget to report her.”

“She's a Lady of the Wild Hunt, Kill.” I turned to look at him. “A Lady.”

He grimaced. “I know. And I know how important that is to you. But these are Fairies. Hasn't there been a Lord or Lady of the Hunt who has shown you loyalty when they shouldn't? I mean, besides Tiernan.”

I thought back. “A Lord of the Wild Hunt helped us when we visited a council house in Fairy. But he didn't betray his oath to do it. He wasn't jeopardizing a mission or betraying one monarch to help another.”

“Yeah, I get it. She really shouldn't have done that.”

“And the last thing I want to do is ruin a woman's career.” I sat back heavily. “But if I don't report it, Malai gets away with that crap. That's not fair to all the other women who have fought hard to get their own hunts. Or the women who will come after her.”

“This isn't a personal attack against Rowan.”

“No, but it might as well have been.” I swept my hand over the crystal ball and called out, “The High Fairy Council in Ireland.”

I waited a few minutes, the crystal full of mist and a soft chiming going off. Then, the mist took on colors, and the colors came into focus, becoming . . . shit. No, not becoming shit. That was just me cursing. The colored mist became High Councilwoman Yuki Shinsato. She was a bit of a hard ass. But I guess it was better than facing Lorcan, Tiernan's ex-father-in-law. Although, Lorcan might have gone easier on Malai. No, wait. It wouldn't be a single council member who decided Malai's fate. It would be up to all of them. That was the point of having a council.

“Greetings, High Councilwoman Shinsato,” I said.

“Ambassador! Greetings.” She inclined her head. “What's happened? Why are you scrying us?”

“There's been a problem with the hunter team. In particular, its Lady.”

“Lady Malai? She's got an excellent reputation. What's the problem?”

“She jeopardized the mission and broke her oath.”

“Excuse me?!” Councilwoman Shinsato's nine fluffy, white fox tails lifted behind her, going stick-straight.

I had been to Korea recently and helped to save a bunch of Kumihos—the Korean equivalent of Kitsune, which is what the councilwoman was. The sight of those tails reminded me of all the shit I'd been through on that mission. More importantly, it reminded me of the way everyone had worked together. And despite that harmony, someone died.

Loyalty and honor were imperative on missions. Without them, we couldn't trust each other. And the trust between the Councils and Coven was fragile. Vexes had seen the insubordination. What were they thinking? That we couldn't even be loyal to each other, so how could we be loyal to them? That's what I'd be thinking.

“It gives me no pleasure to report this. On the contrary, it distresses me for many reasons. But it must be done. As I'm sure you've read in Killian's report, there was a development on the mission and we captured a Demon. Before we captured him, when we discovered Demons were involved, Lady Malai reported this to my husband, King Raza.”

The councilwoman blinked. Her tails lowered. “She reported to King Raza about the mission?”

“Yes.”

“Because Demons were involved?”

“Yes.”

“Why would she do that?”

“I think she felt that I was betraying her king. That he should be there. I have an agreement with my husbands that if their Faeries are involved in a mission, I'll bring them in to assist. Raza was upset because he misunderstood our agreement and believed he should have been informed about the Demon involvement. My husbands are a bit touchy right now where the King of Hell is concerned. Things are complicated.”

“Yes, Ambassador. All know of your . . . situation.”

“I see. Then I assume that Lady Malai knows, and that's why she reported the Demon involvement to her king.”

The councilwoman shook her head, her shoulders slumping. “To betray her vows over something so petty. And did she not consider that you were her queen?”

“I did point that out to her when I informed her I would not be working with her team and I'd be reporting her to the High Fairy Council.”

“How did she take that?”

“Rather stoically.” I paused, then said, “I should probably mention that King Raza is inclined toward leniency on this.”

“Yes, I'm sure he is.” Shinsato grimaced. “Malai showed him loyalty after all.”

“Yes. Raza believes that Malai was acting out of loyalty to both of us, not only him. I don't agree.”

“Loyalty aside, Malai is a Lady of the Wild Hunt, and she compromised a mission. That is a fact.”

“Yes. Because of her actions, King Raza left Fairy and came to the vampire hunter house we had infiltrated, causing a huge scene and interrupting the search. Not to mention the fact that vexes witnessed the entire thing.”

Shinsato cursed in Japanese. “That fool! Malai pulled this crap in front of Witches?!”

“Yes, High Councilwoman.”

“I've heard enough, Ambassador. We will speak to Lady Malai and her team, then issue our judgment. I'll have someone notify you of our decision.”

“Thank you, High Councilwoman Shinsato.” I inclined my head.

“Thank you, Ambassador. I'm glad you didn't hide this from us. Such behavior is intolerable.” Then she waved a hand over her crystal ball and my ball went misty.

I looked over at Killian.

He nodded. “You did the right thing, babe.”

“You said I should forget to report it.”

“No, I said you could forget to report it.” He straightened out of his lean. “Because I could see how it was hurting you. But as a soldier, I know that you never compromise the mission over stupid shit like that. All Malai had to do was talk to you, and you could have straightened her out. But instead, she scried her king behind your back and broke her oath. I'm not saying that I wouldn't break an oath or even compromise a mission if I had a good reason. But I don't think she did. Plus, she fucking pissed me off.”

“What did you say, Dad?”

I looked past Killian to the bedroom doorway where Rowan was standing.

Killian winced as he turned to face our daughter. “I said someone fudging pissed me off.”

Rowan grinned. “I don't think that's the word you used.”

“Yeah, all right. You caught me. It's a good thing that you know better than to repeat that word.”

“Do I?”

“Ro-Ro, stop tormenting your father.” I left Killian's office, patting him on his thick shoulder as I passed by. “Let's play a quick game of Operation before we go back to Earth.”

“Yay!” Rowan cheered.

Killian groaned. “I hate that board game. The buzzing scares me.”

Rowan cheered louder.