Witching Fire (The Wild Hunt #16) - Yasmine Galenorn Page 0,10

around her waist. “The truth can be difficult, but it’s ten times easier than living a lie so you protect other people’s expectations.” I rinsed out the massive soup tureen—it was bone china with a cranberry and snowy woods motif. I jerked my head toward the living room. “Come on, help me serve the food before they riot.”

I held the tureen steady as Angel filled it. Then she removed the bread and fish fillets from the oven while I retrieved the fries from the air fryer and emptied them into a bowl matching the tureen’s pattern.

I recruited Kipa to carry the food to the table. We were serving buffet style and had set up two long folding tables so that we could sit in the living room and watch the tree as we ate. I changed the music over to a soft ambient background music—mostly instrumental—and we called people to dinner. My mother fed Raj his cat food without even a hint that he should join us as I made the rounds.

Llew and Jordan had arrived, along with Talia, Viktor and Sheila, Yutani, and Trinity. Vixen was good to their promise, and didn’t cause a ruckus, and as we all sat down to dinner, I relaxed, trying to push away the worry over what my mother had told me.

The lights of the tree and the candlelight on the table seemed to relax everyone. After we finished eating, the men cleared the dishes and folded the tables, and we all had dessert in the living room. I didn’t have enough furniture so we had brought the chairs from the dining table over, and the folding chairs as well.

True to my prediction, Angel’s pies disappeared at a rapid rate, and then people moved on to the tortes and the pastries. We were discussing anything and everything we could think of that would allow us to avoid talking about the war against the Dragonni.

“So, there I was, stripped down to my golden bikini briefs, when my ex-owner showed up and challenged Vixen to a duel,” Apollo was saying.

“True, but what that scumbag of a demon didn’t realize is that I’m a snake shifter and even a demon’s no real match against the venom in my fangs,” Vixen said, letting out a rich laugh. “Taipans are far more deadly than most people think.”

The doorbell rang and I excused myself as they continued to spin out their story.

I opened the door. Four tall guards were standing on the porch. They looked almost Amazonian, but I knew they weren’t Amazons—not with incredible tattoos that I recognized as Celtic in origin. The knotwork ran up their arms and the shortest one must have been six feet. The women wore silver winged helmets and black trousers with silver tunics, and they were carrying dirks, sheathed at their sides.

A shiver ran up my spine. They carried heavy magic. It rippled over my arms, making the hair stand to attention. The magic wasn’t chaotic like Pandora’s energy, but whoever they were, these guards weren’t lacking for defense.

“Yes, how can I help you?” Even as I asked the question, I knew. They were sent by the Banra-Sheagh.

The one in the frontmost position straightened her shoulders. “By order of the Banra-Sheagh, I command you in the name of Her Majesty to accompany me to Reímseil-Tabah, to stand before the Queen and answer the charges brought against you.”

I stared at her, unable to speak. Charges brought against me? What the hell had I done? Finally, finding my tongue, I turned around and called for my mother.

Chapter Four

I had no intention of letting the guards waltz through my front door, but they had other plans and before I realized what was happening, they pushed their way into the house, firmly but quietly. Crap, I thought. Even if I told them I was in the middle of a dinner party, they weren’t likely to apologize and agree to come back later.

Herne and Kipa immediately bristled. The cousins stared at the guards with suspicion and Kipa stepped around me, inserting himself between us.

“Who are you and what do you want with my mate?” he said. “You do realize who I am?”

One of the guards blinked, but the one who had ordered me to come with them barely even showed a response.

“Yes, you’re Kuippana, Lord of the Wolves, and this is Herne, Lord of the Hunt. We know who you are. Now step aside. We’re here to escort Raven BoneTalker to Her Majesty, the Banra-Sheagh,” the guard