“I got it in my mouth,” Kace says, his eyes rounded in horror.
I cringe. “What?”
“I got it in my mouth!” He jabs a finger at the dead creature. “The Soulless. I got its body juices in my mouth. Ach!” He hunches over and gags for a moment more, then straightens, attempting to compose himself, but still appearing a bit green.
“Then maybe you should have summoned your Gift instead of slapping at it like a hysterical female,” I chastise. “Or fought it off like the trained warrior you are.”
“I panicked! I've never had one get close enough to bite me.” He pauses, his brow furrowing. “There was what? Eight of them? We’ve never fought that many at once.”
“No, we haven’t.” Blowing out a weary breath, I turn away from Kace and begin making my way back toward the city gates, Kace and Griffin following behind.
“Their numbers are increasing,” Griffin echoes my thoughts.
I nod in agreement, but say nothing more, listening to the crunch of Fall leaves beneath our boots.
“They had several new Soulless in this group,” Kace notes.
“Four,” Griffin adds.
“Their clothing… it isn't Breccan,” Kace says, his body popping in and out of view as he slips between trees. “Where did they come from? What kingdom?”
“I don't know,” I reply through gritted teeth, hating that I can’t give him a definitive answer. Hating even more what I suspect that answer may be.
“The Kings Council is today,” Griffin reminds me.
Rubbing my eyes, I groan internally at the thought of enduring another Kings Council meeting, wishing there was some way I could avoid another session of listening to the petty squabbles and drunken snide comments of the ruling monarchs of Vanyimar. But as acting Captain of the Guard, my presence is, unfortunately, mandatory.
Griffin places a large hand on my shoulder, pivoting me to face him. “This affects every kingdom, Darius. You must bring it to their attention.” He pauses, conveying the severity of his thoughts with an arch of a brow. “Despite what orders you may receive.”
Often others look at the quiet, muscular immortal who prefers his own company and assume him to be dim-witted. Yet, Griffin is anything but. He may not speak much, but when he does, his words are carefully selected and delivered with a keen intelligence that I've not found in another. I wouldn't dare to refuse his advice.
Mentally preparing myself for the punishment I’m sure to receive, I jerk my head in assent.
“At least this will give the rulers something else to argue over,” Kace says, chuckling darkly as he rushes past. “Besides which one of them has the biggest cock.”
A fae born in the lower class, Kace has always held an aversion towards royals and the members of nobility. Son of a courtesan and his father’s identity unknown, his upbringing was darker than most.
Hungry and poor, Kace was no more than a child when he began slinging pots, shining boots, and occasionally pick pocketing. He has a first-hand account to the cruelty and selfishness of the nobility towards those less fortunate.
“You do know males aren’t the only ones on the Council, right?” I ask Kace, watching him swing from tree to tree. “It also contains Queen Celene and Queen Adelphia.”
“Oh, yes. I know all about Queen Celene,” he drawls her name, bowing beneath a rather thin looking branch before swinging to another.
“You don't know a godsdamn thing about her.” I chuckle, tossing a stick at him that he dodges easily enough. “That female would eat you alive.”
Dropping to the ground, he bounces on the balls of his feet, his eyes glimmering. “I would love for her to eat me. Do you think she can shapeshift just her throat? She is the Shapeshifter Queen. Oh, gods!” He groans, biting his fist. “She could literally gobble my entire dick. Swallow it whole!”
Griffin chuckles. “Her being a queen, and you being…” He pauses, gesturing towards Kace with a wave of his hand, “you, I doubt you’ll be able to get near enough to ask.” Inhaling a deep breath, he cringes. “And with the scent currently wafting off you, she’d mistake you for a Soulless and kill you on the spot.”
Griffin and I laugh, but Kace appears genuinely shocked at his words.
“I’ll have you know I’m a fantastic lover. A-ma-zing,” he says with a proud lilt to his chin. “Queen Celene should feel honored to have a male such as myself in her bed.” He scrunches his nose in disgust, glancing down at his guards vest slickened with black blood. “Even if I am smothered in Soulless juices.”
