Page 69 of Avaritia
“The Hunters Council and those loyal to them control access to the portals. They’re the ones who wish you harm, and they can already come here,” Allerick pointed out impatiently. “It’s those who don’t have a way out who are limited by portal access.”
“Surely, you’re not worried about the ability of the Shades to defend their realm against Hunters?” I taunted, though it was a challenge rooted in truth.
Rainy was a teenager and she could gut me with her claws or shred me with her teeth, without expending any of her power. Not to mention the restraints and weapons their shadow magic could create.
“Theon’s creation took Verity to the in-between,” Allerick said, the crowd calming to listen to him. “That is still our first line of defense, and can be easily bolstered. We’ve been too lax on our security there for too long anyway.”
“Is that your official position on this, Your Majesty?” a member of the Council demanded, glaring at Allerick.
Allerick gave him a look that would have had me fighting, flighting, fawning, and freezing all at once.
“It is. Theon went against my edict, and a suitable punishment will need to be decided upon. But that suitable punishment is not death.” The king turned to face me, his expression infinitely patient. “As you were the abducted one, Verity, why don’t you determine what a suitable punishment is?”
This set off a whole new round of spluttering and objections from the high table, which Allerick quelled with another fearsome look.
I straightened as much as I could while my head was swimming and my legs were threatening to give out at any moment. “Theon should work with King Allerick, Captain Soren, Astrid, and whoever else needs to be involved to create a supply of these orbs.” I paused for a moment. Theon exhaled heavily behind me as though this was the worst thing he’d ever heard. “He’s also got a bunch of other great inventions in progress, so really you should just employ him on a permanent basis. I can assure you, he will find this to be an acute sort of torture, and consider it a punishment for the rest of his days.”
“You have no idea,” Theon sighed in my ear. “But if it means keeping you, then there’s no punishment I wouldn’t face. Come on, Allerick can sort out the details. We’re going home, and I’m dragging every healer I can find with us.”
Chapter 23
The journey from the the curia back to Lindow passed in a blur. I carried Verity the entire way, a large retinue of her friends and the palace healers following in my wake.
“What do you need?” I asked Verity in a low voice, lifting her up a little higher so her face was closer to mine, needing to feel her breath on my skin. She looked so fragile, her arm was in some kind of contraption that limited its movement, and there were dark marks beneath her eyes that I’d never seen before.
“Sleep. Water. Food. You. Not in that order.” She punctuated her words with a yawn, and Meera rattled off instructions to one of the Guard, ordering them back to the palace to fetch human food.
“Should someone get Astrid and Soren?” Tallulah asked, sounding nervous to speak up in such a crowd. “They’re in the human realm, right? By the hospital?”
“I’ll go,” one of the Guard said, breaking off from the crowd.
“Astrid is going to be so mad at you,” Ophelia said to my mate, jogging to keep up with the pace I was setting. “It’s how you know she cares.”
Verity laughed weakly, leaning her head against my shoulder. I was trying to show solicitude for my mate’s friends to prove that I was worthy of her affections, but it was an immense task. I was quite ready to tell the lot of them to fuck off so I could be alone with her.
Verity wouldn’t like it. She’s been through enough. Don’t make things harder for her.
Wilder and Aderith met us at the doors, ushering us in with looks of concern and relief.
“I’m taking you to my room,” I told Verity gruffly. “You sleep there now.”
In my mind, the words had sounded more like a request.
“Can I use the mistress dungeon as a walk-in wardrobe?” Verity asked hopefully.
I didn’t know what that was. “Yes. Whatever you like.”
“Is there anything you would deny me right now?” Verity laughed, turning her head to brush a light kiss over my shoulder.
“Time away from me.”
Verity’s scent sweetened, her expression softening. “I don’t want that either.” She used her arm around my neck to pull herself up, wincing at the effort, but making a sound of disagreement when I attempted to shift her back down.
Verity’s lips brushed the shell of my ear, her voice so quiet I could barely hear her over the sound of my footsteps. “I’m in love with you, Theon, Duke of Lindow.”
I closed my eyes for a brief moment, savoring the utter perfection of those words. “I’m in love with you too, Verity, Duchess of Lindow. I am never letting you go.”
“You’re quite sure she’s okay?” I asked Aderith, picking up the orb I’d been working on before setting it down again. “Maybe I should go back up there—”