Swallowing hard, I look away from him, wondering if he’ll be executed soon. I might be witnessing my first beheading today. Possibly two, depending on what Kirian decides to do with Gia.
“I need a moment to consult with the queen.” Kirian leads me away, and it takes me a second to realize he’s referring to me.
I’m the queen.
Damon stays put, silently towering over the kneeling fae.
When we get a good distance away, Kirian lovingly strokes my face and whispers, “What do you think we should do?”
“You’re asking me?” I say it a little louder than I intended, and Kirian puts a finger to his lips.
But seriously. As if I’d know what to do in this situation?
We enter a staring contest, and I realize he’s not going to move forward without my input.
I sigh. “Tell me about Farrel. What kind of person is he?”
“He and I have never been close, but I’ve always thought him to be a decent man,” Kirian replies. “He’s quite a bit younger than me—born about seven hundred years ago. Because of his ability to communicate with animals, he was hired on as a stable boy here when he was a child. He was orphaned and young, and we gave him a home at the palace. Unfortunately, he was easy prey for Gia. He had no family, no assets. When he came of age, she seduced him with the hopes that having a mate would make her seem more worthy of the crown.” He scratches his jaw. “Farrel always treated her well. He was willing to marry her, despite the fact that she was too old to have children and she wasn’t his fated mate.”
“So, he got tangled up with the wrong person,” I conclude. “But he didn’t kill me when he had the opportunity. I think we should give him a chance to redeem himself.”
I really don’t want to see anyone’s head roll, especially not because of my order.
Kirian gazes at me with affection as he runs a hand through my hair. “My merciful mate.”
“Is that a bad thing? Am I too soft?”
“No,” he answers before adding, “your kind heart is exactly what our kingdom needs right now.”
I sigh with relief. Maybe I won’t be bad at this.
Taking my hands, Kirian squares his shoulders and says, “I hereby transfer my vow of punishment to you. The decision is yours now, if you accept.”
My eyebrows go up. “You can do that?”
He nods. “Giving it to someone of equal power is the only way to rescind my original promise.”
“Oh,” I breathe out. Kirian found the loophole he needed to have compassion for his sister and the others involved in her crimes. I can take this burden from him. “Then, yes, I accept.”
I feel the flutter of the oath in my chest, and I swallow hard.
Because, wow, this is a lot for me. It’s probably the first of many verdicts I’ll deal with as queen, but this one’s a doozy.
“Okay.” Steely resolve flows through me. I’ll make this right. “I don’t know how I can tell—call it intuition or whatever—but Farrel’s remorse seems genuine. I suggest a kind of probation and community service. After some jail time, that is.”
“This is a custom from your world, yes?”
“Yeah. It works for some people, if they want to do better. I think Farrel should be given the chance to do something good with his life.”
Kirian inclines his head. “Then it will be as you say.”
With his arm around my shoulders, we walk back to the men.
“Stand, Farrel,” Kirian says, and the fae scrambles to his feet. “My mate lives because of you. I’ll show you the same courtesy, but you’re still in my debt. A mess has been made here. You were part of creating it, so you’ll be part of fixing it.”
“Seriously?” Farrel rubs his neck, like he can’t believe his head is still attached to his body.
“Seriously,” I say. “Don’t fuck it up.”
“Yes, my queen,” he rushes out, bowing repeatedly. “You have my word. I’m forever at your service.”
Seeming pleased with Farrel’s fervent loyalty toward me, Kirian commands, “Release my mother and the rest from the dungeon. You need to help the council confiscate all the Glow from the castle and dispose of it properly. Then, have them lock you up until I can figure out what to do with you. I need your word that you’ll do as I say.”
“You have it.” Without hesitation, Farrel runs off to carry out the tasks.
Then there’s the matter of Gia.
As the vines unwind from her limp body, they crackle and snap, slithering away. I watch as they disappear out the windows.
A pained expression paints Kirian’s face as he stares down at his sister. Her mangled foot is bleeding, and the dagger is still sticking out of her knee.
“I could kill her right now,” Kirian says quietly. “I could use my axe to sever her head. It would be painless for her.”
“But not for you.” I slide an arm around his waist and give him a squeeze.
“I can see the pulse in her neck,” he goes on. “I’m disgusted at the thought of ending her life. Even after everything she’s done, there’s still a part of me that cares for her. I’m sorry, Quinn. You deserve better from your mate.”
Tugging on his arm, I turn him to me. I frame his face with my hands, loving that his eyes can connect with mine. “You don’t have to apologize, and you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do. Besides, it’s not up to you anymore. This is on me.”
He places a hand over mine, holding my touch to his cheek. “The way you love me is humbling.”
Damon makes a noise close to a gag. “I thought we were going to battle today. All this mushy stuff is giving me the willies. I’ll just be over here. Alone. Without a mate. By myself.”
An
