The words hang suspended between us, and something tightens around my chest. Not the old, dull nausea of betrayal or fear, but something sharper. More intimate. More real.
I study Kai more closely now. His jaw is set, the line of it sharper than before, and there's a tension bracketing his eyes that wasn't there a moment ago. His fingers drift to the pendant at his throat—the same unconscious gesture I've watched him repeat all year. Always when he thinks no one's watching. Always with that same careful reverence, like he's holding something precious.
Something fragile.
Then it clicks.
"There's someone you want to cure,” I say. "Someone close to you."
Kai’s fingers still on the pendant, knuckles whitening against the metal. For a single, suspended heartbeat, his careful mask slips and I catch it. The raw desperate flicker across his face, pain so deep it makes my chest ache, even with every reason I have to hate him.
“My foster sister.” The words are quiet, but there’s steel in them, same as always. Only now, the steel seems to cut him just as much as it does anyone else.
“She is a shifter?” I guess, piecing together what the males have told me so far. I don’t believe all of it, but something cold and sinking tells me at least some of it is true.
“Dragon shifter,” Kai says. “On the other continent. Massa’eve. She was barely into adolescence when it happened. I’d gotten hold of an auric steel dagger, which seemed like a good idea at the time. I’d no idea Lilith would go rummaging through my things or choose that particular blade from two dozen othersto learn tricks with. Maybe if she’d not tried to conceal the cut at first the healers could have done something, but that’s neither here nor there. Those fae we’d mentioned, the ones who can only blink now, Lilith has been one of them for years. She’d made the mistake of loving me and I took away her life in return.”
I stop with my apple half way to my mouth. “That… that is awful. And not your fault.”
Kai snarls. “I brought the knife that paralyzed her into the palace. It is all my fault, Ainsley. As it usually is.”
Silence pulses.
After a few heartbeats of no one saying a word, Ellie clears her throat. “So… Step one, don’t die. Step two, don’t start a war between fae courts. Step three, cure Kai’s sister. Step four?—”
“- Step four is you return me to Eryndor,” I finish for her as I climb back to my feet and face the males. I feel a new type of strength running through my body and I hate myself for it. I hate negotiating with a child dragon’s life. But there are children in Eryndor too. Children left without parents or homes or food because our entire kingdom must pour all our resources into fighting off the assaults that never stop. Never pause. A small kingdom of humans against the immortal might of the Flurry fae.
“I will see Lilith and do everything in my power to reverse the effect of alloy on her. If I can use my magic directly, I will. If it requires an antidote, I will make a single dose of it. Just for her. Either way, I will bring every ounce of my magic, knowledge and power to bear to cure the dragon shifter. And then, I will return to Eryndor under your escort and protection. Make no mistake princes, I will not be turned into a weapon against my people or destroy what little advantage we have against your kind.”
Kai opens his mouth to issue a protest—or maybe a threat—but I beat him to it.
“Those are my terms. Otherwise, I will tell Prince Theron the truth and let you deal with the outfall.”
“Did you miss the part where you die if you do that?” Kai demands.
“I didn’t,” I say, letting the words hang between us. “Did you miss the part where I’m willing to die to keep Flurry from taking Eryndor’s humans as slaves?” I let that sink in, forcing myself to straighten my spine, even though my heart is pounding so hard I can barely breathe. He needs to see I mean it. Every word. “And in case you’re thinking of waiting until I help Lilith and then backing out of the deal, know that I’ll ensure every one and their mother learns of the deal we made. I imagine Flurry royalty won’t care much for a Slait prince’s deal to put one little dragon ahead of their entire kingdom.” I spread my arms wide and open. “Mutually assured destruction. Or aid. Whichever you prefer.”
Kai's jaw works for a long moment, his shadows writhing around his body. Then, keeping his expression painstakingly neutral, he turns to Kyrain.
“Do it,” Kyrian tells him. “Save Lilith. Everything else can wait.”
When Kai still hesitates, Kyrian turns toward me. “You’ve my word that should ye wish to return to Eryndor after saving Lilith, I will do everything in my power to facilitate the passage. But I’ve one caveat to add to the deal—in the time you are with us, you will open your mind to learning about the fae and draken both. Including meeting our bonded partners.”
“Maybe not Logan’s Nyx,” Kai says darkly. “Or she’ll be dead before she’s of use.”
“Fair point,” Kyrian amends. “You’ll be open to meeting some of our bonded partners.”
“Agreed.” I draw breath for one last thing, though I think I’ve used up all my courage. “What about Logan? We need his agreement as well.”
"Logan is a Flurry subject,” Kyrian answers. “I can speak for him.”
"Good enough. We have a deal then." I shake the males’ hands, trying to revel in my win. But I can’t. I hate myself for having used Lilith for leverage. Hate that my magic could cause a disease the princes describe. No wonder Flurry’s wolf shifters hate us. I rub the back of my head. Does my mother know this? Could an antidote be a potential bargaining chip? An offering from Eryndor to the wolves in exchange for a ceasefire? For at least coming to the negotiation table? My thoughts are coming faster now, the need to make it right—make all of it right—pounding through my fatigue.
Kyrian clears his throat. “Not to interrupt what I’m sure is a fascinating thought process, but we have a show to put on at an upcoming dinner, and you two need to bathe.”
I blink, startled back to the present. Right. “You won’t have to twist my arm there,” I tell Kyrian. “A bath sounds absolutely divine. Ellie and I?—”
“Not Ellie and you. Him and you.” Kyrian jerks his chin toward Kai, whose shadows have gone utterly still. Never a good sign. “I’m not expecting a blossom of undying love, but maybe if ye two could learn to touch each other without attempted murder, tonight’s dinner will go smoother, aye?”
