Page 4 of Claimed By Shadow and Blood (Of Fae and Wolf Trilogy #2)

I ignored my throbbing jaw and spat out a mouthful of blood. Everyone here was an enemy, but these enemies wouldn’t realize how much they’d fecked up until they felt their own lifeblood draining from their veins.

“Have you lost your fecking mind? Did you just strike the prince? My future king!” Footsteps pounded to my side, and a feathered wing brushed my back before snapping away.

I turned my head. Thalen’s brows quirked over his rageful amber eyes. All playfulness had vanished.

I gave a small shake of my head, trying to communicate, Not now. We don't fight now.

Whoever was behind my father’s death didn’t yet have the political or military support to overthrow the royal family, or they wouldn’t have staged the murder.

But if I acted like an insane fool, they could claim I was no longer fit to rule.

It was an unusual tactic, and I had heard of it happening only once in the past few centuries, in another kingdom. But these were clearly unusual times.

I held up my hand. “It was no matter. I pushed the council member and slipped.”

Thalen’s eyes narrowed. He set his hands on his waist, the white feathers of his displayed wings moving faintly in the breeze. “Funny how that?—”

“It is no matter.” I fixed him with a sterner gaze, willing him to understand. For all his teasing, Thalen was an excellent fighter, and anger blazed through him. “The Aureline Council is here because my father was murdered." Another spasm cut through me, but I adjusted my stance.

Light drained from Thalen’s eyes, and he ran a hand through his shaggy ash-blond hair.

“I heard…I heard screaming and yelling.” His throat bobbed.

"I...Rhielle is near death. Myantha saw that her door was open, and some of the guards were missing. She came to get me when she couldn’t find Briar. Rhielle is with the physicians now.”

I set my hands on my hips. Another wave of sickness crashed over me and made my head spin.

Members of the Shadow Guard entered the garden, shouting for someone to call more guards and a physician. It was futile for them to send for extra help; Father was already dead, but I remained silent and kept my focus on Thalen.

“Briar was found beside my father’s body. She is being investigated by the Aureline Council for murder.” Forcing the words out felt like blades across my tongue, but I spoke them with an icy calm.

Thalen paled. He started to shake his head, but I shot him another stern look. He stiffened and straightened his shoulders, then nodded.

The council members studied me, arms at their sides and heads slightly tilted in opposite directions.

Beneath their hoods, I glimpsed their faces.

Both had furrowed brows and pinched mouths.

The Aureline Councilmember in light-gray had sharp blue eyes and dark freckles across his nose.

Freckles were unusual among fae, so he’d be easy to locate.

The Shadow council member had one gray eye and one blue eye.

His left hand had a scar that hooked from the back of his hand to the inside of his wrist.

They seemed surprised and slightly disappointed.

Good.

I would treat the matter as if I had made a small error. Nothing more would be said aloud. Dignity would remain intact, and honor would require no further response.

“Justice will be done.” My fingers dug into my black belt.

“I will not stand in the way of it, nor will anyone in this kingdom or another. The wrongdoers will be brought to justice.” Despite the sheer hate burning in my veins, I fixed my gaze on both council members.

“My father’s body must be prepared for burial, and the dagger that was used to kill him will be taken for the ceremony.

If you require further examination, you will speak with me.

I trust this is acceptable, as we are honoring the requirements of each kingdom? ”

The two council members exchanged a look and pressed their lips firmly together. They had no choice but to honor my request since I was behaving rationally. They hadn’t expected that.

I tilted my chin and cleared my throat, urging an answer.

The Shadow Councilmember nodded. “Of course, Your Highness.”

“Good.” I turned my attention to the guards nearing us.

“Search the garden and the perimeter. A suspect has been taken, but search for anyone else who may be involved.

I doubt it was just one individual. Leave no stone unturned, and if I sense even a hint of negligence, the repercussions will be serious for all involved. "

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed the two council members glance at each other as if they were uneasy. A muscle in the Shadow council member's jaw ticked as the Aureline council member shifted his weight.

