Series: Lords of Rathe Series by Meagan Brandy
Total pages in book: 104
Estimated words: 98580 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 493(@200wpm)___ 394(@250wpm)___ 329(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 98580 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 493(@200wpm)___ 394(@250wpm)___ 329(@300wpm)
“What about her?” The words leave me slowly, but I manage to keep the expression on my face my usual one of don’t fuck with me, so it should garner no suspicion.
They have no idea I’ve accepted my mess of a mate, that I fucking love her, even if I can’t keep her. That I’m the one whose insides are slowly growing darker, not hers.
“Her origin. It’s in question. The Ministry has decided to investigate—”
“No.” The word is clipped and venomous and when I lean forward in my chair, my brothers do the same.
They didn’t invite us into this ‘mandatory meeting’ they called after hearing about the trip we took to the edge of the Night Walkers woods, but no one in this room dared to question it when we slid in four strong.
“No?” The man tips his head. “Lord Deveraux, we are not asking your permission. We are telling you there is a cause for concern, and it is not one that can be ignored. The King, your father, was murdered. She is an outsider, raised in the Giftless world and a few days ago—as far as she led everyone to believe, naive to the power she may or may not process, but we have all seen the proof of that lie—she called on her gifts when she broke the rules of the courtship and stepped outside the Faelific Fortress walls. For that alone, she should be denied and forced to leave, but since we don’t know the extent of her power or the bloodline it’s sourced from, it’s safer for everyone she stays here. Yemon would be the end of the girl after her public rejection. We need to know why the fates would give this girl to you. The answer lies in the blood that runs through her veins.”
“The fates are testing me. That is it,” I force past clenched teeth. “The girl is worthless. Ordinary. A non-fucking-concern and only here because you forced her on me after I dismissed her.” I look to Magdalena, then the rest of them. “You want to investigate someone? Start with the people in this room.”
Shock paints across the Ministry’s faces, anger slowly bleeding in.
But come on now, how shocked can they be? I’ve been nothing but trouble for them since the start. They know I never believed in their ways. Fought back at every turn.
Honestly? I’m probably the last Deveraux they hoped would rise to King. Well, maybe last before Sinner, but still. They wanted Creed or Legend, not the rogue brother.
“You can’t possibly be serious!” Agro shouts.
“I’m dead fucking serious.” I cock my head. “Like I said, I trust none of you, and if I find out some or all of you conspired to kill our King, I will make good on our Queen’s promise to the people. I will kill the person or persons responsible in the most public and painful way possible. I will take no prisoner. I will bathe in the motherfucker’s blood, so if it was one of you...end yourself now, because when we get ahold of you?”
Sin’s vicious chuckle whispers across the room and we stand. We don’t use the fucking door.
We throw up our portal right fucking here, on top of their coveted round table and hop up on top of it.
We get the fuck out.
Twenty
London
He smells like the pink-haired girl, and for some reason it creates this annoying prickling feeling along my spine. It's accompanied by this insane internal need to wash his skin of her. With my tongue, one glorious lick at a time.
Fuck me, I need to get a grip.
No, damn, duh he smells like her considering she had her one-on-one before me. In fact, they all did. I would make a joke about saving the best for last, but the expression on Knight’s face as he grips his glass so hard his scarred knuckles turn white, I’m guessing that’s not the case.
He literally looks pained to be here.
“Do you really have no control over any of this?”
My question must catch him off guard because his head snaps my way, a scowl already in place. I simply shrug. “I mean, clearly you don’t want to be here, and you’ve already said you don’t want me here, so ... do you really have no control?”
He eyes me a long moment, and for a fleeting second, I think I spot a hint of softness, but when he blinks it’s gone.
“No.” He brings his glass to his lips, finishing it off, and reaching for the bottle for the third time since he sat down ... a whole five minutes ago. “There are a lot of things I can dictate, and a lot I will change when I’m King, but this is not one of them. This is written in the ashes of our ancestors. There is no changing the Evolution of a King.”