“Well, how lucky I am to have such an experienced man paving the way for me.”
Luxuros choked on a laugh, leaning against the wall as he watched Astra’s cheeks flush. Mirquios sighed. “That’s not?—”
“No!” she barked. “I am thrilled to have all of you plotting on my behalf. Between you, my mother, and the commander, I merely have to decide which pretty dress I’ll wear each morning. Imagine the godsdamned mess I’d be in if someone actually presented me with information and let me make my own decision. The havoc I’d wreak!”
“Princess,” Mirquios protested.
Astra held up her hand, letting a spark flicker to life on the end of her fingers, controlling the burn into a perfectly curled flame.
“Go on.” Astra’s lip curled in a sneer. “Or do I need your permission to speak, my king?”
“Spitting fucking image,” Maeve chuckled to herself.
Astra blew out the flame, a wisp of smoke rippling between them.
“Allain is in her office,” Maeve said to Mirquios. “Why don’t you and the commander?—”
A clambering in the stairwell broke her concentration, feet slamming against the landing and ripping the door open. The barkeep from upstairs huffed and clutched his chest as he stormed into the room.
“What in all two thousand and forty-eight gods is a Lunarian Queen doing in my bar?” He glared at Astra, her mind hazed by his question.
“I’m no que?—”
“Not you. Her.” He pointed upstairs and a dozen eyes followed his finger to the ceiling.
She closed her eyes, honing in on the energy above. An icy cloud of rose petals and silver stars waited, tapping her foot.
“Oh, shit,” Astra whispered.
Lux watched her face.
“Send her down,” the king said to the bewildered barkeep.
“She knows why we’re here.”
Chapter
Thirty-Four
As she stepped into the basement, Astra realized she’d never seen Lunelle in pants.
Gone was the demure princess who nodded and smiled at all the right moments. Before them was a warrior queen, seconds away from destroying each of them.
Lunelle was wrapped in black leather, her hair braided into a tight crown at the top of her head, glowing softly as she pulled back her hood. Her eyes glowed with a rage that felt an awful lot like Oestera’s.
Maeve’s eyes danced at the sight of her, darting quickly between the four of them. “Well, now. What a strange turn of events.”
“We had a deal,” Lunelle said softly, but sternly, to Mirquios.
The king gestured toward Astra. “I’m not breaking any of our rules.” His tone struck a familiar cord in Astra’s ears.
“Did she walk here?” Lunelle asked, pointing to her sister. It was perhaps the angriest Astra had ever seen her. “I was clear about taking her into the Rift, Mirq.”
The edge in Lunelle’s tone took Astra by such surprise, she physically stumbled. Lux’s hand reflexively reached for her shoulder to steady her.
“Lu,” Mirquios started, holding his hands out to calm her. Her silver eyes flashed with another lightning bolt of rage.
“Good gods, Mirquios, now you’ve pissed them both off.” Maeve clicked her tongue and chuckled as she crossed the room. “Who do you put your money on for the final blow, Commander? Fire or Ice?”
