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“I hope your rooms are adequate.”
“They’re perfect.” We’d been making camp in the forest for the past week. A seedy inn would have been an improvement over the hard ground. But it truly seemed to matter to Emara that we were comfortable.
I got the sense that she was…lonely.
“I spoke to your aunt. She said to tell you she’ll rest for the remainder of the day. And Lorian is speaking with Sybella.”
Pain shot through me, sharp and unrelenting.
All I could do was nod.
“There is…something else. As you’d discussed with Conreth, two healers were dispatched to remove the amulet from Jamic.”
My heart stuttered. “The power drain killed him.”
“No. But one of the healers tried to.”
“What—” Shame and shock warred on her face, and I understood. “He was one of Regner’s spiders.”
“Yes. Your friend Madinia killed him. The amulet has been removed, and Jamic is fine. We have increased security—with Conreth’s most trusted guards. And Madinia is staying with Jamic.”
Even here, Regner had people lying in wait. If I let myself dwell on it, I would scream. Still, I made a mental note to talk to Jamic.
Emara’s expression creased, and she turned toward the balcony, then seemed to change her mind, pacing the room.
“Is something wrong?” I asked.
“No,” she said quickly. “Nothing is wrong, I just…” She stopped moving, and her gaze found my face. Her eyes were guarded, but she licked her lips, glancing away.“Lorian has been incredibly loyal to Conreth for all these years. I know it hasn’t always been easy, and there were times when he didn’t agree with those orders, but he always followed them. Now…” she sighed. “It seems Lorian no longer wishes to be a part of this family.”
Her unspoken question hung in the air. So many potential answers jumped into my throat that I almost choked on them. After a long moment, I rolled my shoulders, attempting to force myself to relax. “Do you think Lorian feels as if you are a family?”
“He has always been welcome here.”
I kept my face expressionless and watched her silently. She frowned. “I think I understand what you are implying. But my question remains unanswered. I know Lorian is enamored with you—anyone can see that. But he has had other women before. He has never risked his relationship with Conreth for any of them.”
I winced. I wasn’t sure if she was trying to annoy me with the “other women” comment or twisting the knife with the “risked his relationship” part.
A blush rose to her cheeks, but she kept her eyes on me. And I understood. Behind her warm, welcoming exterior, she was still the fae queen.
“Lorian is my mate,” I said. And it was my turn to watch her.
The blush disappeared, taking any other color remaining in her cheeks with it. I shifted uncomfortably on my feet. Was she…in love with Lorian?
“When…when did you learn this?”
Irritation began to chew at the manners I was working so hard to display. I didn’t even know this woman, and she felt entitled to private details about my relationship. If Lorian had once had some kind of intimate relationship with her and hadn’t told me…
Emara was still waiting for my reply.
“With all due respect—”
She waved a hand through the air. “Forgive me, I can see the conclusion you would naturally come to. But no, I’m not and have never been in love with your…mate.” Her nose wrinkled slightly, even as humor flickered in her eyes.
Something in my chest relaxed. “I only learned this information recently. Lorian didn’t want me to feel…trapped.”
Her expression softened. “You must have been upset when you discovered he’d lied to you.”
“Yes,” I admitted. “I understand why he did it. But…”
