When half the jug had been emptied, Darian drank from his goblet and let out a satisfied sigh. “Thank you, Kenric.”
I swallowed down some of the liquid from my own goblet, surprised to find that the alcohol didn’t burn at all. I guess when you have literal fire inside of you, an alcoholic drink just doesn’t quite cut it anymore.Well, damn.
“How many other houses have arrived?” Kade asked after draining his goblet in one go.
Darian tilted his head. “Along with the House of Axeran, we now also have Borren and the demons from the House of Thorem, and a number of the lower houses. It seems that Cordelia and the sirens of the House of Saceris have sided with Warrick, as have the vampires of the House of Nesarin.”
Cordelia?I clenched my jaw at the name of the siren who’d betrayed Darian to become alpha of the House of Saceris. Darian had loved her deeply, and she’d rewarded that love by conspiring against him.
“It’s no surprise Cordelia would side with Warrick,” Asher said. “Warrick probably offered her riches and power if she allied with him. We all know that female has no loyalty.”
Darian didn’t react to Asher’s comment, but I knew how much Cordelia had hurt him, and I moved my leg, sliding it on top of Darian’s. He ran his fingers along my calf, but when he stared at me there wasn’t a trace of pain in his crystal blue gaze.
Locke folded his arms across his chest. “The vampires won’t turn from Warrick either. I’m sure they believe in Warrick’s cause, even if they’re uncomfortable with the idea of him having power over all of them.”
“What about the wolves?” Kade asked, his nostrils flaring.
“Nic just announced that the House of Worzel will be here shortly,” Locke confirmed. “Some of the packs from the lower houses are already here.”
My heart began to race at the news. Darian and the others had filled me in on everything that had happened when I’d been taken by Zacal and his wolves. Apparently, because Kade had killed Zacal in his wolf form, he was now the rightful alpha of the House of Worzel again. While I was happy for him, the thought made my insides twist.Will he leave us for them?Kade had stayed away from the House of Worzel because he’d thought he was the reason many of the wolves were murdered years ago, but now that the truth was out that it was Zacal and Warrick who’d been behind it, I couldn’t help but think just maybe he’d want to return to his pack.
Sensing my distress, Kade grabbed my hand closest to him, and his golden eyes bored into mine. “Nothing could change the fact you’re my mate, Mahare. I won’t leave you.”
I smiled weakly. I wanted to believe him, but I knew the rules in Katakin. When it came to the houses, especially a high house, monsters mated with those who were the same kind and who belonged to their house. I wasn’t a wolf, and his pack would never accept me. My monsters talked about wanting to place their mating marks on me, but it was easier to entertain that fantasy when there wasn’t a house of wolves expecting Kade to lead them.
“What ’bout the House of Faren?” Asher asked, referring to the high house of Shadows. I remembered the house alpha, Mabel, with her unnerving milky, white eyes.
Darian tipped back the rest of his drink and poured more liquid into his goblet before shaking his head. “As far as I’ve heard, the consensus is that the wraith has allied with Warrick, but no one is particularly certain.”
“Does that mean she might still join us?” I asked hopefully.
Darian shrugged. “Mabel always acts in her best interests, and she’s let it be known more than once that she believes becoming a monster was one of the best things to happen to her. I guess it comes down to what Warrick is offering her.”
I ticked off the high houses in my head. “So, out of the high houses, four have sided with the rebels along with many of the low houses…” I trailed off as I remembered what Lyr had said nights ago. That the monsters who had joined the rebellion were the ones who wished to be human again. “So all of these monsters really want to be human?” I questioned, still finding it hard to believe.
Locke was the one to answer me. “The rebellion started that way. Now there are also many who have joined because they know removing the curse may be the only way to defeat Warrick and his outliers. But yes, there are many monsters who want to be human again. They’ve simply never been able to talk about it until now.”
I wrinkled my brow, deep in thought. “Well, whatever the reason, having four out of seven high houses joining the rebellion is great, right?”
“The lower houses follow the lead of the higher houses,” Kade replied. “With the three high houses still allied with Warrick, he still has a sizeable portion of the Katakin monsters on his side. And that’s not including his entire army of outliers.”
“And we have no idea when the fae army will get here,” I added grimly.
“Don’t sound so bleak. Four houses is still promisin’,” Asher said casually, though his arm tightened around me like he was imagining taking me away somewhere safe, far from the war. How I’d ever thought the demon was terrifying was beyond me.
“You do know I’m a dragon shifter now, right?” I said with a smile and a puff of smoke left my nose. It was as if my monsters had become even more protective since I’d changed, and my dragon wasn’t a fan of being coddled.
Darian arched a brow at me.
“My dragon is getting antsy at being kept inside,” I said with a shrug. “I’m finding it hard to keep from shifting.” My gaze went to the singed sheets, and I smiled sheepishly.
“You’re not the only one who’s restless,” Locke commented.
I went to ask more about the situation in the hideout, but before I could speak someone pounded on the door. Darian downed the rest of his wine as Locke opened the door a crack, careful to block anyone from seeing into the room. I’m not really sure why he bothered. I mean, sure, Asher, Kade, and I were butt naked, but I was a shifter now. Everyone was going to see my bits eventually.
“What is it?” Locke asked icily.
“The House of Worzel has arrived,” Nic’s gravelly voice replied. “The council is convening.” I shared a look with my monsters and started lifting from my position against Asher.Here we go.
