demon?”
He and I stare at each other, and I know we’re thinking the same thing. Vampyres and now demons? I’m still certain Isla is familiar with shifters too. There’s no other explanation for why she seems unbothered by our nature. Whatever sort of world Isla came from, I swear to never let her fall into harm’s way again.
“Isla? That’s a pretty name.” Ozara sniffles. “Where is she now?”
“She’s at home with Audun and Caelan.” I soften my voice. Ilari and Ozara are young, and it’s not fair for us to place any blame with them for what’s happened. At least they seem concerned about Isla and these other girls.
The door at the far end of the room crashes open, and we turn to watch as King Janak enters with two Elders on his heels. He’s dressed in full military regalia with all of his medals proudly on display. He grins broadly as he approaches us.
We’ve always had an easy relationship with Janak. Unlike his father before him, who was King when we first became Guardians, Janak has never shown us any fear or hostility. My brothers and I have always been open and honest with him, and I know we all truly see Janak as our friend, not just our King.
That’s why it hurts so much to realize he tricked us, that he went behind our back to set up this whole thing with Isla. He knew it was going to be impossible for us to resist her so close to Guardians’ Night.
“Let me see your wrists, friends!” Janak says by way of greeting.
Maalik and I bristle, but the bond we share with our king and kingdom are strong enough to force us to follow his order. We pull our sleeves up, and I try to ignore the quiet gasp I hear from Ozara and the smug expression on Janak’s face.
Amias, one of the Head Elders here in the castle, steps forward to get a better look at our marks. I pull my sleeve down abruptly and drop my hands to my sides, cutting a glare at these people I’ve always trusted so blindly.
“Janak,” Maalik says in a clipped tone. His hand is trembling as he slowly pulls his sleeve down, and it quickly becomes evident to everyone in the room that Mal is about a second away from exploding.
“I’m sure you have many questions and concerns, my friends. We’ll talk in my office in a moment.” Janak gives us a placating smile. He turns his head toward the Elders and says, “But first, send out the announcement! We have so much to celebrate—Briya finally has a new Queen of Beasts!”
I lose it. I’ve been calm for way too long, and I won’t go another second acting like everything that happened to Isla is okay. She never should have ended up here. We don’t deserve her.
“Have you lost your mind?” I snarl ferociously, stepping closer so my face is only inches from Janak’s. His eyes widen the slightest amount, but otherwise he shows no fear or outward reaction. “You’ve kidnapped girls and brought them here against their will to be slaves? And you threw Isla to us like a sheep to a pack of wolves. You nearly killed her by putting her in that cage! What kind of man treats another human being that way?”
“Reule,” King Janak says my name firmly. “Calm down, my friend. I swear to explain everything to you.”
“You’re no friend of mine!” I snarl again. Maalik pulls me back, but he’s still trembling and fighting his own anger.
“The girls will not be slaves, Guardian Reule.” Amias bows his head, and he’s careful to keep his eyes lowered submissively as he continues to speak. “All of them came from dark, evil worlds where they were being held prisoner by demons. We saved them. We brought them here to start a new life. They’ll be tutored to help them learn our language, and they’ll receive shelter and good-paying jobs.”
“Isla, you said her name was?” King Janak asks. When Maalik nods stiffly, Janak grins and continues. “She was the strongest of the bunch, by far. A tiny, fearless thing covered in blood—most of which was not her own, mind you. These other girls came in here, crying and trembling, which was to be expected. Your girl walked in here with her head held high, taking in every detail of her surroundings. I have no doubt she would have tried to claw my eyes out if she hadn’t been restrained.”
A