Page 42 of Magic Claimed

Angelica and Ryker. Arguing in their not-quite-inside voices.

“But you’re conveniently forgetting that there are rules and I have to follow them. Just because you’re a feckless adventurer who refuses to grow up doesn’t mean the rest of us have the luxury of…”

An ominous thud punctuated the diatribe, and I decided I should probably let them know I was awake before they embarked on all-out war.

“Time out,” I muttered sleepily. “For the both of you.”

A disheveled auburn head appeared over the back of the couch. “Sorry we woke you.” Ryker, at least, had the grace to sound genuinely repentant.

“What time is it?”

“Ehhh… around 7:30.”

Ugh. That meant I’d gotten about five hours of sleep. On top of the two from the night before, that was almostonegood night’s rest.

“Any change?” I tried not to sound too pathetically hopeful.

Ryker shook his head. “I’m sorry, Raine. He’s still the same.”

“And no word from Draven or Rath?”

“Draven is en route back to the Fae Court, but Rath texted a few hours ago,” Angelica replied, striding around to the front of the couch and casting a death glare at Ryker before returning her attention to me.

I noted absently that she was barefoot. And wearing… sweatpants? I would have wagered money that she didn’t evenownsweatpants.

“They’re still working on figuring out the poison that was used. The herbalist got spooked by the kidnapping attempt at the park, and now she’s scared to meet. But Rath is going to keep trying.”

She sat on the chair facing me. “You can trust that he’s not taking this lightly, but there are… complications.”

I could imagine. Rath was fighting for his father’s life as well, and for a future Fae Court that would pose no threat to the peace between Idrians and humans. The fact that his life had been saved by the shapeshifter king would create a whole new power dynamic and change the merits of his own claim to the throne. Some would say he was now a liability, others that he brought powerful alliances.

“I get it,” I told her. “We can’t rely on him for a solution.”

She nodded in grim agreement.

“So why did you want Callum brought here instead of the Shapeshifter Court?”

Her eyes suddenly dropped to her hands where they twisted in her lap. When she didn’t say anything, Ryker spoke up.

“You can’t hide this from her, Anj.”

When she remained stubbornly silent, he turned to me.

“It’s possible that someone in the shifter court may have been involved in the attack.”

I stared at him as an icy shiver of warning shot down my spine.

“What makes you say that?”

“The types of poison needed to counteract fae and shapeshifter magic are different,” Ryker said. “Shapeshifter healing can burn through a lot of poisons without difficulty. The fact that Callum hasn’t… I think someone at the shifter court may have sold secrets. Also, I’m not convinced any assassin trusted enough to make an attempt on Rath’s lifeduringa court session would have missed, which means Callum may have been a secondary target. There’s no one in the Fae Court who truly benefits from his death under the circumstances. Not with their own succession insecure.”

The chill at my core only grew deeper. “Angelica? Do you agree?”

I could tell she was at war with herself. Anger sparked in her amber irises, and her hands clenched in her lap.

“I swore an oath,” she said stiffly. “Both to Callum and to the court. And I’m doing everything I can to uphold both, but this…”

“Forget your oath,” Ryker snapped. “You know what the right thing to do is. Are you really going to let your king die for the sake of what… your honor? Your misbegotten worship of the rules?”