The Elf Witch |Book 1|

Chapter 23

Inside the palace, Imani found Esa talking to Sid at the bottom of the stairs. She tried to slip away unnoticed, but much to her dismay, Esa gave him a curt goodbye and fell in step beside her.

A friendly conversation was the last thing Imani wanted right now. The elf felt spooked. Too many things took her off guard in the brief introduction to the Niflhei's royal family.

She should do everything she could to stay far away from these princes.

The pixie eyed Imani's trembling hands. "You seem nervous," she murmured.

Imani cleared her throat. "The princes are not what I expected."

"What did you expect?"

"Savage shifters, not smart enough to tell their head from their arse."

Esa snorted. "I'm sure that's what they want people to think. Or at least they're not interested in proving it wrong. Only a fool would underestimate them.

"Both are strong with magic," Imani admitted. "I heard a rumor that most Illithana's lack brands for a ruling family."

"Saevel seems to have enough. Enough to be named the Heir Apparent, anyways. Kiran, though—he's powerful."

"His magic behaved strangely." Imani rubbed her chest. "It's like he could influence my signature."

Her brows rose in genuine surprise. "I heard Kiran has ways of controlling people, influencing them. There are so many rumors, but it wouldn't surprise me if he could compel magic signatures—rare, but it's possible." Esa glanced around before continuing, with a grave expression as her voice dropped. "Many people highly suspect Kiran is a twelve-mark."

Tension passed between them. A day ago, she would have laughed at that outlandish statement. But now she didn't know what to believe. He might be.

"What else do you know about them?"

Once they rounded a corner towards their rooms, Esa continued. "Kiran's father despises him—he wanted his last child to be a female elf."

"What could be that awful about him having a male elf instead?" Imani asked, incredulous that someone would ever consider killing their twelve-mark child.

"Any son that isn't a shifter is a disgrace—weak comparatively. The King has plenty of sons but no daughters. A female elf would have made a beautiful—and useful—addition to his brood," Esa explained.

"Weak is the last word I'd use to describe the man I just saw outside," Imani muttered.

"A high-bred elf would be an unimpressive shifter at best, worthless offspring in the king's eyes."

"That's... that's insane."

"Runs in the family, I guess," she shrugged. "Magnus and his sons aren't known for their restraint, and Kiran is the maddest of them all."

"But with a powerful father, he should still be able to shift into something."

"Yes, a serpentine shifter whose snake form, rumors claimed, is a true horror to behold. Hence the title of Prince of Snakes. But that's nothing compared to his brothers and the King's shifted forms."

"I thought that was just because he was a slippery bastard."

"Well, that, too." Esa paused, thinking. "The Serpent Prince is smart, though. He knows the King won't kill him as long as he uses his cock often enough."

Imani scoffed. "How is that worth anything to the king?"

"Ah, well, the King still wants a high-bred elven daughter. Even if it's a granddaughter. For decades, they've needed to strengthen ties with their elf populations, and things are only worsening."