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“For fuck’s sake,” Idalia hissed not sounding very much like a queen in the moment.
Today had been ruined. And to think she had been kind enough to let Aylee and that warlock go! All of this was in the name of trust that she and her sister no longer had. How long would it take to mend the relationship? Without Aylee, her parents might not be as pleased to find their family together again with their new status.
“May I ask why you have requested my presence?” Rehan continued, not the least bit bothered by her little outburst. He was well trained then.
“I did not ask foryou,” the queen reminded him. He answered with his own nod. She resisted the urge to pinch the bridge of her nose. “I want to make Aylee an offer.”
“I can present your offer toAce.”
“I cannot be expected to call her by that name. It’s just absurd.”
“It is her request to be called Ace.”
If Idalia could she would likely be blowing smoke from her ears at this point. Taking a slow deep inhale she gathered her composure and offered a pleasant smile. Ambrose brushed a tight curl from her face and moved even closer to the edge of her seat. Though Idalia didn’t think it was possible she could do so. It would only be embarrassing for Ambrose if she slipped from the chair onto the floor.
With her cheeks already aching from her forced smile, Idalia continued. “I want to make Ace an offer to rejoin her family. She will be given the power to rule as all us sisters share. Whatever she wants, she may have. A castle? A pony? It’s hers.”
“And if she wants to free the warlocks?”
“Oh, I think she may change her mind on that after we speak with her, but sure, in the meantime, we can say that the warlocks could be freed.”
“She will want this senseless killing done too,” he added.
“Not everything is open for negotiation.” Idalia laughed softly. “We must protect this country from those who are under the Impelling. Certainly, she can understand that. Even if we wanted to stop it is simply impossible. We couldn’t.”
They wouldn’t.
Ace’s emissary’s face was deadpan before it sharpened.
It was hard not to look away from Rehan’s intimidating gaze. Just like she could feel the power and strength within the staff she wielded, the same sort of energy seemed to permeate from Rehan. Maybe even more so. She wondered why Ambrose didn’t make her feel the same way. For the first time in as long as she could remember, Idalia squirmed in her seat.
She was her mother’s daughter though and would show no weakness before her. So she set her shoulders straight and returned the look with a dark glare of her own.
“What do you get from this?”
“Other than reuniting my family?”
This time he didn’t offer her a response. He only waited patiently.
“Look, Mr. Delmario, with Ace we can present a united front. Obviously, she’ll stop whatever nonsense she’s been up to for the past year. Then we will be able to defeat the Fae once more. It’s as simple as that.”
“I’m afraid this situation is far from simple, but I appreciate your honesty.”
If only he knew…
They would be more than just a united front. With the rest of her family raised from the dead and with the strength and communion with the gods that comes with resurrection, they could take down any opponent. Not to mention, if they could do the whole glowing sword thing Ace had done yesterday…the possibilities were endless. She forced herself not to think about that though. It was clear this man had access to her mind in ways he shouldn’t.
“May I ask you a question then?” Idalia leaned forward.
“You may.”
“What is that warlock to my sister?”
Why had Ace thrown herself in front of him in such a way that could have risked her own life?
The moment was so subtle, Idalia almost missed it, but Rehan’s jaw clenched tightly before he exhaled slowly. “They are…” He paused and the whole room waited on his answer. His thumbs spun circles around each other as he thought, chewing on his lip before he finally settled on, “They are friends with common goals.”
The real answer was in the small ways Rehan had fidgeted. Idalia had a small glimpse of it yesterday, enough to pique her interest. There was something more than friendship between her sister and the warlock. Either Rehan knew about it or…
