Page 81 of Rapunzel Unchained
Jetta jerked away from me.
I laughed, then turned my attention to Adam. “What’s this about?”
“I wanted to apologize.” Adam placed a hand on Carisa’s shoulder. She flinched at his touch, her snake slit eyes narrowing on him. “And show you that I’m on your side. You were right. So, we found these two for you, an apologetic offering, if you will. It’s your decision what happens next. Either way, I’ll make an announcement, and the humans will be freed.”
I shot a look at the two council members and then back at Adam. “So you would be okay if I snapped their necks right here in your house?”
Adam didn’t even flinch. “If that’s what you want.”
I stepped up to him, walking my fingertips up his chest. “And if I wanted to rip them apart, cover myself and all of you in their blood? What would you say to that?”
Gage grunted from behind me. Knowing my words turned him on made me want to do it, just so he could fuck me over theirbodies. And maybe I would, but I needed to hear it from Adam. That he’d stand by me if I chose to let my vengeance take control.
To my surprise, the dark hooded gaze Adam gave me made my thighs slick with need. “Then I’ll help you clean up the mess. Either way, no one will know it was you.”
This had me stepping back. “What?”
“I want you to get your revenge.” Adam reached out and brushed my blonde hair over my shoulder. “However, we’re not sure letting the public know that you were the one who caused this change is a good idea.”
I frowned, my insides swirling with confusion and rage. “Why?”
“Eva,” Zane stepped in, his voice soft. “If the people see that an outsider killed their leaders and made all these changes...”
“We’re afraid they’ll try to take you out next,” Luke interjected with a sad smile. “Can you blame us for not wanting to lose you?”
I opened my mouth to snap that I could take care of myself, but Blake spoke up then.
“We know you can take care of yourself, Eva.” Blake brushed my arm with his hand. “But you don’t have to do it alone anymore. We want to take care of you. Protect you from this world. Please let us protect you.”
I peered up at Blake, unable to be angry at the pleading in his voice. Would it be so bad to let them take care of me? I’d been on my own since I was a kid.
Sure, I had Katana, but I was more of her student than her child. She didn’t tuck me in at night. Didn’t tell me stories when I was scared.
Even married to Midas, I didn’t feel loved, protected, or wanted. Not the way the five of them have made me feel.
“And did you talk to Rebecca and Nick about this?” I chewed on my lower lip. “This was their plan.”
Adam pinched my chin and turned my gaze back to his, his thumb pulling my lip from between my teeth. “They’re on board and actually agree this is the better idea. I’m the Arch Mage. It’s not unheard of for a new generation to make such drastic changes.”
“What are they going to say when their bodies show up?” I gestured toward the two bound mages.
Jetta’s expression had turned chalk white, his eyes wide as sweat beads down his brow. Carisa yelled through her gag, struggling uselessly against her bindings.
“They won’t even know they're dead.” Adam smirked. “We already had paperwork created with the charges being brought up against them.” He shot a look at the two of them, a hard look in his eyes. “The many, many illegal activities they participated in. To the public, they will be shipped to a high security anti-magic facility, and new mages will be appointed to their position on the council.”
“Us,” Luke announced happily.
I twirled around to look at them. “You? You’ll be the council?”
Gage shrugged a shoulder. “Why not? We know how we want the world to look in the future. We want this to be a place where everyone feels safe and free. And with you by our side,” he held his hand out to me, and I clasped it, “we can do anything.”
Those words filled in all the cracks of my heart. While I stood surrounded by the men who loved me, I found that the anger I’d been holding onto for so long, the rage that kept me going every single day, was... gone.
I didn’t know when it happened. When did I become... happy? Fulfilled? My situation wasn’t conventional by any means. It would scandalize the ladies of the court, definitely.
But the thought of those ladies finding out their queen had five men worshiping her made me smile.
Standing in front of the two council members, I pressed my lips together. They deserved to die a horrible, terrible death for what they’d done to the humans and mages. They deserved to have their insides ripped out and intestines fed down their throats until they choked on them.
