Page 18 of The Shattered Kingdom (The Cursed Kingdom #2)

ABBY

THE BED DIPS, and I instinctively clutch the bedsheets to my chest as I jolt upright. Mason is sitting on the edge of my bed.

Kie is lingering in the doorway, already showered and dressed. His hair is still wet.

“What?” I snap. “What time is it?”

“Early,” Mason says. “The coronation is at sunrise, and it’s time to get ready.”

He places his hand on the sheets, directly over my hip. I brush him away, then kick at his leg until he takes the hint to get off the bed. He doesn’t, choosing to remain firmly planted in his spot.

“Your clothing is in the bathroom,” Kie says from the doorway. “We’re leaving in thirty minutes.”

With that, he spins on his heel and leaves. I stare at his retreating form, my eyebrows furrowed. He’s not usually like that. In the forest, he was the friendlier of the two. I mean, he was still an asshole, but not like this.

“Is he okay?” I ask Mason.

“He’s stressed, and he feels foolish for believing the bond with Lillian was genuine. He’s skeptical you’re truly our mate, which is absurd, considering I’ve confirmed it myself. ”

I shoot the shifter a sideways look. “He told you that?”

“He didn’t need to.”

I hum. “Is there an update on Lill?”

“No. She wasn’t at any of the locations you provided, so we’re inclined to believe she’s still in this realm. I suspect she’s hiding with Alpha Theon and Callie in the shifter lands.”

I’m done insisting that Callie is dead. Nobody seems inclined to believe me, and I’ve already been wrong several times when it comes to Lill.

Mason continues. “We should have a clearer idea once we hear back from my father.”

If we hear back from his father. From what I’ve gathered, it doesn’t seem that Mason and his dad have the best relationship. The shifter alpha abandoned his son in the faerie kingdom after Mason’s shared mate bond with Kie was discovered, and there hasn’t been any contact since.

The thought no longer fills me with as much joy as it once did, which I blame on the bond.

I eye last night’s dress lying on the floor beside the bed. Mason follows my line of sight but makes no attempts to leave. He knows I’m naked under these sheets, and he’s hoping to catch a glimpse.

“Get out,” I order.

“Why?”

“Because I want privacy.”

“Why do you need privacy?” The corner of Mason’s lips twitch upward. “I’ve already seen and tasted you. Have you forgotten about that? You shoved my face into your cunt, and—”

“Get out, Mason!” I kick at his leg again.

This time, he listens, his smile remaining as he lifts his hands in surrender and backs out of the room. “We leave in thirty minutes.”

Thirty minutes isn’t enough time, but the rush keeps me busy enough not to dwell on our current situation. I’m stressed about Lill, and I’m stressed about what the mate bond means for me.

I still want to go home. I miss my family, and I’m sure they miss me. I didn’t tell them I was leaving, and they’re undoubtedly worried sick. Have they already contacted the police? Is there an investigation?

There’s a navy-blue dress hanging in the bathroom. It’s significantly more formal than the day dresses I’ve been given these past few days, and it has a corset-style lacing up the back.

I shower before squeezing myself into it, pleased I can do the laces myself. The dress is a bit long, the hem dragging along the ground. It doesn’t help that the faeries exclusively wear slipper-style shoes. They’re comfortable, but they offer no additional height.

Mason and Kie are standing around the dining room table when I emerge, both leaning over a large map that must have been brought in after I went to bed. It’s of the Redstall Forest, and there are several locations marked.

Are they searching for Alpha Theon? Did these two get any sleep last night? It doesn’t appear so.

I look toward Mason, but he refuses to make eye contact. Is he afraid I’ll bring up the secret map I found in his bedroom? I won’t, not until I need to. Not until it benefits me.

“The crowning ceremony is private, and it will be quick.” Mason glances toward Kie before continuing. “We’ll be attending an observance for Queen Gitta afterward.”

Kie winces, the movement so subtle, I wouldn’t have noticed if I hadn’t been looking. I’ve never seen Kie lose control, and I’m nervous he’s at his breaking point. It’s a miracle he hasn’t lost control already.

Mason lets himself feel every emotion that comes his way, good or bad, but Kie’s reserved. What if the observance is what breaks him? What if he throws himself over Queen Gitta’s casket or tries to climb inside with her?

“I expect to hear back from my father within the next day or two,” Mason continues. “If I don’t, we have a unit of soldiers prepared to scout his lands for her.”

That explains the maps.

“They aren’t his lands.” Kie’s quick to correct Mason. “The Redstall Forest belongs to the faeries, and it always has. We gave the shifters a place to live after they destroyed their kingdom, but that doesn’t make the land any less ours.”

I suck my cheeks into my mouth. That’s an argument I have no interest in getting involved in.

It’s odd being around the pair now that I know they’re my mates, especially Mason. The bond is subtle, but it’s there. I want to be near the shifter, preferably pressed against him in whatever way possible.

Mason walks behind me, disappearing from my line of sight.

“Are you ready to go?” His bare fingers slide up my covered shoulders, dangerously close to my exposed neck.

Half of me wants to push him away, but the other half wants to let him touch me.

I want to feel the warmth and comfort. I’m craving it, and it’s hard to ignore when he’s so close.

“I knew you were my mate,” he whispers. His fingers finally touch my bare skin, and I unsuccessfully suppress a shiver. “And I’m pleased my assumption was correct. I’m pleased you’re mine.”

I don’t know how to respond to that. I love compliments, but I want to be angry with Mason. I’m not ready to give up my grudge, and if I start acting like a giddy fool whenever he gives me attention, that’s precisely what will happen. I have to remain strong .

“I’m not yours.” I step forward and brush his fingers away. “Back off, rat.”

“‘Rat’?”

