Or if he wanted to.
“What are we doing, Jonah?”
He shook his head. “Getting to know one another. I don’t want to rush this. I’ve never rushed anything in my life. And I’m not about to start now with this.”
“Good, because I feel like I’m in a dream, and I don’t want to feel like that when I take the next steps.”
“Deal,” he whispered. He was just about to lower his head when his jaguar perked up, and he growled.
“We aren’t alone,” he whispered.
“No, you really aren’t,” a woman with dark hair and a cruel smile said from the doorway. Blood saturated the bottom of her dress and sleeves, and she just licked her lips. “I was going to use my powers like you did, dear traitor, but I know the rules of the lands. One does not turn one to stone when you’re outside of the realm.”
Jonah was on his feet in an instant, growling, his claws out. “Queen Mina, I presume?”
“Oh, it seems the traitor does tell tales. You killed my men, animal. The others are injured, and I’m not happy about my losses.” She snapped her fingers, and two other women that looked just like the queen walked in behind her. “Madeleine, Marci. You see? I told you we had to do this ourselves.”
“Did you kill everyone outside?” Jonah asked, seething. If those men and women outside had died because of him, he would never forgive himself. And he’d be damned if he let Poppy blame herself. He searched for their pulses and scents while keeping his attention on the women in front of him. He held back a sigh of relief at finding them all alive. He didn’t know the extent of their injuries, but from the blood on the queen’s clothes, it likely wasn’t good.
“No, they’re just a little hurt. It took a spell or two, and then they didn’t even notice that I was ripping them to shreds.”
“Spells,” Poppy said on a gasp. “You used spells?”
“I’m quite adept at it,” one of the sisters said, wiggling her fingers.
“You should know that, dear traitor,” Mina added.
“So, you admit it. You used a spell against me.” Poppy shook at his side, and he wanted to murder the three women where they stood. However, he couldn’t, not when he didn’t know what would happen if he did. He’d be damned if Poppy got hurt because of his recklessness.
Mina shrugged. “It doesn’t matter if we do. You’ll be dead soon, with only Madeleine and Marci to back up your claims.”
“And we would never do that,” the other sister said. Jonah didn’t know which one it was, and he really didn’t care. Because they were going to die right then. All of them. Even if it caused an inter-realm incident. He didn’t care.
“You took everything,” Poppy whispered. “And yet, you still want more? Why?”
“Because you don’t deserve to live,” the queen spat. “Because you are an abomination. A Medusa with too much power.”
“I always knew you were jealous of me, but I didn’t know you were stupid.”
Jonah’s brows rose.
“How dare you?” the queen screamed.
“You know that Medusas are needed to keep the realm healthy. Just their presence brings the realm more power and stability. Something we have long lacked over the years with so much infighting and segregation. And then you did that? Apparently, you’re not strong enough to handle it on your own. You’re the queen, but you aren’t a Medusa. You’re a gorgon.”
“You’re a gorgon, too,” the queen snarled.
“I am. And I have always been proud of it, I was always proud of who and what I was, until you made me feel like I was different. Like I wasn’t enough. You took everything. You took Alex, you took my family, and you’re trying to take the realm. I tried to run, I attempted to keep out of it, but you sent your people after me. Why? What good will my death do?”
“I don’t leave stones left unturned. I don’t let threads stay unwoven. You are the final piece. Once you’re gone, I’ll be queen in truth. Nobody can try to take my throne.”
Poppy threw up her hands, and Jonah just looked at the queen aghast. “I never wanted your throne. You have killed so many, hurt countless others for something I would never do.”
“You don’t deserve to be here. You never bowed, never scraped. You weren’t the one who was supposed to have the power.” Mina took a step forward, and Jonah growled. For an instant, the queen looked scared, and he was glad for that. Just the slight widening of eyes and the tightening of her mouth belayed her fear. Good. She should be scared.
“You were always my princess, your father always my king. The only thing I ever did wrong was exist. And that’s not on me. That’s on you. Don’t make me do something we’ll all regret.”
“You already did something. After all, you killed that human boy. You don’t deserve to live.”
“I didn’t mean to hurt him, you were the one who drugged me. Spelled me,” Poppy said from Jonah’s side. He wanted to reach out to console her, but this wasn’t the time for that. He could sense the other lions prowling around the house, all six of them. None of them had died, even though the queen and her sisters must’ve used some form of spell to dampen the sounds earlier. They weren’t using it now, and he didn’t think that the queen could hear them. No one had died, but he could tell that one or two of the guards were injured by the way their breaths came in labored pants. They were going to help though, if he needed them. There didn’t need to be any more bloodshed today. He didn’t want that. He wanted Poppy to be free. However, if that meant bloodshed, he’d do what he must.
“You can’t actually beat me,” Poppy said, her snakes out now. She had let the glamour fall, and he had never seen her look so beautiful. While he hadn’t known her for more than a handful of hours, he knew right then and there that this was Poppy at her best. Protective, stunning, and powerful.
He hated that she was going to have to use her powers, though.
“You are nothing,” Mina growled out, and Jonah took a step forward.
“You would do well to watch your tongue with my mate.”
The queen’s eyes widened. “Mate? You mated with an animal?” The queen threw her head back and laughed. “Of course, you did,” she said, still laughing. “Of course.”
“You really do want to die tonight, don’t you?” Poppy asked, coming up to his side. She slid her hand through his, gave his fingers a squeeze, and then let go, knowing that she would need both hands to fight. Or, at least, that’s what he hoped. He didn’t want her to avoid touching him out of fear.
“Once you’re dead, things will go back to normal. And that’s all that really matters.” And then the queen threw her hands out to the sides, and her snakes writhed around her head.
Jonah closed his eyes, but Poppy just laughed.
“Breaking the rules, are you? But the thing is, you’re not a Medusa. You can’t turn anyone to stone. You never could, and you’re never going to be able to.”
Jonah’s eyes widened, and he looked over at Poppy.
“She just has her fighting skills and her magic?”