Swirls of flames suddenly extended from the king and surrounded him like chakra. The heat of it was brutal, yet there was no fear or rage from the fire king only iciness.
Drac met his fiery gaze with blood lust riding in his. “You will not know when death comes, if you try to fuck my mate,” Drac growled. “She is mine! By the laws of the Darkage, you incite war with us, if you do not relinquish your claim, Nurian,” he said with a slow sibilant hiss.
Drac please
The King of Nuria raised dark brows. He shifted and more than three hundred of the king’s warriors suddenly filled the council chambers with weapons drawn.
A savage thrill shot through Drac. Go with my blades, princess.
No!
Queen Izumi she stepped forward. “Where is my daughter?” The Queen’s voice wobbled, but she squared her shoulders.
Drac shifted his eyes to her from the Nurian King. Dread twisted in her and she trembled. The queen let out a startled scream when the shadow stretched at her feet and contracted, and Saieke appeared.
Without hesitation, she flung herself into his arms and Drac drew her into his embrace, his gaze never leaving the Nurians. He let the promise of destruction show in his eyes. The Nurian king nodded, and war was averted for today.
His princess heaved, and he looked down into her bloodless face. She stared at the carnage in the chambers. He tasted her shock and horror at the carnage.
Take me from here Drac; I need to be away from the blood and death.
He disappeared with her.
Chapter Twenty Three
Izumi blinked several times. Her daughter and the Darkan had vanished. She looked at her king and the council members. Most had the same dazed look on their face, but she also felt the cautious relief that pulsed from them.
She turned to King Ajali. “I will offer you several gourds of elixir for the loss of the allegiance.”
He lifted his fist. Swords hissed as they were sheathed and warriors relaxed in unison. He inclined his head to her and they all flashed from the chambers.
She closed her eyes in abject relief.
All of the Mevians that had entered their meeting were dead, with the exception of the geikan messenger. Izumi was still unsure how it had happened. Her daughter’s consort was a Darkan and the Fyran King had left. He simply left. Izumi had no idea what that meant. She looked at the high chancellor Azul that stood with his jowls shaking.
“What does it means that he claims my daughter as his mate?”
“What I know about their laws, my queen, is that it means death for anyone that seeks to take her from him.” He walked to a council seat in which he wilted, the end of his robes soaked with blood and gore.
“Is our kingdom ready for an alliance with the Darkage? Or even to acknowledge them?”
Williem flashed over and drew her in his arms, an unusual display of public affection from him that Izumi welcomed.
Azul scrubbed a hand over his face. “I am unsure what is possible, my queen. The princess can only wed those of noble rank.”
“But he has claimed her as his mate,” the king said.
“We are not sure what that means, your majesty,” The councilor, Chiang, responded from where he stooped over a fallen council member administering the elixir. He did not seem to mind that his robes were trailing in blood.
“He loves her,” Izumi said softly. “I felt it from his chakra, and Saieke loves him.”
There was a deep contemplative silence.
“I may be able to help you with your question.” A voice of power and command murmured. .
Izumi and her king flashed around and she almost fainted when the shadows retreated revealing dozens of men.
“I am Gidon Al Shra, King and Ricarkri of the Darkage” the one that perched intoned.