Griffin smirks. “No matter how amazing you are, her guards won't allow you anywhere near her.”
“No, no. You're right.” He rubs his chin, mumbling as he walks past. “I need to study the rotation of her guards. Find their weakness. Lie in wait for my chance to sweep her off her feet. Then, we'll get married and make a bunch of panther babies.” Cocking his head to the side, he scrunches his face in thought. “Or would they be cubs? I'm not exactly sure how that works. In the meantime, I'll check the brothel. There must be at least one shapeshifter there.”
Griffin and I share an amused look, having no words in response to the delusional male babbling to himself. Until Kace shouts over his shoulder, “And we'll live happily ever after… because I’m fucking amazing!”
Unsure if he's trying to convince us or himself, but already knowing it's best not to encourage him, we silently follow the ridiculous fae back to the city gates.
At the sound of the creaking door, all conversations cease and the room falls silent. Pausing over the threshold, I look up and see every pair of royal eyes staring back at me. Grumbling a curse, I quickly shut the door and round the large oval table centered within the room, barely taking notice of the dark oak, honeycombed walls, the unlit Gods Light sconces arrayed between the black and gold stitched tapestries, the Kings Council crest stitched within, and the view of the two moons through the floor-to-ceiling, arched windows. Instead, my head remains high as I make my way toward the Cascadonian heir.
It took me much longer than I initially planned to return from patrol, and once I did finally arrive back to my chambers, the sun had already begun its daily descent. In no state to appear before royalty, I quickly washed and dressed, but by the time I left my rooms, it was already past time for the Kings Council to begin.
Once I'm seated, the silence ends and the royals return to their previous discussions. Chatting and laughing in all their finery and jewels, it appears my lateness is already forgotten.
Queen Celene of Arcadia tosses her head back, laughing. Her long black hair is pulled back into a sleek ponytail, and her flickering copper and starlight jewels illuminate her brown eyes and tan face. Wearing a slinky black, form-fitting dress, it looks like something one might wear to a brothel, but judging by the quality of fabric and copper gems stitched within, it's not a gown even the highest paid courtesan could possibly afford. Kace wasn’t mistaken in her seductive beauty, but she’s also just as dangerous as I insinuated, if not more so. The Shapeshifter Queen is intelligent, calculating, and just as lethal as the predatory black panther she often favors.
I chuckle to myself when I see the besotted expression on the face of the monarch with whom Celene is speaking. The Nature immortal of Ravaryn, King Elidyr, watches Celene as if he’s moments away from professing his undying love. His flowing green tunic matches the forest green of his eyes and the emerald and starlight jewels accenting his face. An ally of Cascadonia, Elidyr has always been one of my favorites among the monarchs. Most rulers tended to ignore my presence, but he was always kind and playful with me, even as a child. He's a good male and an even better king.
The male seated at the opposite end of the table, King Olivier of Egralong, couldn't contrast more to Elidyr. Olivier is as stoic as ever, with his razor thin, black hair and the menacing scar slicing down through his eyebrow, past his orange topaz and starlight jewel, to end beneath his eye. The sensible ruler is underdressed compared to the others, wearing an all-black tunic and matching leather trousers, but that’s not unusual. The Fire King tends to gravitate towards practicality rather than the frivolous. Olivier may seem harsh with his curt and blunt speech and apathetic manner, but he's honest and fair, and always does what's in the best interest of his people. There’s not a soul alive who can say the same about the king seated beside him.
To some, King Luthais of Raetia is considered attractive, as most immortals are, with his blonde hair, charming smile, and lean, fit build. To others, the arrogant Air immortal is a vicious snake. But whereas Celene’s lethality is only in response to those dense enough to threaten her or her people, Luthais is cruel and brutal, evidenced by his own citizens' comparison of him to the Savage King himself.
Passing my gaze over the oak table, I find the lone empty chair that hasn't been used since before the Breccans attacked. King Rainier of Brecca was the last man to be seated in that chair, and he'll be the last human to ever grace this table.
