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“You do without proof of this unfounded allegation,” Bain shot back. He looked like he might cross the room, throw her over his shoulder, and drag her to his court. All around the room, hands moved slowly toward jackets in anticipation of what he was going to do next.
I stilled. I’d known allowing guns was a bad idea, but no one would listen.
“Sit the fuck down,” Lach ordered him. “You are in my court, and you will act like it.”
MacAlister placed a hand on his prince’s arm, but Bain shook it off, righted his chair, and sat back down.
“Do you have evidence?” Oberon pressed, and I wondered how often he got stuck with the role of mediator. As the oldest, he was probably tired of it.
Meanwhile, Aurora and Sirius were speaking softly to each other, the crown princess beginning to shake her head as she listened. Finally, she straightened with a sigh. “My brother has something he would like to say.”
The shared surprise of everyone in the room was a testament to how rarely anyone considered the other royals in line to their individual thrones.
Sirius cleared his throat, tugging at his buttoned collar before he flipped open the folder in front of him. “I’ve been analyzing different strains of clover against older ones, as well as ambrosia.”
“You little—” Bain growled.
“Do not finish that sentence,” Aurora warned him, her amethyst eyes flashing. “Or you won’t only be answering to Lach.”
He fell mostly silent, muttering under his breath while he glowered at the rest of us, particularly the young Astral Court prince bringing evidence against him.
Sirius continued, undeterred by Bain’s attempts at intimidation, laying out the science behind his discovery. Glances between the other assembled royals told me that they believed what he was saying, perhaps because he was a light court prince. A fact that shouldn’t matter but one that I knew did. When he finished, rage mottled Bain’s face.
“None of that is true. You’re lying.”
Sirius looked up from the folder, blinking. “Alchemy doesn’t lie. Someone used Infernal Court magic to taint the supply of clover. That’s a fact.”
“I’ve seen the evidence, watched Sirius work. He’s not lying, but a prince with something to hide might,” I added coolly, eyes narrowing on Bain.
He aimed a sneer at me, but I didn’t shrink. “Are you accusing me of not only tampering with another court’s product but also lying about it?”
Lach flourished a hand, sounding a little bored. “Yes, precisely. Try to keep up.”
Bain zeroed in on him, hands curling into fists on the table. We hadn’t just lost an ally today. We had made an enemy. “Regardless, it’s not up to you to end the handfasting. It’s up to your sister.” He finally looked at Ciara, and for a moment, he softened. “You don’t really believe this.”
She glared back at him, her throat sliding a little. “Alchemy doesn’t lie.” She sucked in a breath and held up her hand, which still bore the tattoo from last night’s handfasting ceremony. “Let’s leave it up to the magic. If Infernal Court magic was used to hurt my court, I am well within my rights to call off this trial marriage.”
For a moment, Bain just stared at the ink on her wrist, on her hand. We all did, and as we watched, the mark faded until not a trace remained. Bain snarled, his eyes flashing when he discovered his matching one had gone as well. Ciara sank carefully into her chair, her drooping shoulders the only hint of her relief.
Bain looked around the room, holding the gaze of each of us in turn. His eyes paused on me. “You’re going to regret this.”
Lach’s grip on my knee tightened. “Take care with how you speak to her.”
Bain simply shook his head and buttoned his jacket. “I suppose we’ve dodged a bullet. If the Nether Court is so easily swayed, you would be poor allies.”
I suppressed a laugh. Barely.
“You have until nightfall to get the fuck out of my court.” Lach rose, glaring back at him. “Gather your people and get out, because when the sun sets, you are forbidden to set foot in my city or my court ever again.”
Bain held his gaze, snorting slightly. “You’re going to regret this.” He snapped his fingers and vanished; a moment later, MacAlister and the other Infernal Court retinue followed.
As soon as he was gone, Aurora whirled on her brother. “Can you give me a little warning before you pick a fight with another court?”
He flashed her a sheepish smile, but I found myself jumping in. “He did it because I asked him to. If you want to be mad at anyone, direct it at me.”
Lach remained silent as Aurora surveyed me.
“Fine. But a word of caution,” she said as she looked between him and me. “You just made an enemy. I hope you know what you’re doing.”