B lood coated the entryway to my mother’s house. Reece stood, dejected, in the center of what was left from the chaos. The living room couch, half sticking out of the bay window. Pieces of the shattered dining room table littered the floor. Blood splatters stained every surface. I swallowed hard. Braydon’s blood. My mother’s blood…
“Where’s Hunter?” My voice came out hollow.
“They found his body in Seelie. We believe it was the traitor who killed him.” Xavier stood near the kitchen. I knew he was blocking me from seeing Braydon’s body. I insisted on coming here after we returned from Seelie. Reece hadn’t left.
“Reece, maybe you should join the pack.” Milo stepped closer to Reece, his calm voice comforting in the wake of destruction.
“She’s dead?” He looked at me. Unshed tears made his eyes glisten under the light.
“Yes, we left her in the catacombs in Seelie. I cloaked her body, and she will stay in stasis until we can give her a proper burial.” I wanted him to know my mother had been taken care of in the best way possible. I didn’t know if it would soothe him. I couldn’t imagine losing my mates, my loves, my family, everyone close to him, all in one night. My heart broke for him. He looked so lost standing there.
“Lyla, we can’t stay here long. The mages know about this location. We should leave.” Xavier pushed.
I wasn’t leaving until I knew Reece would be okay. I would take him home with us. He was one of my fathers and I loved him fiercely.
Reece blinked. “He’s right. You shouldn’t be here.” His eyes met mine. It was as though something in him snapped awake. “I will go to the pack. I intend to find the traitor. They are the reason for all of this.” Looking around the room, his jaw clenched. “Leave them to me.”
I nodded. “How are you going to go back to Seelie undetected?” The King took over everything and put his son, Lucas, in charge. The King came to the city for me. With mages on his side, we were truly fucked. His little arrangement with Malcolm pissed me off. He was my biological father, and he chose to side with our enemy. I was going to kill both of them as soon as I had a chance.
“I have many friends. I will find a way to flush out the traitor.” Reece looked at Xavier. “Is your sister still in her home?”
“Yes, she is our go-between. The house is cloaked, but you should be able to locate it.” Xavier was the best in this situation. He put duty above all else. That’s why my mother had chosen him to lead the Knights. When it came down to it, his loyalty won out every time.
“I’m going to meet with my pack before I go.” He glanced at the kitchen. “I will send someone to take care of Braydon’s body. He would want to be with your mother in death, as he was in life.”
I nodded. “Thank you.”
“It’s the least I could do. I promise I will find out who is behind this betrayal.” Reece’s oath gave me a strange sort of solace. I knew he wouldn’t stop until he found out who was behind their murders. My mother deserved so much more. Reece would find who betrayed them. I would find a way to kill the King. We both had our parts to play.
“Lyla, we need to go. Every moment we spend here, you are in danger,” Xavier insisted. His shoulders stiffened, and his entire body was on high alert.
I surveyed the room. There wasn’t much I could do here. Nothing in this place would bring back my mother. Yet, I wanted something of hers. “Give me a few minutes.” I ran up the stairs not waiting for an answer. My mother would have taken her most valuable possessions with her when she escaped from Seelie. I planned to grab what I could to bring home with me. I went to her vanity first and grabbed the jewelry box. I opened it to hear the sweet melody of my childhood. The notes from “ You Are my Sunshine” played softly in the air. I closed the lid and clutched it to my chest.
When I turned towards the door, I gasped. Milo leaned against the door jamb with his thumb tucked in his jeans pocket. My mother’s blood still coated his clothes. “Is there anything else you’d like to take?”
I glanced around the room. I wanted her jewelry box. I would love to take more of her things. Yet, they weren’t her. They would never be her. It was a jarring reality. I shook my head. “No, I’ll just keep this.” The jewelry box stayed clutched against my chest. I remembered this song playing every time she got ready for an event when I still lived in Seelie.
My mother kept me in her room in secret. Few knew of my existence. I wasn’t allowed to attend any of the fancy gatherings but I would sit next to her and watch as she got ready. I was too young to understand the importance of the things she told me. Now, I needed to be the wise woman she hoped I would become.
One evening, I remembered sitting next to her as she wove her hair into an intricate design. A woman usually helped her, but today she wanted to be alone. She placed her crown securely atop my head. “There will be many in this life who will try to knock off your crown. Don’t ever let them. Adjust your crown and keep going. One day, you will rule this kingdom. I expect you to do it with all the poise and authority of a leader.” She cupped my face in her hands. Her eyes softened. “You are my greatest gift. You will be the greatest gift to our kingdom. But there will be a cost. There’s always a price, but never let anyone keep you from your crown. It is yours, my darling. From the moment you were born, it was yours.” There was a sparkle in her eyes. I didn’t understand the importance of her words then, but I do now. The only one who could rightfully give up my place is me. I had no intention of letting the King win.
I took a deep breath to calm myself, drawing in her scent that still lingered in the air. A combination of orange blossom and vanilla. It reminded me of the orange trees in Seelie. I loved walking through the groves. I wasn’t allowed to see most of the property, but there were moments when my mom would take me on an outing. Two of my favorite places to go were the gardens and the orange groves. I loved taking in the aroma. Tears welled in my eyes as I thought about her.