More footsteps sounded in rapid succession. Finbar, the head of the Shadow Guard, appeared, followed by more soldiers. His honey-gold skin had gone pale as ash, and his dull brown hair was disheveled, evidence that his glamour was slipping.

I angled to face him and commanded, “Report.” As head of the entire guard, he was so busy that I didn’t often see him. My father had insisted on overseeing all security matters involving the palace. The last time I'd worked with this man directly, we’d quelled an insurgency.

“Your Highness.” He bowed his head and struck his fist over his heart.

“I regret to inform you that the entirety of the king’s personal guard assigned to protect him during this event has been assassinated.

And the royal guards stationed in the guest wing were enchanted.

One of the contestants has been grievously injured and is comatose. ”

My blood curdled. How deep did this plot go? We were dealing with multiple enemies, perhaps dozens. Could it be the entire Aureline Council? Add in the enchanted guard, and our situation was even clearer.

Then I remembered…Finbar's younger brother Ruar had been one of my father’s guards this night. “All four?”

He gave a tight nod, and the muscles in his jaw trembled. “Yes, Your Highness.”

That had to be why his glamor was slipping— he was mourning his brother as well as the king. He had vouched for his brother to take that role six months ago.

I wasn’t the only one to suffer loss this night.

“It is impossible for one individual to have been the cause of all this death in such a short time span, and to successfully kill and enchant such well-trained royal guards. We will find all involved in this treacherous scheme and ensure they receive the appropriate punishment.” No one could claim Briar had been responsible for all that.

She didn’t have fae magic, and she couldn't have been in more than one place simultaneously.

She also lacked contacts within our kingdom.

Finbar offered another nod, though his expression remained masked,

I wasn’t fully certain I could trust him or anyone I didn’t already know well.

Despite his stoic expression, his slate blue eyes darkened, letting me know that this was hitting him almost as hard as me.

"If you require my life, I accept your judgment.

If you allow me to keep it, I will dedicate it to finding all involved in this atrocity and bring them to the blades of justice and Fate. "

It was an old tradition that, if the king was murdered, the captain of the guard would be executed for failing to protect the king. However, the tradition was useless when it came to practical purposes. Maybe I couldn’t fully trust him, but making a change now would only add more chaos.

I met his gaze, unblinking, and studied his face. "Your life is mine. To my knowledge, you have done nothing that prevents you from continuing to serve. Demanding your life at this time would accomplish nothing."

Stepping closer to him, I stretched my wings, ensuring they were on display for all to see.

I wouldn’t lower my voice—everyone needed to hear this—but I arranged myself so that the councilman and Thalen could see my expression.

"What happened tonight is a violation of all we hold dear and a horror that will stain our kingdom’s existence for eternity.

All those involved with the enactment of these travesties will suffer a thousand times over.

Their names will be blotted from any honorable mention, and they will be made into objects of scorn and derision.

None will escape my rage or the horrors I will inflict upon them. ”

My heart wanted to lurch from my chest, but I took a heavy breath. Going on an immediate killing spree would only aid them in proving I was unfit to lead. I’d do this smartly and let them sweat, unsure of when I might strike.

I turned and saw my father’s body once more. A spasm shuddered through me, and my chest tightened so hard I couldn’t draw a full breath. For a moment, I felt like a child again, weak, small, and incapable of changing even one thing for the better.

It was worse than when I lost my mother.

Then, despite my father’s grief, he had ruled.

He’d overseen the investigation and tracked down her murderers.

Though he never felt that he had learned the full truth behind her death, he had exposed several people who had been unquestionably guilty of conspiring to kill her.

Not so long ago, I’d called him a failure for becoming distant from Elara and me, for withdrawing from most public matters in the kingdom, and for letting his life revolve around Mother's death. I hadn't understood the full weight of what he carried… until now.

I wished I could take those words back. He had lost the love of his life and had two constant reminders of her memory—Elara and me.