Rowan
“If anyone ever writes a history of this war, I hope they devote at least one footnote to the fae’s excellent taste in hostage accommodations,” Ellie says following me into a tent that’s bigger than my entire Spire dorm, Kai and Kyrian having remained outside to finish their quiet scheming. There are furs, a suspiciously generous pile of leather cushions, and even a tea service.
I’d suspect poison, but these bastards seem to prefer more direct methods. Like amputation.
Ellie drops herself atop the cushion pile. For someone whose hair is still matted from kidnapping and captivity, she looks irritatingly comfortable. “Comfy. I’d wager these are for the happy couple.” Ellie waggles her eyebrows. “The fae seem like they are more the ‘sample before purchase’ than ‘keep it in your britches until marriage’ type.”
“Hilarious.”
Ellie flashes me a look that’s equal parts encouragement anddon’t you dare have a breakdown without me. “That was… a lot.” Her voice drops the false cheer. “Are we celebrating yourlack of dismemberment first, or boiling the guys alive for, well, everything?”
I grab the tea pot. It’s not much of a weapon, but it makes me feel better.
“Boiling it is.”
“They are royalty,” I snarl.
“Fae royalty,” Ellie says cautiously. “I think the fae part is the most relevant in the hierarchy of problems. Also, all the other fae seem to think you are something from the dark realms. Possibly worse. And hence should die in some painful way. That also seems more of an immediate issue.”
“Oh, and I seem to be engaged to Prince bloody Kai of Slait Court.”
“I’m pretty certain that was a ruse and you’ll probably be able to call off the wedding. Can we get back to being kidnapped by murderous fae?”
“No, we can’t!” The words erupt from my chest, jagged and hard, and louder than I expected. I can’t help it. I'm not brave and stoic. My hands tremble around the delicate porcelain of the tea pot, and my heart slams against my rib cage so violently I’m surprised Ellie can’t see it through my shirt. I want to blurt out every question and accusation at once, but the tightness in my throat won’t let me form words that make any sense. Instead there’s just the choking sensation of grief and fury and bone-deep terror.
“I know.” Ellie’s voice is gentle. “I know. But we are going to figure this out.”
“No, we are not.” My voice is raw. I can’t look at her. “It’s not alright, none of this is alright. I’m not—!” My breath heaves, and I realize my vision is blurring and I focus on gulping air to keep myself from breaking down.
Ellie stays quiet for several heartbeats, which feels like an eternity. The silence in the tent stretches as if waiting to seewhether I’ll finally shatter. Before I can answer that, footsteps crunch just beyond the tent and the canvas rustles.
I flinch instinctively, and Ellie’s gaze snaps to the entrance.
Kai and Kyrian. They step inside. No Logan. That must mean something but I don’t know what.
The air hangs thick with murder. Good. I hope it chokes them.
“What do ye intend with the tea, lass?” Kyrian asks carefully. They both look like they’re trying to project calm, but there’s tension in their stances—from Kai’s shadows swirling at his feet to Kyrian’s brilliant blue eyes flicking everywhere but at mine.
I lob the teapot at Kai’s chest.
He catches it with supernatural reflexes, setting it down with infuriating care. “Really, Ainsley?”
“Next time it’ll be the cushions,” I snap back.
Kai takes in the tent and cushion pile. “We should talk.”
“You think?”
“Not nearly as much as one would like,” Kyrian murmurs.
Kai crosses his arms. “You’ve worked out by now that Logan, Kyrian and I are fae warriors who’d been masquerading as human cadets for the past several years in order to get into the heart of Eryndor’s operations.” He pauses and actually waits until I nod before continuing. “Our mission objective was always to find an alchemy enchanter and snatch them back to fae territory.”
I stutter at the bluntness then grab a cushion from the pile and sink onto it. “So kidnapping me?”
“It was always the plan, yes.” No apology in Kai’s voice, not even a hint of shame. I suddenly understand why command always came so easily to him, why the cadets at the Spire shifted from his path like parting grass whenever he strode past. Kai is a prince. Fae prince. Raised for command and rule.
“Then why bother with the charade?” Ellie asks. “Why not snatch Rowan in the middle of the night and be done with it?”
