Eyes still closed, I slipped my hand further under my pillow and grabbed my gun, glad I had been paranoid enough to sleep with it under my pillow instead of under the bed like normal. I swallowed and then pressed down on Ezra’s leg under the covers hard enough to wake him. He grunted quietly and re-positioned his leg…and I almost sighed in frustration before I heard him inhale sharply and feel his hand tighten on me. This time, I was truly happy for his damn Vampire nose, he having smelled my panic, his heart rate fluctuating a moment, then evening out to normal, more than likely just as mine had done.
I coughed loudly as I thumbed the safety off my gun, Ezra’s grip on me tightening. His thumb tapped once on my stomach. Bumped twice. And right when he thumped it a third time, we leapt out of bed. Jack and Pearl both started awake, the blanket flying off them as Ezra and I both growled, our predators taking voice, our eyes glowing fiercely. Keeping the gun behind my back, Ezra at my side, we crept toward where my nose led me even though there appeared to be nothing under the moonlight of the spelled ceiling. Jack and Pearl were instantly behind us with their own eyes glowing, not asking questions, but still with us. I stopped, everyone halting with me. I glanced at Ezra, and we split apart, both of us going wide at the living room, Pearl and Jack staying stationary. And I growled low, “Show yourselves.”
In a whoosh, there was a flare of golden light taking up the entirety of our living room, its boundary an inch from my nose, and then it disappeared.
I was left staring at approximately forty individuals, dressed from head to toe in black and appearing like shadows under the moonlight, only the fact that their eyes glowed at us in blues, greens, browns, and golds proving they were real and not ghouls, even though they might as well have been. My heart stuttered, then pounded furiously as the four of us took a few steps backward, putting more room between us and them. Fear rode me hard at knowing the odds weren’t good, while self-anger hit me for not making Ezra and myself leave this place sooner, but hope entered when I saw Antonio, Cahal, Elder Merrick, and Elder Jacobs rush into the room through gaps in the ghouls’ ranks, all four of them in their pajamas and looking frazzled as they stepped through our broken-in door, the spell taking all but Antonio for a ride.
“What’s going on here?” Cahal demanded, his voice shaking in anger, eyes assessing.
Elder Harcourt suddenly blinked into appearance to the left, in front of the ghouls’ frontline, not dressed in black but in a golden ceremonial robe. He was resting back against the wall, his hands clasped before him and his face solemn, and he ordered, “Someone hit the lights, please.” The golden sparks flared to life. Unfortunately, the added light didn’t make the group in front of us appear any less intimidating, every single one of the individuals built like badasses under their tight-fitting black outfits, most definitely all males. When Cahal growled, since his question hadn’t been answered, Elder Harcourt stated, “Today, a Law passed concerning two Mysticals of different factions having sexual relations.”
I stilled but tried my hardest to keep my heartbeat normal. No one had seen anything torrid, only the four of us sleeping in bed together. They had no proof if I could keep it together.
Elder Harcourt’s gaze traveled, meeting not only Ezra’s gaze and mine, but Jack’s and Pearl’s as well. “Once someone brings a charge to me, the senior Elder, I am spellbound to uphold the Law if those charged are found guilty.”
Cahal’s Vampire sounded low and furious. “Exactly who has been charged and what are the specific charges?”
Elder Harcourt nodded. “King Zeller and Queen Ruckler are charged with possible sexual relations, and King Collins and Queen Cooper are also charged with possible sexual relations. The individual who came to me tonight stated he suspected after seeing multiple odd behaviors on all of their parts, including overhearing certain conversations between all parties on different occasions and even seeing all four of them nude together, doing…acts…in a hot tub,” he waved a hand, “such as two of them disappearing under the water for lengthy amounts of time.” He waved a hand again. “After the Law passed, he believed it to be in all of our best interests to inform me of this possible unLawful behavior.” He shrugged. “I must conduct a trial.”
I was ready to faint dead away, no longer able to keep it together, my gaze flying to Antonio through the mass of enforcers, which I was sure as hell that was what they were, sent to invade and capture the four current Rulers, knowing they would have a battle on their hands if we were found guilty. Antonio’s eyes met mine, and I almost dropped. His gaze said it all. This was exactly what he had seen, and he already knew the outcome. Trembling where I stood, I asked Elder Harcourt without taking my eyes off Antonio, “What is the penalty if found guilty?” They could have altered it since the last time we heard about it.
“Under the circumstances of a possible war, or actual war, I have the option to modify the ruling for Elders, Kings, and Queens.”
My breathing hitched, praying…
“If any of you are found guilty, seeing as you are the current Kings and Queens, I have the power to alleviate the normal jail sentence of five years, which I would do, so that the ruling would stand as a spelled memory wipe, and then a spelled separation.”
My vision swam, and I teetered to the side and stumbled a few steps, seeing Antonio’s reaction to the sentencing. His gaze had lowered, but I had still seen his chin tremble. I shook my head as a flood of tears flew down my cheeks, absolute despair reaching into my soul.
I was going to lose my husband.
Breath catching, I turned my attention to Ezra.
His jaw was clenched, unable to keep his pain hidden as he glared at Elder Harcourt, and he shouted, “Who the f**k brought these charges?”
Elder Harcourt actually smiled. “I thought you would never ask, King Zeller.” He waved his hand toward the back of the room, stating, “The charged seeks the accuser. Please step forward and identify yourself.”
There was a movement on the right, the side closest to me, as one of the men in black began moving forward. I wiped the tears off my face, but more tears came to take their place as I watched a man step out of the mass. His hands raised, and he took his mask off, his eyes intent on me as he stated bitterly, “My Queen should not be f**king the King Vampire.”
A jolt of Mage magic hit my body from the inside, and my gun suddenly pointed. I was unable to stop it, my Vampire speed showing for all to see as I put a bullet through his brain, the sound explosive in the small area.