Reclaimed (Shadow Beast Shifters, #2)(64)

Clearly the ice queen was not worthy of the beast.





31





“Tell me what my family have been up to.”

Not a surprising question. Shadow had been waiting a long time to destroy his sister and information from Ixana might give him an advantage.

She straightened even further if that were possible. It was either a steel rod down her spine or a stick up her as—

“That is why I pulled you out so suddenly,” she said in a rush, interrupting my super important petty as fuck thoughts. “Cristell has ruled with complete control and fear since you left, and in that time, your family has amassed a lot of power in their corner. The other kingdoms are so weak comparatively, giving yours the ultimate control. There’s no fairness or justice any longer, and since your sister has been on the throne, they have gathered so many creatures that it would be next to impossible to defeat them without help.”

Shadow shot to his feet, the solid table shifting with the movement. “Return my stone to me, and the power I should have always had is what I’ll use to defeat Cristell.”

I had no idea where the staff—and Shadow’s stone more importantly—even was. It had disappeared from sight the moment we’d followed her into this room. Ixana was a smart little witch, concealing her one reason to hold the beast here. I mean, outside of their true mate thing.

Yeah, whatever.

“Here’s the truth,” Ixana said, her voice softer than ever. “I can’t give you the stone.”

Shadow’s flames filled the room, so red against the white landscape. “You are very good with illusion, Ixana, I remember well, and I can’t take it from you without you showing it to me, but I can destroy the foundation of the world you’ve built here. Don’t test me.” She was getting the same warning as Cat-man, and it was not an empty threat.

Ixana swallowed but didn’t back down. “It’s the only power I have right now to keep my people safe from The Grey Lands,” she got out in a rush. “And honestly, as much as I’ve prayed for this moment with you, I cannot sacrifice them all for our bond. Not yet at least.”

“So… what is the plan?” Shadow bit out. “How do we amass this power you think I need to best my sister?”

Wishful thinking that she had one. Well, one that didn’t involve Shadow moving in here, lots of boning, and a bunch of fire-ice babies.

“We must gather even more creatures,” she said.

Well, color me fucking surprised. She did have a plan.

“If we gather enough, combined with your power and the bloodstone, you will have the means to take them on. Once the royal family falls, I have nothing more to worry about, and the stone is useless to me. Your family has hunted me since you were taken, and only here do they not touch me. Once they’re gone, I can return to The Concordes.”

Shadow’s face was calm. His eyes were not. I wondered if she knew the signs since it had been a damn long time since they’d been together, and I would have bet everything I owned—except my library—Shadow had been a hell of a lot kinder before he’d been booted out into the universe and forced to survive.

She didn’t know this version of him, one that was a rotten bastard, with enough power to be considered a fucking god in multiple worlds. He didn’t like to be denied shit, and he sure as hell didn’t like to put a halt to his plans again.

“Okay,” he said, retaking his seat.

Sorry, what? I shook my head, like I could clear my ears out. Had he just said okay?

“How many creatures do we need?”

He had! He’d fucking said okay, and now they were discussing their plans like a married couple.

“You will need at least a thousand,” she replied, excitement finally crossing her face. “I’ve built a paradise here, but beyond my village, the rest of The Grey Lands is as you remember. Barren and dangerous. We will find our creatures out there.”

Shadow’s jaw was twitching. “A thousand? What’s your plan to bond that many to us?”

Before she could answer, I got to my feet, drawing their attention. “I think I’ll take you up on that offer of freshening up,” I said saltily. “There’s a lot of bullshit in the air, and I think a bit landed on me.”

Ixana looked confused, so there was maybe not a great translation available for that little dig. Shame. Shadow, on the other hand, understood me perfectly.

“Mera,” he growled.

I smiled sweetly at him. “Yes, Darkor?”

He didn’t like me using his name, not at all, as his fingers tapped a hole into the side of the table, and if I’d been closer, the heat on his body would have had me positively sweating.

“Don’t push me, little wolf,” he murmured, and my stupid heart clenched for a beat.

“Wouldn’t think of it,” I replied, managing to keep my tone even.

Ixana, clearly done with our verbal foreplay, waved her guard over. “Please show the shifter to her room, and if anyone touches her without her permission, I will personally send them out beyond the fence.”

The bird-girl she’d called over to guide me actually paled. Her yellow-feathered face turned into a peach color, and that was the weirdest shit I’d seen today. “I will guard her with my life,” Birdy said.