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Demos cursed himself for having lingered too long on the roof, where he had tried to ease his tortured thoughts. He hadn’t been successful, had only wasted time.
In less than a second, he shifted, becoming his owl form, his massive white wings rising, opening, lifting him up. He caught the air that surrounded him, stretched his body, and leaned into the rise.
Flying across the battlements, he ascended several feet up, his direction facing south to where the road winded. Picking up speed, he soared into the night. He saw them then. Ten in total. He swept over them, gathering their names by the familiar faces he saw, before circling back with an angled turn of his wings. He flew to the west wing of the manse and made out his bedroom window which he’d left open. He glided inside. Shaking out his feathers, he shifted, once more a man.
His mind worked furiously. He was running out of time. He remembered the conversation he’d had two nights ago with the Ongahri queen. There was a hint of hope to be found there. He was glad now that he had shown a little of his hand.
He opened his bedroom door, startling a guard, whose fisted hand was raised in a parody of a knock.
“We have been searching for you, Servant. Our queen wishes to see you immediately,” he said with a look of disapproval.
The Ongahri had never been more than cordial with the Owl, and usually Demos humored them, but this disapproval was warranted.
“Let’s go,” Demos told him, already walking down the hall and to the stairs.
His stride was long and quick as he came to the east wing, took the flight of stairs up, and nodded at the queen’s guards, who stood in front of what he assumed was her bedroom. They opened the door for him, and he followed the voices he heard coming from behind a closed door.
He knocked once, then opened it, not waiting for entry. Inside stood the queen. Lady Lordes was seated on a divan beside a strangely despondent Captain Trajan, who sat forward, his elbows on his knees, head down.
He ignored the two Ongahri, eyes focused only on the queen.
“I request a private word, Queen Alpha,” Demos said, bowing briefly.
“Where have you been?” she asked, setting down a glass of wine. “You were summoned almost an hour ago!”
“My apologies, Your Majesty. I have urgent news that cannot wait.” He looked over at the captain and the seer.
“They are to be trusted,” the queen said. “They know most of what you’re about to tell me anyway.”
“The Owl is here.”
“I know. I was told right before I summoned you,” she bit out. “I have taken care of the inconvenience.”
A tinge of frustration painted his tone as he explained, “My lady, you don’t understand. They’ve come to stop this marriage between the prince and the omega. I will be found out.”
“What do you mean,” Fadon demanded, standing now, “found out? What’s going on, Mari? Damn these secrets!”
The young queen pursed her lips, her eyes moving back and forth, searching Demos’ face. “If they mean to start a war with me, so be it! I’m not afraid of them. They will be too late, anyway.” She smiled, and the look of it made Demos wary.
“Once I’ve told you my plan,” she said, “I want to see the Fealty Agreement. It is still with you, correct?”
Demos wondered where she was going with this but nodded. “It is.”
“Excellent. As much as I love my brother and wished with all my heart that he, the heir, would be promised the Fealty Bride, it would be an unwise, extremely unwise, decision to go through with it. I want the document to show Fadon as the betrothed.”
“Fadon. The captain, not the prince?” Confused, Demos glanced at the man in question, then turned his attention to the queen once more. “It cannot be undone, my—”
“Spare me the explanation about customs and such, Servant,” she bit out. “I know you are a rebel. You have gone beyond dirtying your hands in this affair. Tell me this. If the document reads that Fadon is the betrothed, if there would be no trace of tampering, would the Owl accept it?”
“Queen—”
She held up a hand. “Would. They. Accept it?”
“They would. But—”
“Lady Lordes,” the queen called, cutting Demos off again and snapping her fingers. “Send in a guard. Then go to the library and find that information we discussed.”
“Yes, my queen.” The seer left the room while Demos’ frustration built.
