The Twiceborn Queen (The Proving Book 2) Read Online Free

that.
    “You can’t do that!” said one.
    “He still needs to be here,” said the other. “We’re just waiting on another bed.”
    I glared at them. “What he needs is to be somewhere where people aren’t trying to kill him. And no offence, ladies, but your hospital isn’t doing such a great job on that front.”
    “I’ll have to call the registrar on duty,” said the first one.
    “Call anyone you like. But as soon as he’s got a pair of pants on, we’re out of here.”
    “And shoes,” Lachie mumbled sleepily into my shoulder. “He might hurt his feet.”
    Ben hauled himself out of the chair. “I’m good to go. Got nothing but pyjamas here anyway.”
    “Mr Stevens, please wait for the registrar. I’m sure he’ll advise against this.”
    “Sorry.” He didn’t sound it.
    The officious one stood and came around the desk. “You’ll have to sign a form saying you’re discharging yourself against doctor’s orders.”
    “If you’ve got one right there, he’ll sign anything you like,” I said. “Otherwise, we’re leaving.”
    “But—”
    I turned my will on her, reaching into her mind and taking control. I might have sworn off enthralment, but I had nothing against a temporary compulsion. She stood frozen like a deer in the headlights, helpless in my gaze.
    “We. Are. Leaving.”
    And we did.
    ***
    “Are you okay?” Ben asked, breaking the long silence in the car. Oncoming headlights flashed across his face like strobe lights in the darkness.
    “Fine. You?”
    “You killed that woman.”
    Oh. I changed lanes and wondered how to answer that.
    A week ago I would have had a hard time killing a person, even in self-defence. If I’d had to, I’d have been a blubbering mess afterwards. Ben probably thought I was heading for a mental breakdown, alarmed by my cool.
    In fact, deep down—or maybe not so deep—a new resolve had hardened. Leandra wouldn’t have thought twice about destroying a threat, and now neither did I. That didn’t mean I didn’t regret the necessity. But I wouldn’t be falling apart any time I had to eliminate some low-life who threatened me or the people I cared about. Shifters saw such things differently to regular humans.
    “She was trying to kill you. And me. I didn’t have much choice.”
    “If you’d held her off till the nurses came—”
    “What? She might have knifed one of them? Or Lachie? Would that have been better?”
    “We might have been able to question her.”
    Detective Hartley would have liked that. Hell, I would have liked that. Bad enough to have people lining up to kill you. It was even worse when you didn’t know who was at the head of the queue.
    “I doubt she would have told us anything.”
    “But at least we wouldn’t have been driving to the police station now, would we? Are they going to charge you?”
    “I don’t think so. It’s pretty obvious it was self defence.” At least, that’s how it should look to someone who didn’t know about shifters. “Detective Hartley said they just wanted to do a formal interview. She seems like the type that wants everything done by the book.”
    He made a noncommittal noise and stared out the window. Detective Hartley had told me to meet her at Chatswood police station, which wasn’t far away. We were soon cruising down Archer Street looking for a parking spot.
    The police station loomed on the corner of Archer Street and Albert Avenue, a big glass and concrete box that spilled golden light onto the dark street. I felt a shiver of apprehension as we entered. The Leandra side of me sneered at my nerves. What did a dragon have to fear from human law enforcement?
    “Pretend you’re my nephew,” I whispered to Lachie as Detective Hartley came to greet us. No point taking chances. Accidental deaths were hard enough to explain without adding miraculous resurrections as well.
    “Mr Stevens! I didn’t expect to see you here. I thought you weren’t well enough to leave hospital yet.” Her glance