“She is no traitor,” says a voice from the dark.
The figure in the armchair has finally moved. He steps forward slowly, as if he has all the time in the world, and though I have not yet seen his face, I know the voice. I knew it the moment it curled from his lips.
Modok.
“She sees the truth,” he continues. “Her eyes are open now. As all Fae eyes will be. She knows who should rule the Sundered Kingdoms.”
He steps into the light. The same cruel grin, the beard like bramble, the jagged spikes of hair pointing skyward except for that single, braided strand hanging like a noose over his collarbone.
“I expected more surprise,” he says, his smile widening. “Not even a blink?”
“I’m only surprised I let myself walk into this ambush,” I reply, jaw clenched. “Iknewit reeked of rot.”
“Another reason I should be king,” he says, his voice like gravel. “Any Fae who smells a trap and walks into it, anyway? That’s a Fae unfit to rule. That’s a Fae who deserves to die on his knees.”
He gives a long sigh, moving about the room with casual ease. Then, with mock courtesy, “Now. Didn’t you say you wanted to see your father?”
My pulse stalls. My fists clench against the burning barrier.
Modok tucks his fingers into his belt and throws back his head. “Who am I to deny a last wish?”
Chapter 31
Amara
Istep onto the deck. The boards slick beneath my feet, the rain a steady curtain that soaks through my cloak within moments. I pull the hood tighter around my neck, bracing against the wind that slices in from the sea, but it’s no use. The cold clings to me like a second skin. Still, I lift my gaze to the cliffs above, to the fortress that waits beyond them, and wonder for the hundredth time how I’m supposed to scale that impossible wall of stone.
I don’t have long to consider.
A shadow moves across the deck.
My heart lurches. I stumble back a step, hand flying up on instinct as green fire sparks to life across my skin.
Then I see him.
Tall. Strong. Beautiful in the way only he could be. My breath catches in my throat.
“Daed?” I whisper.
He takes one slow step toward me. “Yes, Amara. It’s me.”
My chest tightens. I blink hard, the rain stinging my eyes. “You’re back. Does that mean it’s safe?”
He nods. His hand lifts to brush my face, his fingertips skimming my jaw.
“Yes, it’s safe. Come back with me. To the fortress.”
Relief floods my chest, chasing out the icy cold. I don’t think I could have borne one more shock, one more fight. It feels like I haven’t had a single breath since I first set foot in Baev’kalath a lifetime ago. Souls, how everything has changed since then.
Just one stretch of time where we aren’t fighting to survive is a blessing.
Now I only need to explain why my husband’s sworn enemy is the one watching over our daughter.
But that can wait.
I sag into him, burying myself in his warmth. My arms wrap around his waist, fingers curling into him.
It takes him longer than it should to respond.
