Page 63 of Secrets of Avalon

There's a crowd gathering around us now. The puppet shows are abandoned and people watch with avid interest, their whispers and speculations filling the air like the buzzing of a thousand insects.

This isn't the right time. I can't do this here. Not right now. It has to be in front of everyone. Melinda won't be safe unless I announce my intentions at the ceremony, with all the pomp and circumstance that entails.

I take a deep breath, trying to calm the storm raging inside me. I know I need to handle this delicately, to navigate the treacherous waters of politics and power while keeping Melinda safe. But the weight of the situation, the eyes of the crowd boring into us, makes it hard to think straight.

"Mother, Father," I begin, my voice steady despite the turmoil and panic writhing in my gut, a sickening dance that makes me want to double over and retch. "This is Melinda Mayweather. She is a guest of the crown and under my protection."

It's a half-truth, a deflection, but it's all I can offer at the moment, a flimsy shield against the onslaught of their scrutiny and judgment. They don’t trust me. They think they know better.

Melinda's grip on my hand tightens again, and I know she understands the precariousness of our position.

My father's brow furrows, his eyes darting between Melinda and me with a mixture of confusion and concern. "A guest of the crown? Hawke, what is the meaning of this?"

I open my mouth to respond, to offer some explanation that might satisfy their curiosity without revealing too much, but Julius Darkwood cuts me off, his voice dripping with disdain and regained confidence, a snake that has found its footing once more. "Forgive me, Your Majesties, but I find it hard to believe that a mere 'guest' would warrant such... intimate attention from the prince."

Vencia lets out a derisive snort, her eyes narrowing as she inspects Melinda, taking in every detail of her appearance with a critical eye like a predator sizing up her prey. "If it's just a last hurrah before our engagement, Father, I can forgive him. She's nothing more than one of the god of War's consorts. I'm going to be queen, after all. Ignoring a husband's indiscretions is part of the job, is it not?" She peers at my mother as if for support, a twisted sort of camaraderie that makes my stomach churn.

But my mother's face is angry now, her features tight and her eyes blazing with a fury I've rarely seen.

Not angry at me. She's angry at Vencia.

Thank Fate for small mercies.

"Leave my sight." A growl from Kellan sends unease straight to the pit of my stomach. The sound of his voice is like the rumble of an avalanche rolling down a mountainside smashing everything in its path.

My father puts an arm in front of my mother, but Darkwood and his daughter seem to be immune to any type of self-preservation, their arrogance blinding them to the danger they're in.

“I don’t know who you think you–”

“I am Kellan of Gilat. I am Melinda Mayweather’s somatophylakes. I am Drakonii and I demand your respect.”

A mix of emotions swirls within me as I watch Kellan stand up to Julius, his voice ringing with a commanding authority that even my father respects and backs away from. On one hand, I feel a surge of gratitude for the way he defends Melinda without any concern for politics or his own wellbeing. I’d expect nothing less from a somatophylakes.

But there's also a twinge of something else, a small, nagging flavor of jealousy that I can’t shake. It's not that I doubt my own ability to protect Melinda. I would lay down my life for her in a heartbeat, without hesitation or regret, but my actions come with consequences for more than just myself. My family. My people.

"Or what," Julius sneers, his face twisting into an ugly mask of contempt. "You have no authority over me."

Kellan's eyes flash green. The spirit of one of his dragons flows from his skin into the air, a shimmering, ethereal form that circles the seven of us, like a wolf stalking its prey, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

"The law gives me the right to protect my ward from anything and anyone. I will put my hand around your neck and squeeze very tightly if you or your daughter utter even one more derogatory word about Lady Mayweather. Am I clear?" He presses forward a step, his presence a tangible force that makes Julius and Vencia stumble backward, their bravado faltering in the face of his wrath.

I want to charge forward with him, fangs bared, magick primed and ready to strike, but instead I hold. I stand, still holding tight to Melinda’s hand and I let the dragon do what he does best. I will owe him for his loyalty, but it’s a debt I’m willing to carry if it means Melinda is safe.

A murmur ripples through the crowd at Kellan's words, a mix of surprise and speculation. I can see the calculations running behind my parents' eyes, the wheels turning as they try to make sense of what must be a very confusing situation. I wish I had the time to explain right now, but I don’t.

My priority is Melinda.

For a moment, Julius looks like he might argue. His cheeks are flushed with anger and humiliation, a dangerous combination could easily make him reckless and unpredictable. But he catches sight of the watching crowd and thinks better of it, a hint of reason breaking through his arrogance.

"Of course," he says, his voice tight. "Forgive our... misunderstanding."

I hold in the enormous sigh of relief that threatens to escape my lips, the tension in my body so great I could snap at any moment. I can't let down my guard. It's not over yet. None of this is over. I grimace and swallow down the bile rising in the back of my throat. The nausea is familiar now–a side effect of Melinda's magick.

They're feeling it too, my parents, Darkwood, Vencia. I can see it in the sickly pallor of their skin, the way their eyes dart around nervously, searching for an escape. They don’t know it’s her and I need to keep it that way.

We have to get Melinda away from everyone before it gets worse.

I bow to my parents. Then meet my father's eyes. "I am excusing myself, but I will see you at the ceremony shortly."