Page 54 of The Queen’s Shadow

I nearly choked on my tea, completely surprised at his attempt at a joke. Rycon barked out a laugh as well, coming forward and clapping Jeremy on the shoulder.

“Great. Now that’s settled, what’s the plan for the guns? How are we getting into the precinct?”

Jeremy scowled at him and stepped away shaking his head.

“I don’t know yet.” He muttered, stiffening again. He glanced around at us awkwardly, and I felt a twinge of guilt in my chest at how much Jeremy was sacrificing by agreeing to steal from the Toronto police. This went against everything he believed in, everything he had worked toward his entire life.

He was put on paid leave after Clair had died. No one had believed him or been willing to help him try to find me when he had insisted that I was still alive. They had chalked it up to trauma and grief and forced him to take time off. Being on administrative leave meant he couldn’t just walk into the armory and take anything he needed.

“I think we should stop at the house too so you can pack a bag and bring back anything you think you might need.” I said.

“Alright, why don’t you two do your shit and meet me at the precinct? I have an idea.” Rycon said, brushing past us and heading for the door. I frowned.

“What do you mean, you have an idea?” I asked. Rycon’s ideas were almost never legal, or safe. He tossed a smirk back over his shoulder as he opened the front door.

“Why so suspicious, Kitten? Don’t you trust me?” He asked and I rolled my eyes.

“Yeah, I trust you. I trust you to get us all in a lot of trouble.”

Rycon’s smirk widened into a full-blown grin.

“Stop complaining, Kitten. Your life would be boring without me.”

I snorted. He said it like it was a bad thing.

“Somehow I feel like if my life was boring, I would live longer.” I muttered, but he was already gone.

Raven

Ileft Jeremy to go back to our house to grab some things and shadow walked the rest of us to Italy. We manifested in front of the House of Clouds, or the Casa delle Nuvolea. A luxurious mountain chalet in the Dolomites where I had first met the Sorcerer General.

Cerenah took in her surroundings, a smile spreading across her face as she beheld the majesty of the mountains around us. I exchanged a look with Conrad. He smiled at me, his warm brown eyes crinkling at the corners. Seeing Cerenah experience her newfound freedom was so rewarding. It really made it feel like we were finally making a difference.

“Come, Cerenah,” Meredith said, stepping forward to take her by the hand. “Are you hungry? Sofia usually puts out a nice spread for guests. Let’s go inside.”

Dossidian watched them lead the way with an expression on his face that I couldn’t quite read. We followed Meredith and Cerenah into the chalet and were greeted with the warm smell of espresso.

The interior of the chalet was beautiful. The high angled ceilings were veined with large rustic beams. There was a fireplace in the main seating area and several armchairs and couches for guests to lounge in. Almost all the walls were made of glass, offering a spectacular view of the incredible landscape around us. To the right of the sitting space, was a long table filled with a spread of different pastas, cheeses, breads, and salads. There were also several bottles of red and white wine available for us to choose from.

Meredith had already pulled Cerenah in the direction of the food, kindly showing her where to sit. Sofia entered the room from a staircase that led upstairs to the guest rooms, looking as put together, but serious, as ever. She was wearing a button up silk blouse that seemed to have a life of its own, a crisp pencil skirt and her healthy brown hair was twisted into an elegant knot at the back of her head.

Her shrewd gaze fell on Cerenah before moving to Dossidian and then finally landing on me. Her already severe expression darkened. She glanced at Conrad, clearly annoyed.

“You did not tell me you would be bringing daemons.” She said, her tone implying that she was expecting an explanation from him. I frowned.

“Cerenah and I are not staying,” I informed her, answering for Conrad. She glared at me, pursing her lips.

“And what of him?” She asked, gesturing to Dossidian, who kept his face neutral.

“Dossidian will be staying to make sure… things don’t get out of hand.” I said carefully. “We heard that Blackwood is bringing a daemon, I don’t feel comfortable leaving Conrad and Meredith here without support.” I informed her.

This was the wrong thing to say. Sofia’s already cold expression shuttered. Her aura, which was normally controlled and orderly, flared to life. An unnatural wind picked up inside the chalet and I needed to throw up some of my own barriers to guard against it. She was an air witch, it seemed, and a powerful one at that. I supposed that made sense. I assumed you would need to be powerful to achieve such a high-powered position on The Board.

“They are not yours to protect. You are not their Queen. We do not need your brute here to meddle in our affairs.” She snapped, gesturing to Dossidian, who still managed to keep his expression neutral. The familiar twinge of anger licked up my insides, and my inner daemon stirred in my chest. I opened my mouth to retort, when Meredith suddenly spoke, surprising me.

“Dossidian is here by our invitation. He will be treated with the respect he deserves, or we will leave.” She said firmly. Her voice was stern, and her expression was nearly as stony as Sofia’s.

Sofia looked as if the green witch had slapped her. Meredith was normally quiet, and demure. The only time I had ever seen her be so firm was in emergency situations when people’s lives were on the line.