Suspicions on the Stage (Secrets of State U #2)

The Games We Play

MORGANA

M eeting Rogue and her men was interesting, but the real treat is going to be this ridiculous sit down with Slade’s father.

I’m too old to give a shit what some two-bit fish gangster thinks of me, and after facing down the Society, his level of influence doesn’t scare me, either.

But seeing him is making my gentle siren nervous—something Des isn’t happy about.

She’s already riled and ducking in and out of my hair as we make our way from the private tent Tracer arranged.

“Man, you guys need to take a super chill pill,” the kraken says as we wind our way through the glitterati in attendance.

We’re headed towards a section of the garden that smells distinctly of the sea and I wonder if that’s specifically to accommodate the aquatic gang and other attendees with that background.

“Not possible.”

I roll my eyes at Kaspar even though I agree with the dickface. “There’s far too many variables here for any of us to feel secure, Finn. You may be in your element, but we are not. It’s unsurprising that we’re on edge.”

Tracer sighs heavily and rolls his head on his shoulder. “Look, dudes and dudette, if you go in there projecting all these…bad vibes… Dad will pick up on it. Hammerheads have some of the best senses of smell among sharks and he’s more skilled than most.”

My siren groans softly and I turn to look at him. “He’s telling the truth, then?”

“Yeah,” Slade says softly. “Axel isn’t an empath, but he’s insanely good at using scents to figure out moods and changes in them, even outside of the water.

It’s part of how he conquered the docks and held his own against the land dwelling gangs and mobs.

He’s like the Fae in terms of lie detector powers. ”

Liam frowns. “How is that possible? Tons of shifters have better noses than sharks, especially on land. It’s not something you can train up like fighting skills. I do not understand how your father accomplished this skill.”

“Who the fuck knows? I’ve tried testing for magic, but I come up short. That’s not typical, either,” Iggy adds. “A shifter evading my magic? Unheard of. The only reason Lucas’ attackers gave me trouble was because they blended magic, Fae botany, and science. It required other expertise to crack.”

Huffing internally, I consider their input.

If Slade confirms Tracer’s claim, then I know it’s true.

But Liam and Iggy are elite level magic wielders, so the likelihood of their being wrong is slim.

Obviously, Axel will have bodyguards and minions around him; all tiny-dicked fuckers like him surround themselves with ‘yes-men’ twenty-four-seven.

We won’t be able to control Slade’s reactions to his estranged parent, but the rest of us have to keep our shit together.

That’s easier said than done with an angry shithead dragon, possessive young bear, and the protective roommate who secretly adores him.

“If it’s too much, you guys don’t have to come,” Slade says softly, ducking his head as he’s not meeting my eyes.

“Fuck that. We’re not leaving you to deal with an asshole parent on your own.” Kaspar’s dark growl surprises the hell out of me, and he shrugs. “I never abandoned Li to his, and I don’t see why I’d start now just because you’ve all forced me to be part of this clown car.”

“Forced?” I arch a brow at the storm dragon and he rolls his eyes, muttering something unintelligible. “So gallant in your phrasing, dragon. My heart goes pitter-patter from a scaly dick who treats me like shit, as everyone on the planet knows.”

Lucas covers his snicker with his hand as he pulls me under his arm. “Give him Hell, Lady M. That grumpy fuck deserves to have his shit served back cold.”

My smile is genuine as I look up at my charming mate, admiring his sparkling blue eyes. “I know, baby. And he’ll always get as good as he gives because the days of me staying quiet when men act like cockwaffles are long gone. Too bad, so sad, as the kids used to say.”

Slade winces, giving me a look of absolute pain. “Cringey, M. That phrase went out of style with harem pants.”

“Are you calling me old, Slade Finn?”

Every single male in the group, including his brother, winces. Slade blinks, his mouth working for a moment before he stammers, “N-n-o, Morgana. No, ma’am.”

The dominant inside of me enjoys his immediate submission, but the woman balks at the use of that moniker. “Absolutely not. Madam, or variations of Morgana will work, but definitely never ma’am. Understood?”

He flushes a pretty pink, dipping his chin as he looks at me through his long lashes.

His beautiful eyes reflect his apology without further words, but I wait for him to voice it.

If he wants to play this role with me, I won’t let him be a brat.

No one likes that shit. Slade finally clears his throat and murmurs huskily, “Yes, Morgana.”

Much better.

Kaspar grunts and I whip my head around to glare at him. “Leave him alone or deal with me. If he’s mine, you don’t get to give him shit.”

A light touch on my arm tells me my Fae Prince agrees. Liam arches his brow at Kaspar with a dark smirk. “The bear and the siren are hers, so they are mine, old friend. Behave.”

“Oh, shit,” Slade mutters and it draws a deep chuckle from my Daybreak mate. “Yes, Sir.”

Tracer stops the group in front of a set of black wrought gates with an annoyed sound. “If you guys are done with exercising your weird sex stuff with my brother , we’ve arrived.”

Iggy tilts his head, studying the walled off area curiously. “Why did they build an entire zone for a motorcycle gang? Seems like a bit much if all the groups hosting this shindig consider themselves equals.”

“Uh, first off, they may pretend to consider each other equals, but that’s posturing.

Second, everyone of these enterprises has their own fiefdom in the Apalachin pocket portal.

