When I closed the door as I exited, I could smell their blood on me. I was shifted into Merfellen again, and her beastkin senses picked up the blood pretty easily. That wasn't ideal, but I couldn't do much about it here. I pulled the hood over my face as much as I could and made my way to the inn. I got a few confused looks from the beastkin I passed, but they left me alone. I noticed that most of the drakken and draco I passed didn't notice the scent. Their senses were likely much weaker than mine.

  I shifted back to my usual beastkin form in the alley next to the inn where no one would see me change, and headed inside to book a room. It wasn't that late yet, but I might be waiting a while for my friends to catch up with me. Even with their kleths, it would take some time for them to circle around the city and make it through the much busier gate. I would be alone with my thoughts while I waited for them.

  After I finished with the innkeeper, I moved across the courtyard to buy some stew from the nearby tavern. I wasn't hungry exactly, but I wanted some real food in me to help wash the taste of blood from my mouth. I took the bowl and sat outside at one of the stone tables set up there. I took a bite of the stew and sighed. Away from Luna, I was feeling a bit strange. This would be the first time in a while that I was just waiting somewhere by myself. My thoughts were in turmoil, especially after that massacre in the Clyclostro spy hideout, and I could use her comfort. I hadn't realized how much I relied on her to keep myself together.

  Luna and my friends often tried to reassure me that I wasn't a monster, but it was hard not to feel that way when I was eating people now too. It was mostly to sate the appetite of my umber hound half, but that didn't make me feel any better. I was thankfully past the stage where I would throw up after doing it at least. I took another bite of the stew. It felt like something that was helping me return to normalcy.

  I shouldn't feel bad for those people. Their explicit goal was to kill my wife and anyone protecting her just to get at Celeste. They were using Luna as a tool to psychologically torture my new mother-in-law. By all accounts, they were bad people. I should take any opportunity to grow stronger off the back of their deaths, but the logic of eating them and the reality of being a cannibal contrasted sharply in my mind. At the time, I had shoved away the insults the changeling queen had thrown at me, but I was now realizing that some of it stuck in my mind.

  After taking one last bite of stew, I set the bowl aside and looked around. This little courtyard had been where Luna and Milana had tested that lightning-shard glove. I could still see a scorch mark near the base of one of the fence posts that had been replaced after it had exploded. Looking at it made me smile a little despite my sour mood. I hoped my friends made it here soon. I didn't like being alone with my thoughts, but there wasn't much choice. All there was to do with myself was sit here and process everything that had happened today, whether I wanted to or not.

  Several long hours later, I finally saw my friends part from the crowd and enter the courtyard. Luna's eyes lit up in relief as she spotted me from the other side. The look on her face made me smile, and I gave her a small wave. The group made their way over to me and sat down around the stone table. It was barely large enough to fit all of them.

  "Did you find out anything?" Callisto asked.

  I frowned. I had been so preoccupied that I hadn't worked myself up to talking about this either. There wasn't any helping it though. I would just have to get right to the point. "Saiph is dead, strung up in the city plaza on pikes," I whispered.

  Celeste and Callisto both sharply inhaled at the news. "What happened?" Celeste asked, only barely keeping the growl rumbling in her chest in check.

  "He had the words 'Traitor to the Queen' carved into his chest, so I think you can guess who is to blame," I said quietly. I wished we could speak silently using the rings, but Callisto didn't have one. Instead, I kept an eye and ear out for any eavesdroppers.

  "S-sister..." Callisto turned to Celeste, who looked like she was about to go ballistic. Before she could explode, Emi reached over and tightly gripped her shoulder, which seemed to calm her down enough to stop herself from making a scene.

  "I'll need to see him for myself. I can't believe that Ganymede would do this," Celeste growled out.

  Emi produced a flask and handed it to her. I caught a whiff of alcohol before Celeste took the flask and began to down its contents. Her shaking fists relaxed, and she took a deep breath before handing the flask back. I considered saying something about it, but now probably wasn't the time.

  "What does this mean for us, then?" Maxwell asked.

  "I need to see the body for myself, then I'll need to confront her," Celeste said bitterly. "Killing her own family like this cannot be allowed."

  "What about Bellatrix?" Callisto asked.

  I shook my head. "I didn't see or hear anything about her. There's no way to know if she's complicit, or hiding away from Ganymede because she's become violent."

  "Saiph had said a few things in our presence that could be construed as criticism toward the crown before her coronation. If he said such things about the new queen somewhere that could get back to her, it would be a stretch, but it might be grounds for treason if it had been anyone else," Emi commented.

  "Dragon princes and princesses are permitted to be as openly critical as we wish," Callisto argued.

  Emi nodded. "I know, but if he was already making those kinds of comments before her coronation, maybe he did something more to undermine her." Callisto looked like he was going to snap at her, so she quickly raised a hand. "I am not saying that Saiph's murder was justified, but perhaps there is more to this than we know. We should tread carefully."

  Celeste's fingers had shifted into sharp claws, and they were tapping across the stone table in agitation. "I will confront her myself. We had our disagreements, but he was still my brother. Even if he had conspired to kill her, he should not be strung up and paraded for all to see. She has gone too far, no matter his crimes, if there were any to begin with. He had been warning me that she would not make a good queen, and now I see what he meant... though much too late."

