Hunter's Season (Elder Races #4.7)(5)

Riordan said cynically, “It doesn’t matter whether or not we know that the case has any merit. The pursuant always has plenty of time to present their case and whatever they claim as true findings. That’s simply how the Dark Fae justice system works. What you and Niniane achieved when you tried and executed the conspirators involved in the coup that killed her family was highly unusual, and that was because it involved the Queen herself, imprisonment of powerful nobility and high treason.”

“Naida’s family is claiming you were treasonous,” Tiago said.

“Not quite treason, in the legal sense,” said Riordan. “Niniane had not yet been crowned. The best they can hope for is a charge of conspiracy. Since I was so much older than Naida and she was so young when we married, and all of Naida’s crimes were supposedly on my behalf, they’re claiming that I exerted ‘undue influence’ over her. Anyway, as you know only the government can instigate criminal cases. Since this is a personal suit and not an affair of the crown, the only thing they can hope to gain is monetary compensation.”

“So they’re being greedy,” said Tiago after a moment.

“Yes,” said Riordan flatly. “And to be brutally fair, they’re also angry and they’ve suffered a loss, not only in terms of family but also their reputation.”

“Well, the person they should be angry with is dead, and there isn’t any evidence you had anything to do with it. I had you investigated myself.”

“Of course you did,” said Riordan. “I would have had me investigated as well.”

Xanthe swallowed carefully, the food threatening to lodge in her throat. As she hadn’t been involved in any investigating, that was more news to her. But as she considered it, she couldn’t say she was surprised.

The Queen meant the world to the Wyr lord, and he was one of the most dangerous men she had ever met. He would have left no stone unturned in his investigation of Riordan. Even if he had not found any evidence, if he had the slightest suspicion that Riordan might have been involved in something that could potentially harm the Queen, Riordan was a dead man.

Having just killed a man herself on the Wyr lord’s orders, she should know.

Chapter Two

Law

At first the silent woman in the soldier’s uniform hadn’t interested Aubrey, other than he took note of how openly Tiago talked in front of her.

Although Tiago and Niniane never flaunted anything in public, they were a love match. The Wyr was obsessed with anything to do with his mate, and her safety and wellbeing. If Tiago relaxed and talked in front of this woman, then Aubrey could too.

Gradually, though, the woman’s very silence drew Aubrey’s attention. He glanced at her from time to time, noting various details, how precisely and smoothly she cut her food, the utter expressionlessness in her face, how she never looked up once from her meal. She embodied polite distance, her entire demeanor proclaiming that an invisible wall existed between her and the two men.

A patter of quick, light footsteps sounded on the terrace flagstones, and Tiago’s harsh, forbidding features lit up. The woman shot to her feet and stood at attention. Aubrey and Tiago stood at a more leisurely pace as Niniane Lorelle, the Dark Fae Queen swept into their presence, chatting as she came toward them.

“Sorry I am late—oh good, you didn’t wait for me. Good morning, Aubrey.”

“Good morning, my dear.” He bent his head to receive Niniane’s kiss on the cheek.

She was dressed for personal comfort rather than for state, in simple dark tunic and leggings. She was dainty in every way, and while she wasn’t precisely beautiful, she had a warmth and effervescence that could always banish the darkness in Aubrey’s soul, at least for a while. She was the child of his long dead friends, and the only Lorelle left alive, and he had grown to love her like he would if she were his own daughter.

Still talking, she moved around the table to Tiago. “Hello, darling.” Niniane lifted her face for Tiago’s kiss, which he delivered to her mouth with relish. “I’ve just come from the nursery. I wanted to check on the girl. She is adorable, but she still won’t say anything about where she came from or who she really is, and she insists that her name is Mouse.”

“At least she’s talking to you and the nurse,” said Tiago. “She wouldn’t say a word to me. I frightened her too much.”

Niniane gave him a wry grimace. “The nearest I can tell, she has got to be around six years old. Given how ingrained the dirt was on her, and how matted her hair, I think it’s possible she might have lived on the streets for some time. If that’s the case, I think she might have changed into her cat form and stayed that way to survive. I sent someone this morning to Chicago to do some investigating. For all we know, there might be pictures of her on milk cartons.” Her expression turned troubled. “I suppose we shouldn’t keep her, should we?”

Tiago shook his head, his face gentling. “No, faerie. It would not be fair to a young Wyr to be fostered among the Dark Fae. Housecat Wyr have life spans akin to humans. That would not matter at first, but eventually she would grow old while everyone she grew to care about would not. She needs a good home with her own kind.”

Niniane’s shoulders drooped. “I knew that,” she muttered. “I just needed to hear you say it to me.”

As the two talked, Aubrey glanced at the soldier again. Hands tucked behind her back, she regarded her half eaten plate of food as though it was the only thing in the world of interest to her. A corner of Aubrey’s mouth lifted. She was really quite good.