The Kingdom's Crown (Inheritance of Hunger #3) - Kathryn Moon Page 0,109

not running in but calling to one another. Overhead, songbirds and great massive hawks were flying together. And outside the gates, the great beasts stamped their feet, stags and bears and wild hogs and dogs all howling and growling up at my mother. The two-natured would turn away soon, march through the city together, but first they made the queen look upon them. Hundreds of them.

It was chaotic but careful. The two-natured had promised to do no harm, only wanting to make themselves known, but there was something horrifying about the strange collection of creatures who had suddenly appeared. Animals that would've naturally been hunting one another were now standing side by side. I roared toward the gate, and the animals there answered back, one horse kicking roughly at the metal bars before he was shuffled back by the others, temper in check.

We needed to get to the staff yard, I remembered, fighting off the urge to chase down a bunny leaping past me. I'd promised to meet Cress there and let him accompany me out into the city so he would trust I was safe. I padded around the castle, finding guards rushing out of the main doors, looking wildly about, not entirely sure what to do. Head Guard Amos followed close behind, but his stride was more determined, heading directly for me.

"Your Highness! What do you think you're doing?!"

I jumped out of his reach, racing playfully around him in a circle as Wendell and Thao waited patiently for me. The two-natured were determined to stay shifted until midnight, but I broke back into my human self, making Amos stumble to a sudden stop in front of me.

"I'm standing with my people," I said.

"It's not safe. This is mad. One of these—these people, could break into the castle!" Amos yelled.

I frowned at that. "Don't let anyone be hurt, please, Guard Amos. Like you said, they're people. They don't want to do harm, they just want to be heard."

"They're breaking the law!"

"They're protesting the law," I said.

His jaw ground, eyes watching the gate, flicking up to the sky to see the birds circling overhead. "It's not safe."

"Head Guard Amos, I am a tiger. I'll be fine. Reassure my mother. Make her listen. I'll be back tonight."

"There could be a mouse assassin in the castle right now—"

It was such a comical but horrifying notion that I couldn't help my laugh. "Aric warded the castle. No mouse shifter, or any other kind, will make it through a door."

I didn't wait for another argument, just hurried back into a tiger, padding quickly away and around the side of the building as Amos barked new orders to his men. Thao moved up to my side, rubbing his head against my shoulder, Wendell nipping playfully at my hip before doing the same. They were too close by my tiger's standards, but I knew they were only keeping their promise to Cress to guard me like a—

Overhead, a hawk screamed. Griffin or someone else perhaps.

We passed a door, and I grinned toothily as Nora raced out of it, Morgan hot on her heels.

"What are you—Oh!"

Nora flashed Morgan a bright smile before leaping into the air, replaced in a shimmery moment by a bright yellow finch which zipped quickly around Morgan's head before settling on her shoulder.

"That's not fair!" Morgan cried, laughing.

Aric was waiting for us in the yard, a massive draft horse saddled, reins in his hand. On the saddle rested a bright snowy owl, and Cresswell the bear stood on Aric's other side, falling forward to his paws and lumbering in my direction.

But where was…

"Honestly, princess, we couldn't have come up with a better disguise if we tried," Aric said, nodding his head to the horse.

Oh! Oh, Atticus Darby was the horse. Well…that was convenient.

Owen, Daniel, and Cosmo were waiting in a doorway, and they came out to my side.

"It's madness inside. No one knows what to do, and I think a good percentage of the staff went missing during the shift," Cosmo said, kneeling down and sliding his fingers into my fur. "No going back now, little muse."

I butted my head softly against his chest. I wished all my Chosen were coming out into the city with us, but I wanted someone to keep an eye on the castle while we were gone, and I didn't want them caught up in any danger as humans without magic of their own. It would drive my tiger mad if they got so much as a scratch