Glamoured (Shadow Beast Shifters Book 6)

When we attempted to enter Parliament House, the stones that scanned us malfunctioned, until Len neutralized their alarm. “They’re not sure what to do with your power, Storm.” He shot a slow smile my way. “Faerie will never be the same, and I, for one, couldn’t be more grateful.”

“Me either,” his mother said. She was holding Tabitha, cuddling her close, and it was clear the two had bonded during the time we were in the Deep. “I’m one blessed fae this day.”

We were all counting our gifts. Me more than any.

“Why are you smiling?” Len asked, watching me closely as we walked through the building.

With a shrug, my smile grew. “I’m happy,” I said simply. “Happy in a way that’s hard to explain. It’s almost beyond words.”

His eyes brightened. “I ask for nothing more than your happiness.” He leaned in closer and lowered his voice. “Well, that and a few more hours to contain you in my shower.”

Gods. I swallowed roughly, pressing a cheek to my heated skin. “I can agree to that,” I replied in as low a voice.

The look he shot me was wicked, and I had to work extra hard to not pant as we made our way into the courtroom. The last time I’d been in here, I had been in a comatose state, but today I saw it all. My stage looked the same, along with the seats spanning out around it in an ascending stadium style setup.

All of the royal houses fanned off into their sections, most filling quickly as hundreds piled through the door. The other kings and queens took their spots on the stage, one of the bigger changes since I vanished from this world.

It was fine by me. I didn’t want to be their Great Queen any longer.

Everyone had moved on from that role.

Len led me to the silver section, where we were given two seats in the front row. His mother handed Tabitha to us before she made her way onto the stage. There were eight royal houses up there, and they remained silent as they waited for the final two to arrive—the two who had taken it upon themselves to cut the Great Queen’s line, to cut off Faerie from their energy.

The two who’d near destroyed this world and possibly others if it had been left to go on.

Fredrick was led into the courtroom a few minutes later, looking disheveled. Four guards were on either side of him, even with him wearing magical bands that bound his powers.

He bore no expression, the blankness of his face unnerving, though his eyes were filled with icy disdain. The guards brought him right to the stage, where he faced the eight royals.

“King Fredrick of the Metallic Meadows, you have been charged with treason of the highest order,” one of the kings said, anger filtering into those words. I didn’t know all the leaders now, some of them different to when I’d walked in Faerie. A reminder of how long I’d been gone. “We are here to determine the punishment befitting a fae who almost destroyed the Great Queen and sent Faerie into darkness.”

All eyes turned my way and I pretended not to notice, focusing on the stage like it was the only interesting part of this room. Len leaned in close to my ear. “That old bastard, Fernando, would have voted to cut the line no matter what, but will now act as if it was his idea all along to reject Fredrick’s proposal.”

Len had told me that there had been more than one house who’d argued in favor of cutting the line back during the initial meeting. This king was obviously one of the ones who’d believed that by cutting the line, they’d open up the power grid, and allow another to step in to restrengthen Faerie.

It was my fault that none of them had remembered me, or how my power and role here worked. I’d ensured that when I had to flee, so they’d just made their own assumptions in the many years I was missing. But in truth, no other could ever take the role I was created for. Not even now, with the power dispersed more freely across other gods. I chose to share my gifts with Len, as we were bonded, and Tabitha inherited it through birth—both technically Origin gods—but there was no other who could claim the same.

“She was gone for centuries,” Fredrick shouted. “No one in existence could even remember her. Faerie was weakened, which left no other option.”

Fernando sneered. “Be that as it may, it was not your choice to make. The vote was not accepted the first time, and we were due back for a second conference on it. You took matters into your own hands.” He looked around. “Well, you and Petre. Where is he?”

As if summoned, the doors opened once more and in marched another royal house. Or two, judging by the apparel and mix of colors. They filed into the final two spots, and it was clear that one belonged to Metallic Meadows, and the other was Ochre Sands, Petre’s house. But there was no sign of their leader.

“He’s fled,” a male fae at the head of the group said. “Took off through the night, and we believe has left Faerie.”

Len leaned into me again. “He would have had to use the library, and if I know my brothers they’ll have taken care of him in a flash.”

Of that, I had no doubt. Shadow and the merry band of assholes would not have let any fae prince walk through without question. They also knew that Petre was under Len’s suspicions.

“And then there was one,” I whispered, eyes locked on Fredrick.

He was watching me just as closely, even with Len’s rumbling predatory possessiveness rearing its head. Neither of us looked away, and I wondered if I had the power to strike him down from where I sat. I wouldn’t, not yet at least. I’d give the fae a chance to make the right decision, but if they didn’t, then I would make it for them.