I nod, and Kie lets out a low chuckle. It’s the first bit of emotion he’s shown in days.

He clears his throat. “Let’s go.”

It’s a short walk to the ceremony location, which I quickly recognize is the meeting hall the queen brought me to on my first day here.

The three-story dome-topped building is exactly how I remember it.

A wide, shallow staircase leads to the front glass doors and immediately upon entering is a large hall.

The marble flooring, stone pillars, arched ceilings, and giant chandeliers are just as breathtaking as the first time I saw them.

The early morning sunlight is just beginning to stream through the windows, casting the entire room in a golden haze. It’s stunning.

Mason walks inside first, with Kie and me immediately behind.

The throne at the back of the room is the first thing I notice. A set of wide, shallow steps leads to the oversized, elegant chair. Queen Gitta sat on it the last time I was here, but I try not to think of that as I eye the dark-red cushion and detailed wooden armrests.

I gulp, shifting my attention to Anox. He stands several feet from the door, and beside him are the other two council members I met last night.

Lady Cassandra has dressed up for the occasion.

She’s in a floor-length silver gown, and her hair is pulled away from her face in four neat braids.

Lord Bishop is wearing a blue suit with gold detailing, and he thankfully keeps his eyes away from me.

I don’t particularly like the way he stares.

All three faeries bend at the waist as Mason approaches.

“Are you ready?” Anox asks .

Mason nods. “Yes.”

There’s a pair of double doors to the left of the room. They blend in with the wall, seamless and nondescript, and Anox bows to them before grabbing the golden knobs and pulling.

“The anointing room is sacred,” Kie says, his voice low as the doors are pulled open.

“Only royals and council members are allowed inside, but we’re making an exception for you.

There’s a pool of water in the center of the room.

You’ll want to avoid that. You and I will stand along the back wall while Mason and Anox perform the ceremony. ”

I nod, happy to know what to expect. I don’t like surprises.

Anox and Mason walk inside, Kie and I head in after, and Lady Cassandra and Lord Bishop take up the rear.

There’s indeed a shallow, black pool taking up a majority of the room. In the center of it is a large, shiny black stone. What’s it for? The edges are jagged, and the shine resembles obsidian.

Kie guides me to the back of the room. Lady Cassandra and Lord Bishop join us.

Mason said the crowning ceremony would be private, but I still anticipated more flair.

He tugs off his shoes and socks before stepping inside the pool.

The water laps at his ankles as he walks toward the black stone.

It juts out of the water, just reaching the tops of his knees.

Anox waits for Mason to get situated before approaching, his robes trailing along the ground behind him. He pauses once he’s standing at the edge of the pool, and he bows at the waist before beginning to speak in a language I don’t understand.

Several minutes pass before Mason nods and responds, also in the foreign language. It sounds like he’s repeating what Anox is saying, probably taking an oath or something similar.

I’ll have to ask Kie and Mason later.

Anox and Mason go back and forth for several minutes, and I shift my weight from foot to foot. This is tedious, but I’m in no hurry for it to end. Mason said there’s an observance for the queen afterward, and I’m truthfully dreading it.

I’m holding out hope that Lill didn’t kill the queen and this is all some elaborate trick, but I won’t be able to hold on to that when facing the aftermath of the queen’s murder.

I wasn’t a fan of Kie’s mother, I’d be the first to admit that, but she didn’t deserve to die.

If I killed everybody who made me mad, I fear there wouldn’t be many humans left on Earth.

Anox reaches into his robes and pulls out a green, jeweled knife. It’s objectively beautiful, but I just know Mason’s going to cut himself with it. It’s too exquisite and ceremonial to be used for anything other than a good old blood rite.

Mason tugs off a glove and extends his arm, and Anox cuts into his hand. It almost immediately begins to bleed, the red blood flowing out onto his palm before dripping down his fingers. I hate blood.

Mason waits until it’s covered the entirety of his palm before bending and pressing it against a flat part of the stone. I wait for the ground to shake or the gods to come bestow their blessing, but nothing of the sort happens. I count to fifteen before Mason removes his hand.

He leaves a thick smear of blood behind, but the cut on his palm already seems to be healing. I continually forget just how fast faeries and shifters heal. It’s a lot to get used to.

What would it take to kill Mason? Stabbing him in the chest didn’t work, and he healed quickly after having his guts practically spilled in the forest. My knee has yet to recover. A small scab remains, and I’m tempted to peel it off so it scars.

I want a physical reminder of what Mason did to me, and I want Mason to remember every time he sees it. Kie, too.

Mason rises, saying some final words in the foreign language. Anox and the other council members bow again, but Kie doesn’t. I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do, so I default to copying the council members.

“No,” Kie murmurs. “We don’t bow to Mason.”

“Why?”

“As his mate, you’re his equal. As for me, I just have personal feelings against it.”

Good to know.

Mason climbs out of the pool, his gaze meeting mine as he slips his socks and shoes back on. The council members bow again. It’s getting repetitive. If they’re upset about his position as king, they don’t show it.

Is this how the faeries are going to treat him now? They were more than comfortable showing their contempt when they believed he was a prince with no real power.

“Is that all?” I ask.

Kie nods. “What else did you expect?”

“I’m not sure. More flair, maybe.”

Mason clears his throat, I suspect holding back an amused chuckle.

“I will have this recorded immediately into our texts,” Anox says. “I will see you at Her Majesty Queen Gitta’s observance shortly.”

Right. His reminder has me falling silent, and I stare at my feet as Kie and Mason guide me out of the room. Kie waits until we’re outside before speaking.

“Do you have a speech prepared?” he asks Mason.

Mason curls his fingers against my lower back. “I do not.”

I’m not surprised to hear that.