The Rebel Queen (Outlaw 1)

The table went quiet and then Sasha turned Rhys’s way. “He’s talking to you.”

Rhys’s hand came off the mug. “He is?”

“He is,” Dev agreed. “Rhys, are you or are you not the leader of your little army? The king is correct. This isn’t the same war we fought before, but everything I’ve learned today leads me to believe that you and your siblings and Fenrir have been the heart of the resistance, certainly of the physical rebellion. Do you or do you not have thoughts on the political situation we’re facing with the various factions of our former coalition?”

I saw the moment my son realized his fathers were taking him seriously. He sat up straighter, focus coming into his eyes. “I believe the pretender has attempted to make inroads with certain factions, but he isn’t the politician he thinks he is. He’s fumbled quite badly with the wolves. The alphas might never admit it in public, but they enjoyed the peace they had when you were king. They liked being able to refer certain problems to the Council rather than making decisions that could hurt them politically. They enjoyed the cover the Council gave them. I think they would welcome it again. The earthly Fae are with us. They come to Frelsi every week.”

“They come to be close to Rhys,” Evan said.

“They come to be close to all of us,” Rhys corrected. “Dad, I believe that you should make the rounds. Quietly, of course. Let Sasha arrange the meetings for you through his contacts. While you’re handling the political situation, Fen and Evan will escort Kelsey to Trent. He’s been working with the primals, who are the one group we absolutely have on our side.”

“Should Evan be going into a group of primal vampires?” I had never been to their underground Atlanta home. Primals were vampires who reverted to their primeval form. Whoever made Nosferatu had definitely met a primal vampire. I couldn’t see Evan’s glow, but I knew it had to be as bright as mine. She would shine for every vampire who saw her, and being underground, it might be hard for her to get away.

“I agree.” Dev looked to Daniel. “Evan shouldn’t be exposed to a large group of vampires. She should stay here. She and Rhys can go with us when we visit the Fae. We’re fairly close to the Unseelies. From there I have questions to ask my mother.”

“Evan comes with me.” Fen’s voice had taken on that low growl I’d come quickly to associate with his possessive nature.

“I come with you because I choose to, not because you make me,” Evan said under her breath. “If you wish for me to keep choosing you, you’ll allow me to handle this.”

Kelsey’s lips quirked up in a satisfied grin. “You go, Evan. Daniel, I’ll look out for her.”

“I’ll take the time to teach the Nex Apparatus a few tricks with a bow.” Evan tipped her head Kelsey’s way.

“All I’m saying is we’re here now and you no longer have to put yourselves in danger, and you walking into a nest of primals is putting yourself in danger,” Dev replied.

I was starting to believe that Evan could handle herself. I understood why Dev was worried. I was worried, too, but she’d survived and thrived all this time. Perhaps what she needed now were supportive parents, not ones that still treated her like she was five. “It seems to me Evan knows the primals better than we do. We should listen to her.”

If Evan heard me, she ignored it, preferring to stare her papa’s way. “I’ve been visiting the primals since I was barely a teenager. They’re some of the kindest souls I’ve ever met, and not one of them would hurt me. I’ve spent months underground with them and all they’ve ever done is teach me how to protect myself and share their knowledge with me. Unlike some of the warriors we’ve encountered. And the Fae. You want me and Rhys to go hang with the Fae?”

“Evan,” Lee said, sounding more serious than usual.

Evan shook her head. “No. They waltz in acting like they understand what’s happening. Taking charge of us without bothering to acknowledge that we’re adults now. You want to know how Lee lost his eye? Lee lost his left eye when a group of Fae tried to kidnap Rhys and take him to the sithein where they would force him to perform as their Green Man. After they knocked Rhys out, Lee fought them all off. Lee gave up his eye and a good portion of his blood to defend his brother from your family, Papa. So no. We will not go to the Unseelie with you. I am going to Atlanta tomorrow. The primals might be able to help Kelsey with her book. They might be able to decipher the prophecies found there. Kelsey thinks we’ve got part of it wrong. She thinks there’s a third part we’ve been missing.”