Locating Madeleine Byrne was easy. She was one of the few witches in the crowd. However, my father had to call out to her because as soon as she saw us, she turned around.

She just confirmed Taro's accusations.

"Miss Byrne!"

She froze at my father's call, shoulders tense, then turned. Her wide blue eyes flickered from me to my father, a sharp contrast to the soft brown of her skin and her dark curls. She was a tall woman, as tall as my father with her heels. Dressed in a bronze dress that wrapped around her lithe form, she looked like she belonged on the cover of a magazine.

"Your highness," she bowed her head.

"Madeleine, I don't believe you've met my daughter, have you?"

"Not yet, no," she said, dipping her head my way. Her eyes didn't stay on mine for more than one second. "A pleasure to meet you, your highness."

"Call me Elle, please." I smiled. "I have a feeling we'll spend a lot of time together very soon."

She sputtered. "I-I don't..."

My father narrowed his eyes on her. Madeleine's face paled, her gaze flickering behind me.

"Here you are, my love," Arthur said, wrapping his arm around my waist. "Won't you introduce us?"

"Madeleine Byrne, Arthur," I said, not taking my eyes off her. She was almost wheezing, her chest moving rapidly. I almost felt sorry for her. But then uncle Robert's broken body flashed before my eyes and any feelings of pity for her died a swift death.

"Orion, Lord Tristan would love to have a word with you," Amelia said, putting her hand on my father's arm.

"Of course," he replied. With a last glance at Madeleine, he left.

Madeleine took a step back. "Um- I'll just-"

"No." Arthur spoke softly, but the word might have been a barked order from the way Madeleine froze. "Now, Miss Byrne, I've been dying to have a chat with you."

She swallowed. "I don't know if I have anything of interest to you, my lord."

"Oh, I can think of a few things." Arthur smiled.

She pursed her lips. "I don't believe the king will appreciate-"

"I don't give a fuck what the king wants," Arthur said, his voice soft and even. Madeleine sucked in a sharp breath, fear written in every feature of her face. "The room is a little too crowded for my taste at the moment. So we'll take our conversation elsewhere. What do you say?"

She opened her mouth, before she could utter a sound, Arthur said. "Perfect. Why don't you join my man over there?" He nodded his head to the side, where Marianno stood by the wall with Noah, watching us. "He'll keep you company."

Madeleine stared at the two men, unmoving.

"Go," Arthur said. She moved.

I patted his chest. "You can be scary when you want to."

"I'm always scary, my love."

I had no doubt.

"Ah, your uncle finally arrived."

I looked at the fuss near the door. "Damn my height," I mumbled and stood on my tiptoes.

Arthur's arm around my waist hoisted me up inches in the air. I grinned at him and looked over people's heads. A man stood at the door, wearing a crisp tux, his hands behind his back as he announced loudly. "His majesty, the Fae King. King Rion. Hail to the king!"

My uncle strode into the room and stood for a few seconds, letting people admire him in all of his glittering glory. He was dressed in a tuxedo, a red sash crossing his chest, and a velvety red cloak thrown over his shoulders edged in white fur. He sparkled from head to toe; his crown, his rings, his necklaces. A scepter held in his right hand, with the biggest emerald I'd even seen on its head.

My uncle really loved shoving his status down people's throats.

Behind him, his black-clad guards fanned out, all of them fae. Their eyes scanned the crowd.

Someone hit play and the king joined the crowd, no doubt cursing the mere commoners around him who would sully his majestic presence.

Arthur chuckled, putting me back down.

"What?" I asked.

"Your thoughts amuse me."

I stabbed his chest with my finger. "Keep out of my head."

"Your thoughts are leaking through the bond, my love."

"Oh. Okay, then."

Arthur's good humor vanished, his predatory gaze scanned the crowd, looking for something. Or someone.

"What are you looking for?"

"Rami," he said. "I don't see him anywhere."

Now that he mentioned it...

"Maybe he didn't want to attend?"

"Doubtful. The entire cabinet of the king is here tonight, everyone who's someone in the court."

Right then, Ryan pushed through the crowd towards them.

"Lord Arthur, dear cousin," he said, his smile tense. "How are you settling in?"

His heart pulsed in his neck. Why was he nervous?

Arthur raised his brow. "Perfectly well."

Ryan swallowed. "Good, good. It's only been two days sine you arrived, but things have been hectic around here, and I can only guess they'll get more hectic from now on."

I narrowed my eyes. Arthur's hand tightened on my waist. "Indeed."

Ryan's eyes flickered around us. "I wonder if you've met the king's advisor? He's been very busy these days."

"Is that so?" Arthur said, following Ryan's lead. "Any particular events?"

Ryan tugged on his bowie, his forehead glimmering with sweat. "Well, I'm not very sure. But maybe the king has some important confidential tasks for him."

So he didn't know. Arthur and I shared a glance, the fact that shit was about to hit the fan a heavy knowledge in my guts.

*** **** ***

The ball ended in an anticlimactic manner. After Ryan's warning, I had half expected the king's army to descend upon us and slaughter everyone in sight. But by midnight, the ball ended and we were all in one piece.

Rami hadn't made an appearance all night.

