Chapter 392: Team Dragon Doubles Down

Nicholas stepped towards Guinevere. "Guinevere, if they are on their way then we need to move you before they arrive."

Possessed Guinevere blinked at him.

The blink was slow. Unimpressed. The blink of an ancient queen, or a being, or whatever the hell was driving Guinevere’s body right now, who disagreed with that statement.

"I am not leaving while this vile abomination lies in my Keep," she said after a moment.

My Keep.

A smile broke across the Dragon King’s face. It faded as quickly as it arrived because his wife may or may not have invited Luminari into his Keep after he explicitly told the Luminari they were not permitted to enter his Keep or it would be considered an act of war.

"Did you contact them?" he asked.

"No. They were already on their way," she replied.

"Ryker. Security. Now."

"On it, Commander. Mindlinks already sent." Ryker propped Sterling against a column the way someone leans a broom against a wall. Functional. Vertical-ish. Not a priority right now. Then he sprinted from the room.

"Guinevere, you shouldn’t be in here when the Luminari arrive," Nicholas tried again, wearing an expression that suggested his mate was ignoring him and he did not like that.

Possessed Guinevere turned to look at him again. "You need not worry, First King of Wolves."

His lips twitched at ’First King of Wolves’ but he did not comment on that. There was a more pressing issue. "There is a warrant for your arrest, Guinevere. Remember?"

"Arrest," Guinevere repeated, like she had tasted something bitter.

"Yes. We were almost arrested in Solveil."

"Then let them come for I have nothing to hide."

Nicholas dragged a hand down his face.

"Did possessed you or regular you attempt to murder Landon Solveil?" Blair cut in, because apparently she was the only one with a functioning brain here and was going to get to the bottom of this now.

"No," Guinevere answered with zero hesitation.

"Not in self defense?" Blair clarified.

Before Guinevere could answer—

BANG.

The timing was the universe’s idea of comedy. Blair had been mid-question. Guinevere had been mid-answer. And the throne room doors had decided this was the moment to ruin everything.

Luminari warriors stormed inside, led by Darrow Veyron, Commander of the Kingsguard. He found her immediately. Because of course he did. She was glowing gold. In the center of a glowing throne room.

"By order of King Landon Solveil, Sovereign of the Luminari, Guinevere Drakencrest is hereby placed under arrest for unlawful—" His eyes snagged on Nicholas and recognition flickered across his face. It was brief. Then he buried it, eyes moving back to the real criminal. Apparently, Nicholas got a hall-pass.

Their Master Luminari Mage, Octavian Ardenthal, entered the throne room behind Veyron. He had helped search for Guinevere and treated her wound a few days ago. He had worked with Brennan, Jaxon, and every single person present, and the man looked genuinely embarrassed to be here.

When his eyes landed on Guinevere, he tilted his head and his lips parted. But he stayed silent, as Commander Veyron read the charges.

"—detain one Guinevere Drakencrest on charges of unlawful flight," Veyron continued. "Evasion of Kingsguard custody, inciting a civilian riot, and for the attempted murder of His Majesty, King Solveil—"

"Stop reading." Maddox’s voice cut through the warrant like a door slamming. "You are standing in the sovereign throne room of Drakencrest. You brought weapons into my home. You are pointing them at my wife. Every second you remain here without my permission is an act of war against the Dragon Crown, and I promise you, Commander, you do not want that."

"Your wife is accused of the attempted murder of King Landon Solveil," Veyron stated. "That is an act of war against the Luminari Crown. The warrant is not a request, Your Grace. It is a courtesy we are extending before this becomes something neither kingdom recovers from."

"My wife has never attempted to murder your king. She was with my brother the night of the murder."

"She was," Kael seconded.

"It’s true," Blair added.

Every person in this room knew that was a lie on both sides. Every person on team dragon had signed off on it. The alibi had more co-sponsors than a trade agreement and better commitment than most marriages.

Team Luminari had one person who could absolutely debunk this lie right here, right now, because he had been in Lunaris that night, the same as Kael, and witnessed her white-light disappearance act and subsequent dragon tantrums.

Kael met his eyes across the room. Octavian gave a single, imperceptible nod. Kael returned it. The Luminari Master Mage remained silent. That was noted by team dragon.

Veyron met Maddox’s eyes without flinching. "Not according to our records, Commander. She made a visit to Solveil. Our king brought her himself. Multiple witnesses were there. But if she has nothing to hide, then she has nothing to fear from due process. If the accusations are false, she can clear her name before the Luminari court. An innocent woman doesn’t need a dragon king speaking for her. She needs a hearing. Grant us custody and this ends diplomatically. Refuse, and the Luminari Crown will interpret the refusal as an admission, and we will act accordingly."

Nicholas positioned himself on Guinevere’s left. His hand found the small of her back. The touch was quiet. The message was not. A growl rumbled from under his ribs aimed directly for Commander Veyron.

Maddox started walking toward Veyron the way fire walks toward something flammable. Inevitable. Hot. Bad for everyone in proximity.

Kael immediately stepped in his path, intercepting him. The dragon who’d spent the evening being called Young Dragon, getting benched, and giving sex talks in a closet was now the only thing standing between peace and a war.

"Maddox. Brother. If you hit the Commander of a foreign Kingsguard in your own throne room, it’s not an assault. It’s a declaration of war. And declarations of war require paperwork. And Sterling is unconscious which means that falls on my desk. No thank you. So take a breath, step back, and let me handle the man with the scroll before you turn a legal problem into a continental one."

Maddox’s chest was heaving. "He threatened to take her."

"He did. And we’re going to address that. With words. Not with whatever your dragon is about to do to this man’s face—"

"High Commander of the Kingsguard," Possessed Guinevere’s voice cut through the argument. "The woman in chains on the floor is a light-bearer who has been practicing Netherveil Venefica Mortis magic. Or in your common tongue, this woman is a dual caster, a dark mage and a Noxari descendant, who managed to break the binding on her light. That makes her the first woman I have ever seen to do that outside of myself. Her mage magic alone is Imperium Grade. But her light is more concerning because it is fed on soul sacrifice. It’s the most impure kind I have ever sensed. There is no mistaking that she is related to the dark one and a true Noxari. We do not have the means to contain her. She will regain consciousness in a few minutes. Please cuff her and remove her from this Keep, before she hurts anyone else."