The Rebels of Gold (Loom Saga #3)(112)

Perhaps, her plain attire and immediate attendance of his summons would remind him of that fact. The fact that she had come to him promptly at his command, despite their last disastrous encounter in his war room—a confrontation neither had yet made any motions to reconcile.

The Red Room was on the opposite side of the estate from Coletta’s garden. As such, she had ample time to anticipate the mood her Dono might be in. Her general preparation was for bad, worse, and downright volatile.

A Rider posted at the door regarded her warily. It was an uncommon summons to be sure. Coletta gave a tilt of her head and a small uncharacteristic smile, just enough to see the man unnerved by his Ryu’s unexpected behavior.

“The Rok’Ryu, Dono,” the Rider announced as he opened the door for her.

“Thank you,” Coletta said demurely, but still clearly dismissive.

The man nodded and promptly departed. Coletta listened closely to his footsteps, making sure they left his post. She waited until they faded. Only then did she turn her eyes to her mate to see what fate had in store for her.

“It’s not enough,” he growled.

“What isn’t?”

“Everything.” Yveun’s claws shot from his fingertips. “None of it is enough.”

So, it was to remain war between them. Her prompt presence had done nothing to smooth over the agitation of the past, or remind him of the natural roles they’d filled for so long and that had served them so well. “I offered you victory in this war. You would not take it.”

“No, you offered me monstrosities made from the skin of our own family.” He rose like a thundering god. “I am tasked with protecting House Rok.”

“The success of House Rok is all I have ever worked for. It is all I have ever dirtied my hands for and manipulated the shadows for.”

Yveun stalked toward her. Coletta wondered if he realized how weak, how out of control, it made him look. Kings never descended. Not for their mates, not for anyone.

“You lost our gold.”

It was stolen.

“You lost the loyalty of House Tam.”

A loyalty Coletta had bought herself over the years.

“You sent away Fae, splitting our power. There have been no reports from her for over a week. Coletta, if she—”

“Need I remind you that she is a tool, Yveun?” Coletta snarled, no longer able to keep her mouth shut. She was pushed to a rare point, and there was no going back now. “She was a distraction for you, I see now. She did not make us strong, but weak. Good riddance if the Fen have killed her.”

“You would do well to not say such things to me.” Yveun motioned toward her and Coletta grabbed his wrist with a speed that surprised her mate. His head reared back slightly, like a serpent ready to strike.

“Do not point your claws at me,” she whispered dangerously. They sheathed on command. “Better.” Coletta released him and Yveun spun away, setting to pace like the pouting child he was. “Fae’s death would be tragic. But we can make more of her now. What made her strong could be as common as a cherry-skinned Dragon.”

“Not this again.” He stilled.

“Yveun,” she pleaded. Coletta hated begging. But she would beg, bargain, steal, and murder for her House. “I have ten Perfect Dragons—”

“You continued, despite my direct order?” He looked at her with a gaze that was no doubt an attempt to make her feel small.

“I did.” His stare had no effect on her. “And we can begin to shift the tides if we set them free. If you bring me three, two, just one Xin, I can produce them faster.”

“I needed you to be producing gold for Tam.”

“The refineries are a sham!” Coletta’s claws plunged into the air. “All knew it from the moment they were commissioned. But I allowed you your fantasies. Refineries are effective on Loom because of their systems and resources. But their gold stores have been tapped dry and my contact tells me that they have not resumed production again with the guilds as they are.”

“You.” He pointed at her again, without his claws this time. “You told me, you encouraged me, to destroy the guilds.”

“And it was the right choice.” She stood by the decision without remorse. “But it is still the world we live in, the world we must adapt to.”

Yveun growled and set to pacing again. “Tam is useless and disloyal. Xin fights like Fen. The Fen fight worse than Fen. We have three fronts and make headway on none of them!”

“We’ve made ample headway, if you would only see it as such.” Coletta refrained from pointing out that he was making a fourth front by stoking a rift between them.

“It’s because I’m not there.” Yveun stopped moving, as if punctuating the words. He spoke mostly to himself. “It is because I have been invisible to my people.”

“Yveun—” This was dangerous. This was wild autonomy fueled by frustration and blood lust.

“I will go fight.”

“My Dono, I implore you to rethink.” Coletta felt as though she was scolding a child and not a man nearing ninety.

“You have done enough holding me back.”

The words stung. No, not the words—the shock of them, the outright audacity. Anger flashed hot in her blood, a response very few could draw from her, but it was there. Coletta cooled it. If one let it linger, anger was a poison for which there was no antidote.