𝙳𝚊𝚛𝚔 𝙿𝚊𝚛𝚊𝚍𝚒𝚜𝚎(𝙰𝙲𝙾𝚃𝙰𝚁)

𝖈𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖊𝖗 𝖙𝖍𝖎𝖗𝖙𝖞-𝖔𝖓𝖊**

The others arrived late.

We took our seats around the reflection pool, Thesan's impeccably mannered attendants bringing us plates of food and goblets of exotic juices from the tables against the wall. Conversation halted and flowed, Mor and Viviane sitting next to each other to catch up on what seemed like fifty years worth of gossip.

"Tarquin is here," Thesan announced an hour later. An uncomfortable silence spread.

"Heard about the blood rubies." Helion smirked at Rhys, toying with the golden cuff on his bicep. "That is a story I want you to tell."

"All in good time," Rhys promised.

But then Tarquin cleared the top step into the chamber, Varian and Cresseida flanking him. Varian glanced among us for someone who was not there—and glowered when he beheld Cassian. Cassian just gave him a cocky grin.

Tarquin ignored all of us, Rhys's wings included—as he made vague apologies for the tardiness, blaming it on the attack. He and Helion were nearly as tense, and only Thesan seemed to be on decent terms with him. Kallias had become even colder—distant.

An attendant whispered to Thesan that Beron and all of his sons had arrived. The smile instantly vanished from Mor's mouth, her eyes.

    Evelina shifted uncomfortably, letting Azriel's wing wrap around her. His shadows were busy hiding her cleavage and midrift, as well as tugging down her skirt.

I was seated between Nesta and Morrigan. I took Mor's hand in mine and gave it a gentle squeeze, just as she had done for me when we entered.

Nesta glanced down at our hands, but her face remained emotionless. She trained her focus back on the scene in front of her.

The violence simmering off my friends was enough to boil the pool at our toes as the High Lord of Autumn filed through the archway, his sons in rank behind him, his wife, Marzia, at his side.

Her russet eyes scanned the room, as if looking for that missing son. They settled instead on Helion, who gave her a mocking incline of his dark head. She quickly averted her gaze. Oh, everyone knew all about their affair. I felt for the poor female. Being married to Beron could not have been pleasant.

Eve lifted her head to meet the female's gaze, a sad longing in her eyes. I knew how much she cared for the female.

    Marzia had been a second mother to her. Eve had always felt like she betrayed her by leaving her behind. Marzia gave Eve a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.

Rhys smoothly greeted him, though his power was a dark mountain shuddering beneath us, "Its no surprise that you're tardy, given that your own sons were too slow to catch my mate. I suppose it runs in the family."

"Mate—and High Lady," Beron observed.

Eris's attention shifted to Mor, sweeping over her with a disdain that made me see red. Mor only stared blankly at him. Bored. I squeezed her hand again.

"Rhysand, you have called this meeting. Pushed us to gather sooner than we intended. Now would be the time to explain what is so urgent?" Thesan asked.

"Surely the invading armies landing on our shores explain enough," Rhys said.

"So you have called us to do what, exactly?" Helion challenged, bracing his forearms on his muscled, gleaming thighs. "Raise a unified army?"

"Among other things," Rhys said mildly. "We—"

But then the door swung open. And Tamlin appeared, smiling like a wolf.