Starkeeper of the Fractured Crown

Wait until my time came.

Until I could slide a blade through Evanora’s eye.

She smiled and tilted my chin up. “My sweet baby boy,” she crooned, and pulled my lips to hers.

~~~

Cole

Trick would be angry when he found out, but I knew Kyra and Mark were fine for the time being, so I hiked back through the woods until I was able to Jump to Arkalious.

I walked across the glossy black stone of the throne room. Set in the center of a mountain, I actually loved coming here when it wasn’t to attend long, drawn out meetings.

There were large stalactites hanging from the ceiling and a chandelier as large as the cottage hanging in the center of them. It had diamonds, white lights, and black chains decorating it. A marvel for all those who entered. Mainly because it was one of the last bits of dragon magic that remained in this world.

There were pillars too, carved in stone and growing from the floor to the ceiling high above. They were carved in the shapes of beautiful women holding up the walls of the cavern.

The room had been built by dragons, carved out by them, made for important meetings between the dragons, Dragon Riders, the High King of the Nephilim, and the High King of the Fallen.

Nowadays Trick used it for all of his nightmarish things. To scare people. There were even rumors that he had hidden tunnels leading down to rooms where he preformed his most brutal Sessions.

I couldn’t imagine. I had gone to many Sessions with him, I saw what he did. I couldn’t imagine what hewould have to hide from us.

Lora was sitting at the large table on the far side of the room, opposite Trick’s throne. In the center of the table was a map of Oridian, the new map, carved out in incredible detail. After Trick had shifted around the mountains, the rivers, the cities, he had had a new table made, the old one long gone.

To this day, I had no idea why he had changed the geography of the continent after it shattered from the others. It had been the first thing he had done after returning when the war was over. It was what turned most of his people against him for years.

“So, I see he finally let you return.”

I shrugged, unable to be exactly angry at him for keeping me away for so long. “It was important. How is everything going?”

Lora sighed as she leaned back in her chair, the table covered in paperwork. “It wouldn’t be so bad if my brother stopped stealing me High General away from me.”

I stopped across from her and shrugged. “I don’t have magic in Therian, Lor, and I certainly can’t control what he does.”

“No, but I don’t think you want to.”

My brows pulled together. “What?”

She shrugged. “You wanted to have sex with a human, you got her. Listen, if you and Trick have some sick threesome going on, I don’t need the details, but she’s just some human girl. How did she manage to brainwash the two strongest people in my court?”

I fought the urge to roll my eyes. According toshe and Trick, he wasn’t apart of this Court anymore. “I’m not going to speak on Trick’s sadistic mind, but we certainly don’t have a twisted love triangle going on. She’s my friend, she didn’t brainwash me.”

Lora folded her arms across her chest. “Did you fuck her?”

I released a breath in disbelief. “I don’t need this.”

She laughed. “Youdon’t need this?”

“No, I don’t,” I snapped. “I came here to apologize for being gone for so long, but I don’t need to be lectured about the choices I make regarding who I sleep with. Kyra and I are friends and the information she is giving me on the witches is good information. I don’t see why you’re so angry about this.”

She straightened, shuffling around some papers mindlessly. “Well, that’s what I’ve been wanting to speak with you about. Everyone else has already met, but being as you were willingly or unwillingly kidnapped, I vetoed your vote. We’re not pursuing the claims the witches have made anymore.”

My eyes widened, slightly shocked at her decision. “What?”

“There’s no need.”

“What are you talking about? They want to go to war,” I stressed. “War includeseveryone, Lora.”