Shadow Hunter (Court of Life and Death Book 2)

like he hadn’t bathed in a week, but that didn’t adversely affect his beauty in the slightest. His chocolate brown curls fell freely over his sun-kissed forehead. Even as a dirty prisoner, the Seelie General’s beauty was unmistakable.
At the back wall of the room sat a wide podium with ten fae, a mix of men and women, Seelie and Unseelie, none looking very old. That didn’t mean they weren’t, of course. Most fae had a propensity for looking younger than they were. It was one of the many ways they could cause trouble. Syrion had told me all he could about the fae and their realm before allowing us to begin this mission.
A male fae toward the middle of the podium spoke first. “Y-your Majesties! I apologize, but we are preoccupied. The council would be happy to see you at a different time-”
“We came for the trial of Kalian,” I announced. “You can’t convict him of-”
“Excuse me,” another fae at the podium said, his expression clearly dismissive. “If you’ve come to disrupt the court as some form of grand protest, you’ve come to the wrong realm. We take our system very seriously here, and we don’t have time for the silly games of a silly girl. Please leave at once.”
Oh. Fuck. No.
Before I could open my mouth to defend myself, Daath’s voice boomed throughout the room from behind me. “This girl is our Queen, Myrcedes. Minerva tried to have her killed, and that clearly didn’t go her way. Myrcedes is nothing less than our equal, and any amount of disrespect shown to her is equal to disrespect of us. I believe everyone is aware of the consequences of disrespecting your King.” As he spoke, a growl flared in his voice. The energy that emanated from us in the Underworld wasn’t visible here, but I could tell if it had been, his would be flaring, and I was thankful for it.
The members of the council, the one that had interrupted me in particular, looked as though they’d seen a ghost. I couldn’t help it as a small grin of satisfaction made its way to my face. I felt a sudden grand sense of confidence and importance. When I sensed Daath had finished speaking, I continued.
“He’s correct. Minerva tried to kill me because she didn’t want me to take my rightful place. And in return for attempted murder and for torturing the Kings, I reduced your Queen to a pile of dust.” The hall quickly filled with voices, most in disbelief. “Kalian is a hero. He risked his life for the good of the universe, but he did not have a hand in Minerva’s murder. Even if he had, it’s not as though your Queen was innocent.” I sneered. “She had innocent people killed and hurt, she separated families, and she burnt homes to the ground while the mothers were still inside.” I struggled to keep my voice from breaking and just barely succeeded, but then I paused.
At the mention of families and homes, I sensed a shift in the air, followed by a visual shift in the court. All of a sudden, the previously stony council of fae began to adjust their posture in their seats. They looked down, sideways, then back up, and hid their hands in their laps. The energy in the room changed from one of fear, curiosity, and reverence to one of… knowledge. And guilt.
They all knew, I proclaimed only to Syrion and Daath. The mental connection between the three of us was so strong that we were able to communicate without physically speaking. As I realized what was going on, my pulse quickened, and my anger multiplied. They knew. They knew! Some of them must have helped her. You said these council members are the oldest fae. They must have been there since the beginning. They helped her, I know it.
I took an aggressive step forward, and my hand twitched for my knife, but I heard Syrion shout in my mind, Stop!
I paused. What?
Little owl, Daath began. You are most likely right. But this isn’t the time or place. You just told the entire fae realm that you killed their Queen. Your next step shouldn’t be publicly executing the entire court.
I can’t let them get away with-
They will not, Syrion cooed in a soothing tone. They’ll pay the price, and we will make sure of it, and soon. But you have no evidence and no names. We told you we trust you, and we do, and we will follow your lead. But you must also know that we’ve been doing this for millennia and trust our advice when necessary. Diplomacy is vital unless you want to start a war with the realm of the fae.
I took a deep breath. No. You’re right.
Besides, Daath pointed out. You have a different focus right now.
Kalian. I nodded and took another, less aggressive step toward the council.
“Minerva was a threat to the balance of the Universe and all within it, including this realm. General Kalian sacrificed his safety to save it. Without his help, she may have succeeded in my assassination and continued to torture the Kings.”
“You have your own justice system here,” Syrion stepped forward. “We respect that. But we came to make sure there was no oversight and that the General’s side of the story was heard.”
The fae that spoke first, an Unseelie man with pale porcelain skin, light brown hair, and dark lips that nearly quivered with fear, was once again the first to respond. This time his address was very intentional, including me.
“Your Majesties, we thank you for your presence. It has… provided much clarity on the subject. Perhaps he did not murder the late Queen, but he still faces the charges of treason and desertion.”
“Then perhaps it is time to hear his side of the story,” Syrion offered, his voice the same cold tone he always used, one that was impossible to argue with or resist.
The Unseelie hesitated before nodding. “Very well… General Kalian. Please