Calista swallowed hard and met my eyes.
“We’ll get through this,” I said to her, and she blinked a few times, before wiping at her eyes and nodding. My strong, clever advisor was back.
There was a knock at the door and my gut clenched. An unfit trial was a low blow after the shifter world had just lost so many people. The moment I was declared innocent, I was firing the entire council and killing Selene with my bare hands.
“Enter!” I shouted through gritted teeth.
It was Sabina, which only served to further piss me off. “You’re wanted for questioning,” she said, her white hair billowing slightly around her. They had sent the magic born to make sure I showed up and didn’t use mecca to create a scene.
Striding from the room, I made a point to step out in front. No one was leading me to trial. Once I descended the steps from the opulent second floor, I made my way into the formal living room, my head held high, pain buried deep inside. None of them would know how much my heart ached at the sight of the entire council, Selene with her familiar on her arm, and six of the lead alphas from the boroughs, all preparing to strip me of my crown.
Calista, Finn, and Sabina, who had followed me into the room, remained at my back as I addressed the group. “How dare you? How dare you declare an unfit trial as we all grieve the loss of our people? We’re at war, there’s no worse time for a coup.”
Selene seemed to have taken extra care with her hair and makeup today. Her red locks were pinned up in a mass of loose curls, her clothes very formal. She strode over and took center stage, just where she always like to be. She pinned me with a glare.
“Where were you when the fae attack began, Arianna?”
I growled. “That’s ‘Your Majesty.’ You haven’t stripped me of my crown yet.”
The council did turn slightly disapproving looks on her, but none of them said anything. It was like the decision was made before I even heard the reasons.
“Where were you, Selene? I didn’t see you when I blasted the entire hill with mecca magic and ended the attack! Saving thousands of shifters.”
Three of the alphas smiled, before being cut off by glares from the council. Maybe I could count on some of them to be on my side. A declaration of unfit to rule had to be unanimous.
Selene touched her cheek. “Where was I? Hmm, good question.” Suddenly she gestured to the large flat screen TV on the wall and I noticed there was a remote in her hand.
With one click the TV flared to life and I was looking upon the broken-down cabin, two figures on the screen. One was Kade and the other was me. Oh crap. I knew exactly what she had filmed here. It was the moment just after I had told him I hated him. Selene had been in the bushes watching us, recording us.
“I love you,” Kade said on the video, and just about every person in the room gasped. I even heard Calista huff from behind me. Finn snuggled closer to my side, both for comfort and because we both knew that we might have to fight our way out of this room.
The next images on the video recording sealed my fate. It showed me reaching up and kissing Kade with a ferocious intensity. A kiss of passion. A kiss of love.
Selene paused the screen so that it stopped on us mid-kiss and turned to me. “Arianna, of the red line, you are unfit to rule the wolf shifters. Your affair with the bear king has blinded your judgment and allowed a war with the fae to brew and seep over into our lives, costing us greatly. I call for a motion to dethrone you and banish you from the boroughs. From the mecca. All in favor say ‘aye.’”
“Wait!” I commanded, stepping closer to Selene as realization hit me. “It was you who cloaked the energy so I wouldn’t sense the fae attack. You and Sabina…” I shot a look at the magic born, who remained expressionless.
My protests were pointless, completely ignored as the ayes began rolling in. One by one the council and alphas agreed with Selene’s motion. Right up until there was one alpha left.
It was Roger, a diehard separate race fanatic. I realized now that Selene had only invited the alphas who were hardcore about the rules. I knew I was screwed, but I tried anyway.
“Don’t do this. The mecca is broken, but I can fix it. I can fix it and the fae will leave us alone.”
Roger just shook his head. “You took an oath.” Then he looked at Selene. “Aye.”
The people had spoken, and I was worse than a failed heir. I was a failed queen. Torine moved in front of me, sharp blade clutched in his right hand. “I must unbind the mecca to you and then tie it to Selene.”
I saw the special goblet in his other hand. Selene had planned this entire thing, and she clearly had the council’s approval. Calista stepped forward now, glaring at every wolf in the room.
“She’ll never be fully separated from the mecca. Only in death. Arianna will always be the true queen. Selene is just a diluted replacement. I hope you’re all happy with your choice. You may have doomed us all.”
Torine growled before slicing my wrist and pouring my blood into the mecca cup. I just stood there in shock, trying to figure out a way to salvage this. When the cup was nearly full, he stopped and knelt to Finn, holding the sword out.
Finn crouched low and gave a deep growl.
“Cut him and lose your head,” I warned.
Torine stood and backed up a few paces, handing the cup to Selene. “It’s good enough,” he said to her before he cut her wrist, allowing the blood to drain into the cup, mixing with mine.
The moment our blood touched I felt an awful invasion, a presence within my own body. Selene. As the cup drained, her presence washed away, but so did most of the mecca from within me. There was still a good amount there, but it was half what it used to be. Selene took a deep breath as the mecca power surged within her.