she’d be picked. As if she was the brightest of the Court—hah!” He glared at Chrysanthe, who shook her head in denial.
“You, you told me I would change the Court,” Lady Chrysanthe said.
“For the worse!” Myron scoffed. “Your family is nothing but a puffed-up bunch of nobodies who don’t know their place or acknowledge how little power they actually have. And you really thought you had what it takes to be queen? You haven’t even the guts to plan an assassination, much less a freak accident. You were never going to move—just complain how you and your festering family have been wronged and denied an honor none of you deserve!”
I was momentarily distracted from my worry about my magic to observe the fight. Woooow, this Court is messed up.
Chrysanthe’s eyes were glazed with tears. “You set me up. You handed the golf ball to me before I put it on the spot.” She paused, standing straighter with each passing second as she recalled the events. “You told me we should see the pitiful spread of food that had been prepared the night of Queen Leila’s first social function. You were the one who took one of my chrysanthemum hair flowers!”
“You only just now noticed?” Myron spat. “The human noticed before you!”
Myron looked too furious at Chrysanthe to be under the influence of my magic anymore—I was going to have to ask Skye about that—so I decided now was a great time to end things.
“I’m glad the two of you have reached an understanding,” I said. “But I don’t like drama—it is an unnecessary use of energy, and it’s boring. I’m finished here. Myron is guilty of plotting against a fellow member of the Night Court and will be punished accordingly. Chrysanthe is innocent,” I said.
“What?” Myron whirled around to face me, his perfect dark hair slick with sweat. “Y-you said you thought I was trustworthy, blameless, and a friend to you,” he stammered. “You were going to reward me!”
I shrugged. “I lied.”
A smothering silence swept through the Court, and they stared at me in horror.
I grinned broadly and climbed the stairs to stand on my platform again. “Although you all love to imply that I’m inferior because of my human blood, and obsess over the idea that I can’t be a good ruler because of it, you’ve completely forgotten: because of my human blood I share none of your limitations.”
The night mares stirred from the shadows behind the columns, stepping into the magic-made light, as Kevin and Steve howled at the sky. The other five stable-dwelling shades slunk onto the platform, and Whiskers jumped down from the top of the columns where he’d been hiding with the remaining two glooms.
Ringed by my animals, I pressed my prism into the skin of my palm and felt wispy fae magic slip from it.
Later, Indigo told me my eyes glowed, and a silvery light ringed my temples like a crown as the night mares, shades, and glooms peeled back their lips and snarled in eerie silence.
“Remember that the next time you are tempted to scheme against me. Recall it the next time you think to hurt another Night Court member. Noble, fae, or creature—I won’t tolerate any of it. And I’ll come for you with all the power and will I have.”
I flicked my eyes to Chase. “Take him away and have him questioned.”
Chase bowed as his men converged on Lord Myron. “And Lady Chrysanthe?”
“Release her.”
Chase took off Chrysanthe’s metal cuff—a precautionary measure that sealed her ability to use magic. “You’re free to go.”
Chrysanthe flicked her gaze from Chase, to Myron. Her eyes were unfocused—she still seemed shocked by the turn of events. “You said I deserved to be on the throne more than Queen Leila.”
“Anyone deserves to be on the throne more than Queen Leila, you imbecile!” Myron snarled as a soldier snapped a metal cuff on him.
“Ahhh, yes.” I smiled as I sat back down on my stone chair, doing my best not to show my reluctance—because, yeah, stone chairs are not very comfortable to sit on for long periods of time, and my butt still hadn’t recovered. “I have one last reminder should anyone else from my darling, adorable Court get ideas. Rigel?”
When the assassin looked at me, I waved him up. I really hope he doesn’t kill me for parading him like this, but I’m gambling my entire life on ending these Court games. I need every advantage I can get.
Rigel climbed onto the platform and took up a