The demons, the shifters, the magicals, the Fae, the mythicals…

A full spectrum of criminal organizations share the various zones of Bay City and their meetings are as sectioned off as their territories until the main event. ”

I squint at Tracer, letting Des taste the air for his truthfulness before I nod. “Fine. But I thought the meeting was the whole point of this shit. Why is everything so big and ostentatious?”

“To show off their power and wealth,” my siren says quietly.

“They have these events as needed, but they announce them with enough lead time to set up the theater. It’s both a functional gathering and a social one that lasts for several days.

In the Sons , there’s a lottery to pick which members stay behind to manage their interests while the rest attend.

No one is forced to stay behind consecutive times. These rules are part of the by-laws.”

“Who knew you paid so much attention, bro?” Tracer says as he claps Slade on the shoulder. “But yes, that’s all true. When you enter this gate, you will effectively be in the Sons territory and must abide by their laws, or it will be a big problem .”

“I’m not doing anything that prevents me from protecting the Prince—” Kaspar growls as if it pains him then adds, “and his chosen people.”

“Nice.” The kraken gives the dragon a dude-style appreciative head nod.

“You are not required to break the laws of your own people or confirmed legal contracts or deals. They added that to the event by-laws about a century ago because Fae and demons refused to leave their territories unless their bargains were protected. Makes sense, of course, so the entire Arcanate approved it.”

“Arcanate?” Lucas asks. “Is that like… the Council or the Society, but for bad guys? You guys have your own Legion of Doom ?!”

The kraken looks like he’s going to strangle someone if we don’t stop asking questions. “Yes. It’s the criminal Council or whatever. Can we please go in before my father sends someone much less chill than me to fetch us?”

My ragtag family all look at me and I shrug. “Fine. I assume that we have to do something before we go in or we wouldn’t be standing here like morons. Right?”

“Good call, Boss Lady.” Tracer snaps his fingers and a host stand with a gnarly old woman appears next to him. “This is Ioana, and?—”

“Son of a bitch, that’s a Muma Pǎdurii ,” Ignatius says as he pushes to the front to look at the ill-tempered looking crone. “I thought only the Society employed them.”

Tracer scratches his nose, looking uncomfortable. “Yeah, well. Dad likes to find security outside of our enterprise at times. Supes loyal only to him, regardless of the club. Coup prevention, he calls it.”

Smart, but it tells me a lot about how little I’m going to like Axel Finn—and I didn’t have high hopes as it was.

“Okay, Iggy. You know what’s going on, so get us started. I’m tired of dicking around. I want to meet this fuckwad and then head home before something else goes wrong.”

The mage grins at me, stepping forward with all the swagger of his birthright. “Hello, wise one. My name is?—”

“Ignatius Leonardo Briarton, son of Claude Ludwig Briarton the third, head of Witchcraft and Wizardry at State University, mage of the Briarton line and future mate of—” Ioanna stops with a wicked grin. “Someone I won’t reveal.”

This little shit is asking for one of my cantankerous men to smash her flat.

“That’s what I was going to say,” Iggy says. “ Muma are rare and they love to cause trouble for anyone who is not their prey. Don’t ask what their prey is if you don’t know; it’s far too disturbing to discuss.”

Kaspar’s wings pop free and he stomps up to the stand with a low, angry rumble. “Watch your tongue, witch. If you cannot control your penchant for mischief, I will make you regret it. Announce us, record it in your books, and be done with it—or else.”

“Very violent, this one. Kaspar Auguste Peshko, protector of the royal heir to Daybreak Court, son of the King’s right hand, and storm dragon, you will find harming me will only cause you further grief in your long lifespan.”

I tuck the information about each person into my mental database, noting I’ve never heard their middle names or some of this family trivia. “Me next, witch.”

Her eyes light up and it looks like she gets younger as she turns to me with malicious glee.

“You, Morgana Rhiannon LeCiel, are the cream of this crop, for certain. Slayer of dragons and evil men, hybrid of mysterious origin, and mate of Lucas Wolfberg and Prince Liam Spéirgheal… you will do many important and fearsome things.”

Have I mentioned how much I fucking hate supes with any sort of seer abilities? I do and this shit is why.

“Stop fucking with her and move on,” Kaspar snarls. “I’ll deal with my regrets if we’re not inside this fucking place soon.”

The crone tsks at him, completely unmoved by his dragon fury. “Next, Slade Ezra Finn, siren from the line of the gracious leader of the Sons of the Seven Seas , President Axel Byron Finn, and brother to the whimsical Tracer Diego Finn… you have many changes in your future. Beware of the interlude.”

“My turn,” Lucas says with a wide grin. He looks at the tiny old woman with a serious expression. “Nothing you say will be worse than my parents, so out with it, you old bat.”

Ioanna studies him carefully, her expression turning crafty. “Lucas Cyrus Wolfberg, née Wolfenberg, mate to Morgana Rhiannon LeCiel and Prince Liam Spéirgheal, you are pure of heart and sharp of mind. Protect what is yours and be true to those who care for you.”

“Why is his announcement so damn positive? Fuck, everyone loves a rich kid,” Iggy grumbles.

I snort, shaking my head at the professor. “You drive a fucking Bentley, Iggy. You’re one to talk.”

Before he can respond, the old woman coughs then her eyes get dark. “I have been prevented from announcing the royal one by the tenets of Fae law. He goes in as he is known to the public. Now you all may enter.”

What the fuck does that mean?