“We need to move on them first.” Gwyneth’s older brother, Balkyn West, scrubbed a hand across his face.
Austin stalk-paced at the front of the conference room where we—Eve, Balkyn, the members of Austin’s advisory council, and I—were assembled for a strategic discussion. “But if they’ve come north already, we may be too late. They may be planning their attack, although I’m not sure why they would come here first. I thought they had their sights set on the settlements.”
Balkyn nodded at Eve. “Could you tell if there was a group of them?”
“I only caught the scent of one. Rose said she smelled something, but it could have been old. Her senses are very sharp, but she’s not yet able to distinguish variables.”
“I’ll send a team out this morning to do a full search,” Austin said. “Lady Eve, will you lead them?”
A smile ghosted Eve’s lips. “Yes, Your Highness.”
I raised my hand, and Austin grimaced. “No, you may not go.”
“Ha ha—I didn’t think you’d let me. I just wanted to ask Balkyn a question, if I may. I know I’m only here as a guest, but there are some things I think need to be resolved.”
Austin leaned forward. “You’re here as a member of the royal court. You have a voice and a vote, Blake.”
Touched, I nodded. “I appreciate the opportunity, Your Highness.”
Balkyn’s broad shoulders were tense underneath his dark tunic. “You may ask me anything you like.”
The more time I spent studying his face, the more he looked like Gwyneth. They shared the same fine cheekbones and square jaw. I took a deep breath. “Can we really trust you?”
He nodded. “I’m here at your mercy, my lady. I came because I felt it was the right thing to do. There’s no advantage for me. I’m lucky that His Highness took me in and offered his protection instead of putting my rebel head on a spike.”
“But still…” I drummed my fingers against the table. “You’re advising us to attack the rebels, the group that you’ve been leading for years. They’re human. They’re our people. If I have reservations about fighting them, I can only imagine that you have the same.”
He nodded, his brown eyes thoughtful. “I’ve no wish to harm anyone. But I know that their plan is to attack and to kill as many vampires as they can. That includes Austin, the king and queen, and Dallas. Perhaps also Gwyneth, my younger siblings, and my parents, who are labeled as known sympathizers now.” He blew out a deep breath. “The rebels wouldn’t listen to reason with me or anyone else. The settlers have changed their minds about the royals, and the tide is turning. I refuse to sit back and watch people I care about, good people, be destroyed.”
“I don’t want that to happen, yet I do not want us”—I motioned around the room at Eve, Austin, and his advisors—“to be responsible for more bloodshed. Enough is enough. When will it end?”
The fact that Austin also had a war percolating with the werewolves was not lost on me. All I wanted was for us to live together in peace and happiness, yet we were a world divided, with enemies at every turn.
Balkyn nodded. “I wish for the same peace, Lady Kensington. But nothing will stop me from protecting my family. I could never sit back and watch them suffer.”
“I’m not suggesting you do that. I would do the same to protect my family and those that I love.” My gaze traveled from Eve to Austin.
“We don’t have to make any decisions this morning.” Austin’s words sounded more like a command than a suggestion. “But I want the surrounding woods checked, and we need to get a warning to the king and to my brother. Lady Eve, ready your search crew, take them out at once, and report back to me. The rest of you, gather the others together to meet in the great hall. I’ll take a small team with me to see my father and another team to find my brother on his travels.” With his nod, the assembly was dismissed.
Only Austin and I remained. A map of the settlements had been spread across the conference table. Austin sank into the chair next to me and stared at it. “Show me where Dallas and Gwyneth are. I’ve not mastered the layouts of the settlements, but that ends today.”
“They’re in Thirteen, close to my settlement.” I pointed to a small section on the map. “It’s a very poor area. Their only business is agriculture, and they haven’t had a decent crop in years. Gwyneth said they were going to set up hydroponic gardens there, or something like that.”
Austin wrinkled his nose. “A hydro-whatsis garden?”
“Hydroponic. Again, Austin, go read a book from that massive library of yours.”
Austin was super intelligent but had a rabid sort of knowledge. He’d probably gained it through years of fighting. He’d never gone to lessons, much to his mother’s chagrin.
“It’s a garden without soil,” I continued. “You just need a special bed to grow things in. Then seeds, water, light, and nutrients. You can grow a full crop that way.”
“But with no dirt for the plants?” He scrubbed a hand over his face. “New-age kerfuffery, if you ask me.”