  I sighed. "Not to get off track, but there's something else. While I was shifted into Merfellen, I was approached by some Clyclostro spies. They took me back to their safehouse, and I was forced to fight them."

  Maxwell's expression sharpened. "Did you leave any alive?"

  I shook my head. "No, I made sure to go back when I was finished and make sure none of them survived the fight. I left several of them... partially eaten though. It looked like a wild animal had gone crazy in there by the time I left. I recovered some papers from the place, but I haven't gone through any of them yet."

  Stolen novel; please report.

  "Did you get anyone who would have more information on their spies?" Piper asked.

  I paused and thought about it. I had only eaten two of them. That hog man and a draco woman. Shifting into the hog man gave me shivers for more than one reason, but I could probably shift into the draco if needed. "A draco woman. I don't know if she has any information, but I can check when we're not in public."

  Celeste growled. "As much as rooting out Clyclostro spies in this city is important, I have larger things on my mind right now."

  "Give me the documents, and I'll look through them. See if they have any helpful information," Emi offered.

  I nodded and summoned the stack of papers from my storage ring. She placed a hand on them, and they disappeared into one of hers.

  "I understand, but I reconfirmed that they are still targeting Luna to get to you. I know it might not be as pressing as whatever is happening with the Queen, but it still concerns Luna's safety. There will be others out there, too. Spies in other safe houses, or even people who were just out of the safehouse while I was there," I said.

  Celeste continued to tap away at the stone table with her claws, barely suppressing a growl. "You're right. But I do not have the focus to think about them right now. We will have to deal with the spies after I confront my sister."

  "I think we should approach Bellatrix and see what she has to say about it," Callisto said.

  Celeste shook her head. "No. You are in danger too. We need to find out her motive firsthand, and I don't want you to go anywhere near Ganymede before we know what her justifications are. My family is dying one by one. I will not lose my favorite brother to her or anyone else."

  Callisto laughed dryly. "Saiph would have been mad to hear you say that, even if everyone knows it was true."

  Celeste's hands balled into fists again. She looked like she was barely containing her rage. I didn't think any of it was directed his way, though.

  "It's getting late," I said while looking up at the sky. "There's still some daylight left if you want to go to the plaza, but maybe it would be better to put this off till tomorrow? It's not like we're rushing to Saiph's aid anymore."

  Celeste took a deep breath, and I recognized her doing a short version of the meditation she taught me to control my instincts. She was incredibly angry and was barely keeping things together. I didn't know if it was a good idea for her to see Saiph's body when she was like this. At the same time, I would expect all of this emotion to come right back to the surface the moment she laid eyes on it, so maybe it didn't matter.

  "No. I want to see it tonight. Callisto, do you have somewhere safe you can go with Emi and Iris? I want to take the rest of them with me for this," Celeste said.

  "What? Why can't I go?" Iris protested.

  Celeste growled. "Things might get bloody, and I do not want you to be involved in whatever happens tonight."

  "That's not fair, I—"

  Aria cut her off and pulled her away. "Don't argue with the angry dragon princess, kid. Now's not the time for that."

  "You intend to take Luna as well?" Callisto gave Luna a worried glance.

  Celeste's angry visage softened a little as she turned toward her daughter. "Luna is strong and has a powerful protector. I may need their help tonight, I expect."

  Luna perked up in surprise, and I could see small tears form in her eyes from the compliment. Luna was already weak to praise, but praise from her mother was especially powerful for her.

  "So, what's the plan then?" I asked. "After we visit the plaza, are we just going to walk right up to the castle to confront her?"

  "I would rather we not get disarmed on the way there, if you're expecting a fight," Maxwell added.

  Celeste took a deep breath, still struggling to control her anger. "We will go see him in the plaza and then go to the castle directly afterward. No one will stop me from going to her, and no one will disarm any of you if I tell them not to."

  "Even if the Queen said otherwise?" Piper asked.

  "None of her guards or soldiers outrank me. They cannot order me or any of my personal guards to disarm without labeling me as a traitor too, unless she has already done so. I doubt that she would have any reason to, she would likely only do that after I've already gone to meet her," Celeste said.

  "We're not going to have to fight an entire castle on the way out, are we?" Maxwell asked.

  "I do not think it will come to that," Celeste said simply.

  I sighed. This sounded like it was going to be rough.

  Callisto stood up and walked around the table before pulling Celeste into a hug, catching her off guard. For a moment, Celeste froze in shock before gently wrapping her arms around her brother.

  "Sister... I know you are strong, but please come back alive. He was my brother, but I didn't always get along with Saiph. I'd be crushed if I lost you too. Don't underestimate Ganymede. Her magic is strong. Be careful, alright?" Callisto squeezed her tightly.

  Celeste buried her face in Callisto's neck. "I will see justice done for our brother. Don't worry for me. I love you, Callisto."

  "I love you too, Celeste. Come back safely," Callisto whispered.

  Hello! The gang's back together again and Celeste is pissed. We'll have to see how things shake out, but things aren't looking good on the extended family front. I hope you enjoyed the chapter, thanks for reading!

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