Page 64 of The Ice Prince's Fated Mate
“Then go, keep watch on Mirko,” Caz said, interjecting. “Tail him and his people. Find out what you can.”
“I will,” I promised. “He spends almost as much time at his estate here in the city as he does at the citadel. I will catch him. And then I will kill him.”
Caz made a face but didn’t speak up. I, in turn, didn’t verbally address it.
What no one else in the room, save perhaps Anna, was aware of was that Caz had killed our father and framed it as an assassination in order to take over the kingdom.
He probably didn’t relish the thought of killing another family member, traitor or not.
Which is why he is a good man. And why I will have no hesitation.
Caz thought the secret was his, but I had known from the moment I saw the body. He desired to protect me, to keep it to himself, and so it wasn’t my place to interfere.
But I would handle this one for him.
“You must have proof,” Caz said. “And it must be incontrovertible. Am I clear?”
“I will not make a mistake that big,” I promised.Not again.
Caz eyed me. “Take Ella with you on your watch. She will make sure you stay calm and don’t do anything rash.” His eyes hardened as I prepared to argue. “That is an order.”
I glared at my brother. Knowing him, he was trying to hit two birds with one stone by forcing Ella and me to act together. I wasn’t going to take that bait, though.
Anna moaned, and her breathing quickened, her hand diving for Caz’s crotch. He stood up, gathering her in his arms with ease.
We were out of time.
“You can do this,” he said, his eyes bright green flared through with silver as his dragon rose to meet its mate. “The kingdom must survive.”
“It will,” I said as he left the room, heading deep into the center of the citadel to a heavily protected set of rooms meant exactly for the purpose of shielding the vulnerable tyrant and his mate during a heat. They would not emerge until it was over.
The kingdom was in my hands now.
Thirty
Ella
“You know,I’m starting to get the impression that we might be completely unique.” I pushed back the book I was reading. “It seems those like us have existed as far back as the Unification Wars.”
Milly sighed heavily. “I’m so glad you’re getting frustrated too. All of this just talks about Clippys, when we’re even mentioned at all, which is not frequent. It’s all derogatory, and everyone has hated us for as long as there’s been records. I’m getting down just reading it all.”
“I’m not even sure what to search for anymore,” I admitted. “We’ve established that as far as the records seem to say, so far Anna and I are the only ones to ever have our dragons awoken and our power status changed. Certainly there’s no mention of a Grounded becoming alpha level like she seems to be, let alone mating with a tyrant.”
“Maybe it’s because your names are so similar, she just dragged you along.”
I made a face, and we both laughed. The constant mix-up of our names was an ongoing joke among us. Milly often teased that, since she and Anna had picked me up as a “stray” later on, I should have changed my name.
“I didn’t pick my name. Blame Anna.”
“Because blaming the one who has no memory of her earlier life other than her name is the right thing to do.”
“I mean, how do we know she remembered that correctly? I think she had a different name until you met me, and the two of you conspired to act like it’s changed, just to make things weird.”
Milly giggled, but we were both silent. I had turned the topic to something serious.
“It could be a blessing, you know,” I said into the silence, rehashing the subject. “Not remembering your early life. Growing up as a Cli—Grounded is no fun.”
“No,” Milly said, looking away. “It’s not.”
