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“Why can I scent your blood everywhere?”
Before I can reply, call to him, or even blink, shadows smother every lantern in the room. A howling wind erupts, and a dark, winged silhouette steps from the darkness, dragging a figure behind him. The light flickers and returns. In his Sluagh form, horns, wings, and tail lashing about, Fox’s manic black eyes land on me. He discards the figure he brought with him—a disgruntled Legion—andflickersto kneel at my feet.
His hands hover over my legs, his panicked eyes search me for injury. “Our queen.”
“I’m okay,” I insist.
“You are bleeding.” His snarl is guttural as he inspects the soles of my feet.
“Peablossom cleaned them.”
“May I heal them?” he asks.
“Why are you being so weird?” I sniff.
“I need your permission.” His voice is quiet. He won’t look me in the eyes.
“Fox?”
“Willow,” he growls, jaw clenched, muscle ticking. He is beyond worked up. Every action jerks and twitches, as if he’s battling his body to keep it from unleashing a destructive force against us all.
“Yes, please,” I whisper. “Heal me.”
When he bows to heal my feet, Legion’s conversation with Peablossom filters in. She hasn’t mentioned Fox’s Sluagh form. She’s a little nervous, but not afraid. When Legion arrived with Fox, he was disgruntled. Perhaps Fox wrenched him here without permission. But now, as Legion hears Peablossom’s recount of my punishment, I feel the atmosphere tremble.
It’s as if the world itself shudders from the look of retribution filling his eyes. When she’s finished, Legion’s nostrils flare. He prowls back and forth, fingers flexing at his sides.
At first, I think his anger is directed at the Radiants. He’d already decreed my new uniform to be the House of Shadow colors. When Fox’s menacing eyes land on the hollow of my throat—to the missing space where my pendant should be—I realize Legion isn’t angry. He’s afraid.
“Fox,” he warns. “Don’t.”
“Where is your pendant?” Fox’s tone is cold, devoid of emotion.
I touch my throat. “Sylvanar took it.”
Black eyes blink. “Wait here.”
Instinct barrels through me. I grab his arm as heflickers. “Don’t!”
“Yes.” He bares razor-sharp fangs.
“The codex,” I remind him.
Legion strides over and takes Fox’s other hand. “Reveal yourself and jeopardize everything.”
“I willnotstand for her abuse.” Fox’s frantic growl sends my heart racing.
Oh, no. He doesn’t even know about the water.
His gaze whips to me. “What happened with the water?”
“I didn’t say anything.”
“You shouted it in your head.” Danger tightens his expression. “What happened with the water, Willow?”
“Look.” I give a nervous laugh. “Let’s talk about this. You kind of ate Sylvanar’s son.” It’s the wrong thing to say. It just reminds him of another who tried to hurt me, so I quickly add, “He was a horrible man—I get that. But what happened was my fault. I was foolish and made a stupid mistake.”
Legion snarls at me, “Don’t ever blame yourself for the deplorable actions of others.”
