Page 53 of Secrets of Avalon

"The body of the assassin," Ares demands finally, looking up at towering Kellan with vengeful intensity. "Where is it?"

Kellan's jaw tightens, a rumbling growl comes from deep within him like an apex predator guarding its den. "No proof. And when my people are done with Domina's rooms, no one will be able to tell anything ever happened."

“Everyone in the tower will keep this a secret. For me? Why?”

“Even if we chose not to hide it. You’re under my protection. Any attempt to harm you is the equivalent of attacking me personally. Attacking the King and Queen of Drakone. This qualifies as an act of war. If we announce it, we will have to declare war on the Fae. My people do not want that.”

War. No. That sounds much worse than merely keeping a secret about a failed attack.

Ares' expression darkens further. "We'd have to have all the crowns on our side to bring charges against a High Councilman, anyway. And we'd never get them all to agree."

Kellan gives a grim nod. "My king said as much."

A tremor runs through me at their resigned words. They make it sound so hopeless... like there's nothing that can be done. Panic flutters in my chest, constricting my throat.

"Aren't you worried they'll try again?" I blurt out, hating how my voice pitches higher along with my growing anxiety. "And what if I hurt people next time? I was lucky this time. Siva helped me... but it was luck. My magick?—”

“They will absolutely try again.” The man Ares had called Boaz speaks. He shoves off the wall and walks toward me, staring so intently I begin to wonder if there’s something wrong with my dress. Or something on my face.

Kellan snarls at the man, hackles raised. "They will not succeed. I'll not leave her side again. I'll sleep at the foot of her bed."

Boaz gives a curt nod, unfazed. "But they will try again. And it would be prudent to plan according to that knowledge." His eyes bore into me with grim appraisal. "More than just sleeping at her feet, Kellan. There are any number of ways to kill a person. A blade is only one."

His ominous insinuation sends a chill spiraling through me. Images of other possible scenarios flash through my mind. Poison. Strangled. Burned… I suck in a sharp breath, nausea roiling in my gut.

Boaz bends at the waist, hands on his thighs and breathes deeply. “By Fate, what is she doing? I feel like Hades himself just walked past me.”

I pant, sucking in shallow panicked breaths.

The other knights are feeling it as well. I’m making them sick.

Deep breaths, Domina. Push the magick back deep into your well. You can do this.

Grounding myself, I follow her instructions and force bigger gulps of air into my lungs and try to corral the chaotic magic seeping from every pore. Slowly it calms and pulls back, setting deep down inside me.

Kellan's large hand settles on my shoulder, steadying me further. "Breathe, Domina." His rumbling voice holds a tinge of concern.

"I'm good," I manage. "I just... this is a lot." My gaze darts between the grim knights surrounding me. Cold tendrils of dread coil even tighter around my heart. How will I ever be able to control this? "Can we go to Hawke? I really would feel better if I saw him. I need to see him."

“Yes, of course.”

Episode 8

CHAPTER 22

As Long As Melinda Is Agreeable

Hawke Stormblood

I pace back and forth in the cramped guard room outside the Hall of Grievances. The walls press in, shrinking the already tight space. My mind whirls, cycling through the endless details of the Changing of the Guard ceremony. The Upir head of the guard, a tall, imposing figure with piercing bright gold eyes, stands across from me, his expression stoic as I finalize the shift assignments.

"I need your best men stationed at the main entrances to Camelot," I say, my voice firm and authoritative. "We can't afford any security breaches, especially with the recent disturbances near Vandimoor."

The Upir nods, his dark hair slicked back and shining in the flickering torchlight. "I've heard the reports, Your Highness. A wolf-like beast harassing the hunters. Has there been any progress in identifying the creature?"

I shake my head, frustration coiling in my gut. "Not yet, but I have my best trackers on it. We'll find and eliminate the threat. It’s more of an annoyance, but I don’t want innocents hurt."

While we continue to debate potential security measures, an invisible cord yanks at me, urging me elsewhere. It's accompanied by a warmth that spreads rapidly through my veins, setting my blood afire.