I was a shifter with a family now, and if you threatened their existence, I would destroy yours.

“Petre will be dealt with in due course,” Glendriel said, taking over from Fernando. “For now, we focus on Fredrick and the Metallic Meadows. He’s here, and his royal line needs a conclusion.”

“We all need one,” Queen Gemma of Copper Straits said. “It’s time for Faerie to heal and come back stronger than ever.”

Agreement rang out around the room, along with small cheers and some clapping. And all the while, Fredrick stared me down like he wanted to rip my face off and suck the life from my body. Bring it on, fucker. I was mentally taunting him, because the new me was reborn with attitude, and I had zero fucks to give.

Len got to his feet and interrupted our stare-off by putting himself between me and the fae on the stage. “He broke our rules. He sent Faerie into a spiral of destruction that would have ended all of our lives,” my mate said, a rumble in his tone. “He almost killed my mate and daughter. I demand retribution.” He let out a low laugh, but there was no humor in that tone at all. “I will allow him to choose if he deals with me or Samantha, but he will face one of us.”

What a romantic mate I had. Nothing like a little murder to get the bond flowing between us. But seriously, I was very much into Len giving me the chance to fight my own battle, even knowing he’d be at my back no matter what happened.

“I could deal with both of you,” Fredrick shot back, his lips curling in a sneer. The disgust in his eyes, finally dripped across his expression, until he was sneering. “I don’t even believe you’re the Great Queen. You’re so fucking weak.”

“It’s decided, then,” Glendriel said suddenly, not that Fredrick looked away from me. “His punishment will be handled by the ones who he wronged the most. Any fae disagree?”

None on the stage said a word, and I felt the power of the Origin swell in my gut, until flickers of gold escaped my skin. On my feet, I handed Tabitha to Len. “I’ll take this one, Winter,” I said with a smile, my voice deeper as power filled me.

He took her and dropped a kiss on my cheek, and I moved toward the stage. With each step the power swelled, and it was soon so bright in this room that I doubted most could look upon me. I made sure Fredrick could, though.

That bastard deserved to see what was coming for him.

The sneer faded from his face as his eyes grew wider, and I took a moment to rifle through the many life forces of Faerie until I found his.

When I tugged on it, he gasped, swallowing hard. “You almost killed my daughter,” I said conversationally. “You almost took me away from my mate and pack. All through greed and the desire for more power. But why? You were a king, with all the power you’d ever need.”

“Were?” he rasped, visibly trembling now.

Ignoring him, I raised my voice. “Do any object? For I am not without mercy. Will any speak up for him.”

Not a single voice sounded in the silent room, and Fredrick finally tore his gaze from me to look toward the section of the room where his council and other members of his royal house sat. “How fucking dare you?” he snarled, struggling to get free from his bands.

Still, no one moved or spoke up, and I was done with this bullshit.

This motherfucker was keeping me from the rest of my life.

The cord in my mind snapped. A simple flick of power and his shouts died off mid-sentence. He slumped forward into the guard’s hold. They released him a moment later, letting the body fall against the grounds. “May the gods offer you mercy in the next life,” I said coldly, before releasing the energy I’d gathered, the golden light fading into my skin, as a calmer vibe returned to the room.

The silence extended for many seconds as the fae focused on the dead king. I could taste their fear on my tongue, and it bothered me less than I’d expected. Seriously, I’d never been their friend before, and I wasn’t about to start now. My role was larger in the scheme of their world, and this was a good warning to not mess with the balance.

Len’s hand on my back reminded me that he didn’t fear me, and Tabby was already reaching for me, either not knowing or not caring that I’d just destroyed a fae without even touching him.

Queen Glendriel cheered, breaking the awkward tension. “Here’s to the Great Queen,” she called. “Prune out the weak to expose the strength.”

With almost no hesitation, the room exploded in cheers, my name chanted in time with the shouts. Even the Metallic Meadows cheered, looking like a weight had been lifted from them with the death of their king.

“Shadow just sent a message through,” Len said close to my ear, his mouth brushing my skin and sending shivers down my spine. “Petre was disposed of, so now we just have to bless the new leaders of Metallic Meadows and Ochre Sands. Then Faerie is ready for healing.”

Healing sounded like the best plan ever. “Count me in,” I whispered back.

Faerie was on its way back to being a superpower, and I was on my way to a bright future.

Sammia might have died the day I shed myself to form a new being, but there was no need to mourn. Fuck knows, Samantha was exactly who I hoped to become one day, and I was embracing every second of it.

For now until eternity.