Marianno and Noah were waiting with Madeleine in our room. Irene and Charles weren't back from their mission yet.

"I trust no one knows she's here?" Arthur asked, closing the door behind us.

Noah shook his head from where he leaned against the window. I breathed out in relief. If a werewolf said no one spotted them, then no one spotted them.

The witch sat upright in a chair near the fireplace. Her shoulders tense and her face drawn. She looked like she aged ten years in one single night.

"Don't start without me." I headed to the closet.

Arthur removed his jacket and bowie, and rolled up his sleeves. "Take your time, my love. We have all night."

I kicked off the heels and wrangled myself out of the dress, immediately feeling lighter. That skirt was so damn heavy.

My t-shirt and cargo pants felt like heaven on my body. My boots followed. I strapped on my sword and looked at the mirror. My hair and makeup were still untouched, and I didn't want to waste time getting them off.

Arthur filled the chair, relaxed, his hands linked loosely on his flat stomach. I perched on the arm of his chair and looked at the witch.

"So, Marianno, anything of interest?" Arthur asked.

Marianno, standing behind the witch, gave a firm nod. The pleasant, charming man was gone, and in his face I saw the man behind the mask. A lethal soldier, a man who could read minds and riffle through memories. Or was this one the mask? I didn't know anymore.

"Her memories align with what our informer told us." Taro. "She was tasked by the king to make contact with Martin Malone almost a decade ago."

So Taro had been telling the truth. Madeleine's eyes widened. "Taro was the one who told you."

At least she was quick. Arthur nodded. "Yes. Did you know that Martin Malone was tasked with killing Robert and Elle?"

She clasped her hands in her lap, her knuckles white. "No."

Marianno gave a small shake of his head.

Arthur leaned forward, a smile on his face. "Do you know what I do to people who lie to me, Miss Byrne? I cut off their tongues. I have had that done to me once, and it's extremely painful." He spoke about it as if he was telling a bedtime story. The lack of inflection in his tone only made it more bone chilling. "You might choke on your blood, even with our fast regeneration rate.

"But you won't die, fortunately. Speaking and eating will be quite a challenge for a little while. As an immortal, you will be able to grow it back rather quickly. But if I also remove your eyes, your body will channel the regeneration energy to your eyes first."

Madeleine looked a little green.

"Now why don't you reconsider your answer," Arthur said slowly.

She opened her mouth and closed it a couple of times before a strangled whisper finally emerged. "At first, I-I didn't know what he wanted with Martin Malone. I simply followed the order. But after I secured a communication channel to Malone, the king made me his point of contact with the squad. I took care of their payment and relayed the orders. T-that's when I knew they were tasked to kill them."

I rose and walked to the window. The night outside was beautiful, if not for the bull cooking on fire.

So my uncle was the one who ordered the hit. Now we had proof and a witness. We could convict him in the court of the council. But the idea of waiting until the council deemed him guilty made anger unfurl in my guts and tinted my vision red.

My hands closed around the hilt of my sword, squeezing.

"I see. You will be our witness, then."

She swallowed. "I want immunity."

Arthur chuckled. "You misunderstand. You do not have a choice. You will bear witness against the king, or you will lose your life."

"They'll kill me either way," Madeleine murmured.

"Perhaps," Arthur said. "But believe me, witch. You don't want your life to be in my hands."

Madeleine lowered her head and whispered. "Alright."

"Do you regret it?" I asked her. Because try as much as I could, I couldn't squash off the feelings of pity.

She looked at me with a small smile. "We can only regret our choices."

"So you didn't have a choice?" I asked.

She pursed her lips to the side and looked away.

"My mate asked you a question."

She stiffened at Arthur's voice. "I'm not here on my own accord. My mother... She signed off her life and services to the royal line for three centuries. She only served one before she died on a mission. I have to fulfill the debt of my blood."

"Why would your mother do that?"

Shr shrugged. It must be quite personal if she didn't want to reveal it even under Arthur's pressing gaze. I sighed and looked at him.

Maybe we can get her a deal?

He shook his head. Your heart is too soft. She must be punished as she deserves.

I frowned. Well, she didn't have a choice.

We always have a choice, my love. Even under the most inconvenient of circumstances. She could've told someone about the attack, she could've...

His words cut off abruptly, head snapping up. Arthur's magic sharpened, a lethal beast sniffing the air. Then he jumped to his feet.

He pointed at Marianno on his way to the door. "Stay with the witch!"

Noah and I were halfway through the door when he cleared the hallway. Our steps echoed in the empty corridor, the sconces casting our shadows on the walls. I was so damn glad I was out of the dress and those damn heels.

Arthur had disappeared. And Noah would've followed him, too, if not for the fact he was supposed to be guarding me.

Down the hallway, up a flight of stairs. I stopped.

"Left," Noah said, tracking Arthur's scent.

The surroundings became more opulent. More paintings on the walls, fancier rugs on the ground, golden statues and gilded walls.

The corridor broke into a hall with several entrances. Several guards were running out of one entrance and into another, swords brandished and magic heavy. We followed.

"What's happening?" I asked, my voice drowned by the footsteps of more soldiers behind us. One of the guards answered me.

"The king is under attack!"

--- ---- ---

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