“Lyla, it’s time to go.” Milo cut through my memories like a knife. I didn’t want to go. Somehow, I knew leaving this room would make it final. She was dead. There was nothing I could do to bring her back. I would miss all the advice, the hugs, the wisdom and the love. I was old enough to understand the world, but I didn’t think anyone was ever old enough to comprehend the loss of their mother. The ache would always be there. It would fade with time, but it would always be there. Deep down, I felt the ache where she lived in my heart.
“Okay.” I nodded.
He held his hand out to me. “I got you.” I placed my hand in his, and he led me downstairs. Milo was my light in the darkness. He would always be my strength.
“We need to leave.” Xavier crossed his arms over his chest. He was waiting with Reece in the living room. The image of this house would be forever burned into my memory.
“I know. I’m ready.”
I took Milo's hand and followed him out the door with my eyes fixed on the ground. I couldn’t bear to look around. I already knew this place would haunt my nightmares.
“What the fuck are you doing here?” Xavier bit out. He stepped into a fighting stance, a blade appearing in his hand in an instant.
My head flew up to see Liam waiting at the bottom of the cement steps that led to the house. His eyes lit up when he saw me. I put a hand on Xavier’s arm to restrain him.
“How?” I whispered, bewildered at his presence
“I could feel your pain.” Liam looked at the ground. “My father’s back. He knows who you are, and your importance to Seelie.” His words hung heavy in the air.
“I know. He killed my mother.” I pressed my lips together.
He closed his eyes, bowing his head. “I’m sorry.” He knew how ruthless his father could be. “Edward, my father, will not stop until he finds you.”
“Which is why you can’t be anywhere near her,” Xavier ground out, stepping in front of me in a protective stance.
“I know. I had to make sure she was okay.” Liam pressed his hand to his chest. “I feel you here. I know how much you are hurting.” He stepped forward. “What can I do?” He met my eyes, then Xavier’s.
“We can’t see each other right now. I don’t know if your father can track you. I have to stay in hiding until it’s safe.” I sounded like Xavier and Milo.
“I understand. I don’t know if Edward has the ability to track me, but I understand there is a risk. How will I know you’re safe?” He looked so worried. I wanted to take him with me. To hide away with my loves and never leave. Needing to do what was right by my mother warred with my desire to stay with my mates, protected.
I sighed. “I will call you.”
“Can I at least know where you’re going?”
“No, you can’t.” Milo had moved to the other side of me. “Sorry, man, but we can’t chance it. No one can know where she is while the King is still hunting her.” Milo slipped his hand back into mine.
“Speaking of which, we have to go, now.” Xavier looped his arm in mine and took a step forward. When I didn’t move with him, he turned.
“We can wait another minute.” I closed the distance between Liam and me. “I’m sorry we don’t have more time to talk. I will call you when I can. I will not leave you out of anything.” I leaned forward, kissing his lips softly. He wrapped his arms around me, pulling me against him. I wasn’t sure when I would see him again. All our worry turned into the frenzied movement of our lips. He gripped me against him, his tongue sliding between my parted lips. When we were both panting with desire, he stopped, resting his forehead against mine.
“Will you be okay?” He breathed.
“I will be, I swear. I will do what I can to see you again soon, but I can’t risk the King finding me here. With Malcolm helping, I’m not sure I’m safe anywhere.” Our whispered conversation felt private, but I knew Xavier and Milo could hear me.
“I will get any information I can from him. He’s going to want me to join in the hunt. I can’t let him pick any information about you from my thoughts. I will not put you in jeopardy.” He held me, his hands resting on my hips. I wanted this moment to last forever. I knew it couldn’t. I hated leaving without Liam. I wanted more than anything for him to come with me.
“I will see you soon,” I resolved. I would not go too long without seeing him. “We may have to discuss a plan for the mages. I know you don’t want to hear this, but I will get revenge for my mother. I will kill King Edward.” I knew I shouldn’t be telling him this, but I needed to know where he stood. If he would stop me, I couldn’t tell him anything. I wanted his help. Hell, I would probably need it at some point. Knowing whether he would be an ally was important to any plan moving forward.
“I know. He deserves a thousand deaths. I will help you in any way I can.” My heart clenched. I wished he could come with us. I trusted him, but the others didn’t. I wasn’t sure who I could really trust after my birth father’s betrayal. King Edward would no doubt put some magical tracker on his sons. Liam could be a danger to me without even knowing it. I couldn’t risk it. I had to leave him. My safety depended on it.
“Thank you.” I smiled.
“Of course, you are my mate. I’ll always choose you.”
“Okay, lovebirds, let’s hurry this along.” Milo gripped my hand. He wasn’t as demanding as Xavier, but his insistence was there.
Liam stepped back from me. “You should go. Stay safe, my love.”
“You too,” I called back as Milo and Xavier rushed me to the car. Before I knew it, we were on the road, driving away from Liam, the chaos, and my mother’s house. I knew it was only her temporary house, but it felt like more. It felt like a new loss. Braydon was killed in that place. My mother was kidnapped from there and led to her death. I lost two fathers and a mother in one day. How was I supposed to come to terms with that? I clutched the jewelry box close to my chest. I wanted to be home, to forget this day happened. I didn’t have that option. All of those horrific things happened. It was my job to make sure those who were responsible paid. My mother expected me to be the Queen. It was my Kingdom he was fucking with. He would not take my crown.