Chapter 26
Chapter Twenty-Six
As soon as Marcus walked out of Fedra’s room, he stepped to the side and set himself up to guard the doorway. Con halted and turned to look at him over his shoulder. Marcus knew what he and the others were going to discuss. There was no reason for him to be there. He could argue both sides.
And he could fight for both sides.
His opinion would only muddy the waters, which was why he was taking himself out of all of it. But it seemed Con wasn’t going to allow that.
“Marcus,” Ryder called.
The three watching him weren’t just friends.
They were brothers—the only remaining family he had.
The Kings had survived for as long as they had because they remained together.
They had been fractured only once, and it had nearly been their end.
They’d gotten through it only because of Con’s diligence.
Marcus pushed away from the wall and walked to them. “I’d rather stay and guard.”
“I know, but I need you in the discussion,” Con replied.
Cullen sighed. “Someone needs to stay. I’ll do it.”
“I’ve someone else in mind,” Con said as he turned and started walking.
Marcus thought they were headed to the great hall to fill everyone in and get their opinion, but he was surprised when Con took a left and headed down a flight of stairs to the lower levels.
One of the larger areas they had used during a battle with Derek when he was still under Villette’s control had been turned into a training ground.
They met Jenefer on the steps. The blond was wiping sweat from her face when she greeted them.
“Are you free?” Con asked.
She came to a stop two steps below him, her brown eyes meeting his before she looked behind him to the rest of their group. “I am. Do you need something?”
“We have some business to attend to. Can you guard Fedra until we return?”
Jenefer was a warrior with a shrewd mind.
She knew something was going on, but she was smart enough not to comment on it.
She had been one of the first to occupy the city with Sian and Tamlyn before Cullen met them.
Even if Cullen and Tamlyn hadn’t become mates, the trio of women would’ve become part of their family.
“Not a problem,” Jenefer said. “I’ll head there now.”
Con continued down the steps. Cullen nodded to the before following Ryder and Con. Marcus paused when he came even with Jenefer. He almost asked her to check in on Fedra but decided against it at the last moment and kept walking.
They made their way to the training area. As they approached, Marcus could hear others inside. He had yet to figure out why Con had brought them here, but there had to be a reason. The King of Kings never did anything without cause.
Inside the room, they found Derek and Vaughn sparring. The duo stopped the moment they saw them. Con headed straight toward them, making Marcus think this had been planned. He could understand why Con wanted Vaughn there since Vaughn was mated to Con’s daughter, Eurwen, but Derek was the wild card.
He might be a Dragon King, but he had been created by Villette and hadn’t suffered the catastrophes the rest of them had on Earth. It didn’t make him any less one of them. It just meant that his perspective wasn’t the same. But perhaps that was the very reason Con wanted him present.
“What’s going on?” Vaughn asked, breathing heavily.
Con didn’t say a word until he reached them. “We need to talk.”
Marcus said nothing as he listened to Con update Derek and Vaughn on everything going on with Fedra. When he finished, there was only silence.
“She’s actually after us?” Vaughn asked, his expression troubled.
Ryder nodded. “The incense Sian created worked. Fedra didn’t want to tell us, but it all came out.”
“I find it odd that she doesna know who the man is,” Derek said.
Cullen grunted. “She had no dealings with him. He kept his distance from her, and that leads me to believe he had magic.”
“We can no’ let her anywhere near the dragons,” Ryder added.
Vaughn crossed his arms over his chest. “That goes without saying. Yet there’s also the rest of the realm to consider.”
“The best option is for her to leave, but how do we do that if we can no’ use our usual methods?” Derek asked.
Marcus listened as they debated different ideas, but each one got tossed aside for one reason or another. It was only a matter of time before they came to their only conclusion. All of them already knew it, but no one wanted to say it.
Finally, Con said, “There’s one choice left.”
“I never thought we’d be in a position like we were on that fateful day,” Vaughn murmured.
Cullen looked away. “Yet here we are.”
“We couldna do it then. How can we do it now?” Ryder asked.
Derek slowly released a breath. “The choice before meant wiping out an entire race. That isna what would happen this time.”
“A life is still a life,” Marcus stated. “We’re no’ on a battlefield. She’s no’ done anything yet.”
Ryder twisted his lips. “Yet. She intends to the moment she gets a chance.”
“If she harms the dragons, we’ll have no choice but to go after her,” Vaughn said.
Cullen shrugged. “As long as we doona use magic, we can stop her.”
“You’re talking about taking a chance that innocent dragons will get hurt.” Derek shook his head. “I’m no’ willing to do that.”
Con sighed. “Which is why we’re discussing this.”
“The rest of the Kings need to be in on it,” Vaughn said. “Especially Eurwen and Brandr.”
Con held up his hand to stop Vaughn. “Everyone will be. I’m no’ leaving anyone out, but I thought it best to do this now.”
Marcus frowned when Con turned his black eyes to him. So. He was the reason Con had brought them here. “Are we here because you wish to confine me?”
“We saw how you reacted when Cullen took a step toward Fedra,” Ryder said.
Cullen shot him a mournful look. “We get it. You can no’ help it.”
“Nay, I can no’, and that’s what terrifies me,” Marcus admitted.
Ryder clapped him on the arm. “It should. If we didna know that she cancels out magic, I’d say she used some kind of enchantment on you, but that isna possible.”
“Then why is he acting that way?” Vaughn asked as he dropped his arms to his sides.
Marcus waited for someone to have the answer, but they were just as clueless as he was.
“The fact that we can no’ determine that, makes me think we shouldna end her life yet,” Derek said.
Cullen’s brows snapped together. “Why? They are no’ mates.”
“Mates?” Marcus repeated, appalled by the idea.
How could Cullen even mention that? Fedra was the enemy, someone hell-bent on wiping out the dragons and the Kings. Whatever empathy or compassion Marcus had felt, ended when he heard her plan.
At least, he hoped it had.
“Based on what I saw earlier, I agree with Derek,” Con stated.
Marcus snorted as he glanced away. “You’ve got to be kidding me. I didna even realize what I was doing until after it was done.”
“Exactly my point. You were compelled,” Con replied.
They still weren’t getting it. Marcus tried again. “I know what to expect now. I’ll fight it.”
“And have it bring you to your knees again?” Cullen gave a firm shake of his head. “You were in pain.”
Derek dusted off his hands on his pants. “Then it’s settled.”
“The fuck it is,” Marcus argued.