I shook my head. “It will help the settlements maintain a reliable food source. It’s a good thing—trust me. But back to Gwyneth and Dallas. Who will you send to get word to them? What will you tell them to do?”
“I’m going to send several of my best guards.” Austin sighed. “I’m thinking of having my brother and Gwyneth come north. My parents, too—and also the Wests.”
“Ah. That would be so kind.” The fact that he would shelter the Wests, especially when Gwyneth’s father was a known rebel, warmed my heart. “But if your family abandons the castle… Won’t the rebels view that as a surrender and take over?”
He frowned as he looked back at the map. “I don’t know. I only know that we’re stronger together than we are divided. I have to make my father understand the severity of the situation.”
As soon as Balkyn had shared the rebels’ plans, Austin had sent an urgent note, alerting his parents to the possibility of a rebel attack.
“What was the king’s response to your message?” I asked.
The muscle in his jaw went taut. “He said to let them come. He’s not afraid of the humans. He’d just as soon kill them all–I think he’d relish the opportunity, honestly, as long as he can give it a positive PR spin. For now, he’s continuing to broadcast the scenes we filmed up here. The settlers are getting a false sense of security and another romance show instead of the truth: that the rebels are about to start another revolution.”
I sucked in a deep breath. I’d found myself in a difficult position: I was rooting against the rebels, who were my people. “Can your father do it—kill them all?” I wasn’t sure what answer could satisfy me. Perhaps neither.
“I don’t know.” Austin slid a tiny plastic soldier from the table onto the map. He moved it to where the capital was. “Balkyn seems to think the rebels are better equipped this time around. They’ve learned how to fight the vampires, and they understand that mere silver won’t kill us, nor will their gasses. He mentioned that they started constructing weapons—things that could launch stakes at us on a massive scale.”
I shivered. “That’s terrible.”
He turned from the map and gave me a smile, but it was forced. “That’s war. You are correct. All of us coming up with ways to hurt each other is terrible. I wish there was another way, Blake. But if the rebels and the werewolves want to war with my kind, I will not sit back and let them take my lands. I do not trust their judgment. I only trust my own, which says that if they come for us, we must be prepared.”
“Will you try to reason with your father?”
“Of course.” Austin chuckled without humor. “He’s not especially reasonable. Once he digs his heels in, there’s usually no point in continuing the conversation.”
“What about your mother?”
He nodded. “I’ll try to speak with her personally. She’s stubborn, too, but she has my father’s ear.”
“Will you leave for the capital soon?” I knew he had to go, but my heart lurched at the thought.
He nodded. “I think I should. Letters are easy to ignore, but persistent, annoying children are harder.”
I reached for him. “Let me come with you.”
He leaned closer, his eyes sparkling. “No. You’ll remain in the North and, along with Eve, oversee the guard. I need you here in case of a werewolf attack.”
I tilted my chin. “You’re trying to bribe me with a false sense of importance.”
He grinned. “As I told you, my lady, you are a valued member of the court. Your importance to me is quite real.”
“To you.”
He kissed my hand. “Have I not made that clear?”
“Um, I think we’re talking about two different things. On purpose.”
Austin raised his eyes to meet mine. “Blake. I need you to stay here—for your safety and mine. There is no one I trust more, my lady. I trust you with my heart and my kingdom.”
“Well, thank you, my lord. That’s very kind. But I don’t want to be separated from you.” That was the truth. His words touched my heart, but the idea of being apart from him was nearly unbearable.
“I will only be gone for a day. Trust me, I have no desire to leave the North. Or you.” He held my gaze. “But we both know that putting you at risk would give us a strategic disadvantage. We need to be smart about this—ruled by our heads.”
“Not ruled by some new-age kerfuffery, as you call it.” I pursed my lips.
“You wound me, my lady.” Austin’s eyes sparkled. “That’s not how I’d describe my feelings for you.” He stood and held out his arm. “Let’s take a brief walk around the perimeter, shall we? I want to show you a few things before I leave—some security issues.”
I stopped. “Are you really leaving me and Eve in charge?”
He nodded, eyes still sparkling. “You and I are a majority, remember? There’s no one I trust more.”
“But I can’t fight.”
“True, but you are a bit bossy. I expect you’ll be able to handle yourself just fine. C’mon. Let’s get Beast and bring him with us. If he sees us out on the grounds without him, I expect you’ll never hear the end of it.”