Page 32 of Ink Sworn (Greatdrakes #3 | The Fae Universe #24)

T hey found a total of seven tokens before all the portals were shut for good. Midir's warriors were dead, but they had caused chaos, murder, and destruction before they were done.

By dawn, Valentine and Yelena had finished helping carry the wounded to the healers and placing the dead enemy warriors onto the platforms, ready for the knights to burn.

Valentine was tired and pissed off when they got back to the palace. Taranis was furious, his magic pulsing about him in an aura of heartbreak and rage.

"Please tell me you two figured out how the fuckers got in," he asked, sending the people around him scattering at his tone.

Valentine took the scrap of shirt from his pocket and opened it. Taranis snarled.

"Bring them into my workroom. These are still active."

"I've wrapped them in a warding spell, but it was the best I could do with the fighting going on," Yelena said as they followed Taranis into his personal chambers and through another door of his workroom.

It was the first time Valentine had ever seen it, and it reminded him of a less modern version of Kian's lab in England.

"Where is Quinn?" he asked.

"She's helping the healers. She feels useless because she's not a warrior and wants to help where she can.

I want her with me, but there's no use fighting with her," Taranis grumbled and pointed to a circular plate of iron on one of the wooden benches.

"Put those infernal tokens on that, and let's get a proper look at them. "

"We can do this, Master, if you are needed elsewhere," Yelena said gently.

Taranis shook his head. "I need to see how he got past the wards so I can strengthen them. This failure is on me."

"Horse shit," Valentine snarled. He crossed his arms as Taranis glared at him.

"Uncle Taran, I know you're king and you take everything so fucking personally, but these tokens were scattered by traitors in the city.

This wasn't a failure of your wards. It was those assholes betraying their own people for whatever power Midir offered them.

We will find them and make them pay. I promise you. "

Taranis ran his hands over his face. "Let's just figure out these tokens."

Valentine didn't know how to comfort him, so he reached out and rested a hand on his uncle's forearm. "Don't let Midir's words get in your head, Taran. This bloodshed is on him, not you."

"Thanks, Val. It still hurts," Taranis grunted and patted his hand. "You're a good lad under all that grumpy asshole."

Valentine grinned. "Thanks. I think. Tell me about this iron. I thought the fae hated iron."

" Some fae hate iron," Yelena corrected. "But this is star iron. It's extra powerful and good for acting as a dead zone for any magical artifacts. Right, Master?"

Taranis nodded. "Yes. I had this piece forged centuries ago. Let's set these out and see what we find." He took them from the pouch and arranged them on the iron. His expression twisted. "Definitely Midir's magic. I can feel his slimy influence all over them."

"We found these wherever a portal opened," Valentine explained.

"They weren't placed in random spots, but in areas where there would have been a lot of vulnerable people.

None near any platforms or warrior barracks.

They were markets and residential places.

High volume areas in order to cause maximum damage and panic before help could get to them. Whoever did it knew the city well."

"Fucking bastard," Taranis growled. His magic curled like red flames as he held it out over the tokens.

The air charged. The top of Valentine's head tingled with the magic around them, and then the tokens melted under the force of Taranis's power.

"We need to find out who is responsible for bringing these into the city. "

There was a knock at the door, and Vidar poked his head in. "Apologies for the interruption, my king, but I have news."

Taranis's magic disappeared back into his skin, and he nodded. "Come in and tell me what you found."

"I went to check on the lords to ensure they were secure," Vidar said, his face going grim.

"Afon and two others, Maynard and Alger, are all missing.

There were no signs of a struggle, and some of their valuables were gone.

I found these in their rooms." Vidar held out a handkerchief to reveal three more tokens.

Taranis quickly snatched them up and melted them with the others.

"You should have let me kill Afon yesterday," Valentine grumbled. "Fucking traitors. "

"I don't understand." Taranis sat down on a wooden stool. "Afon was the one who reported Midir's movements in his lands to begin with."

"And you probably never suspected him because of that," Yelena said, her eyes shimmering with magic.

"We don't know if Midir got in their heads somehow," Vidar said, not sounding convinced.

"I doubt it," Taranis said, looking tired and heartbroken.

"Both Maynard and Alger were the loudest in protesting about Quinn being my mate.

They never accepted her, and Afon has always chafed under my decisions.

He hated Yelena, and when I went to help the human world with magic.

I knew they were angry, but I didn't expect them to betray their own people like this. "

Valentine didn't know what to do. He wasn't good at comforting people.

"We will find Midir and the lords and get justice against the fuckers.

How dare they resent your mate and chosen queen," he said, and picked up the cooled remains of a token.

"I'm going to take this and think of a way to find them. "

Taranis didn't argue. He looked like he was torn between wanting to rage out and cry. The door opened, and Quinn came in. Her hair was tied back under a cloth, and she was wearing a blood-stained apron over her clothes.

"Get out, you three. Go and get some rest," Quinn said, pulling the apron off and dropping it on the floor. They didn't argue, just headed for the door. Quinn put her arms around Taranis, and he rested his head on her chest. "I'm here. It's going to be okay, love."

Valentine quickly shut the door before he heard anything else. Yelena looked hollow-eyed and angry, so Valentine decided to follow Quinn's example. Yelena might not officially be his mate yet, but she was hurting, and he hated it. He put an arm around her .

"Let's do what the queen says. We all need some sleep so we can think clearly," he said, and Yelena leaned into him. He pressed his lips to her temple. "We will find them, baby girl, and we will make them pay for all of this."