“Thank you,” I gasped through a soft sob, my eyes on Orion who was slumping onto his forearms in relief.
“Do not thank me! I didnotdo it for you or for him,” she growled at me.
Before I could ask who else she could have possibly done it for, the curtain door opened and a man I instantly recognized strode inside with a confident authority.
So Rianwasalive.
Ornella’s blond companion straightened from where he had been leaning against the table and flipping his knife as if bored. Even Ornella gave Rian her full attention as the Autumn Prince nodded to each of his riders before he tilted his head in question at Orion.
“Riordan’sskiáandtaíri,” Ornella supplied. I guessed Orion must not have been part of the plan when they had been ordered to bring me to their master.
Rian nodded before those striking green eyes landed on me with unmistakable intention. I tensed as he walked toward me and knelt with a preternatural grace. It should have been impossible for someone with such dark power to be so distractingly beautiful. He could kill me so easily, and yet it was pathetically difficult not to stare at him.
“Do not hurt her,” Orion growled, his voice a raw rasp, but Rian ignored him entirely.
“We meet again,” Rian noted in such dulcet tones that they seemed to caress all my fears away.
“What do you want?” I whispered.
“What do I want?” Rian laughed at me. The sound was so tantalizing for my mortal senses that I almost smiled back at him even though I knew better.
I had always been frustrated by the stories my mother would tell me of how men and women could be so easily corrupted by the fey. But I could understand it better now. This man wasdangerous. Not just because he could sip the magic from my bones and veins and devour my flesh, but because I had the sudden sense that he was a seducer. Minds. Bodies. Souls. All of it was for his taking.
“What Iwant,little witch, is for my people to be safe,” Rian continued with a sharper edge in his voice, which reminded me topay attention. “But war does not suit me, and I have been forced into it for far too long, so I want to try something new with you now.”
I opened my mouth to point out that his power meant he was absolutely suited to war, but I hesitated. They had managed to dampen my fire magic and my bond to Orion, but I still had my Ktínos intuition. And my instincts told me that Rian really wasn’t a warrior at heart. He was…
Tired. War truly did not suit him.
“We want peace too,” I assured him quietly, still not sure if I could trust this creature that seemed more like a god than a fey male.
“And yet, you destroyed an entire world and murdered millions of fey in moments. I may get a bad name because of my power, but not even I have ever accomplished such a monumental atrocity,” he pointed out coldly.
I lowered my gaze from his accusation as all that guilt threatened to choke me. I would never forget the screams. Never forget the way the mothers threw their children to other fey closer to the portal to save them. Never forget that moment as the void swallowed the last of their world and everything went dark and silent.
“I know that we made a grave mistake trusting Balor. And believe me, with what we now know, we would not have offered him sanctuary. But we cannot unmake that choice now, so I would venture to make any recompense the fey deem appropriate. If such a thing is possible.”
“Amira,” Orion tried to object, but Rian ignored him again while he seemed to consider my offer with interest. It was clearlynot what he had expected from me.
“There are two offenses. Neither of which are yours to atone for. You were brought here to ensure King Riordan is not tempted to make any more deals with the monarchs that would collapse our courts. And we thought that your death might also serve as a little justice,” Rian revealed. “But,” he added significantly, just as my heart started to sink and Orion growled, “it would be a shame to kill you when I suspect you may have other uses. Perhaps you can help me ensure that the parties truly responsible are held accountable,” Rian suggested.
“I will never help you hurt Riordan. No matter what you do to me.”
“But youcangive me Balor. If I am to rebuild from your ashes, then I will need both Balorandhis daughter for the Spring Court,” Rian insisted firmly.
“Amira,” breathed Orion in warning. We did not need to be able to communicate mentally for me to understand his concern. The whole reason that we agreed to provide sanctuary to Balor was to keep him out of Rian’s hands in case the Autumn Prince wanted to consume his power.
“What will you do with them?” I asked and hoped that these new instincts from Orion would help me know if the Autumn Prince lied right to my face.
“I will do what should have been done centuries ago. Take his power and pass it to Aisling,” Rian answered, echoing the same sentiments from Ornella’s letter without hesitation. And gods damn him, there was no trace of any deception or malice in his eyes or voice; he was either a very good liar or he was truthful.
“And what if she doesn’t want to be the queen?”
“She has no choice. Our people need new monarchs or we will continue to decline. Each of the monarchs must be renewed, and I will not stop until I have done that,” Rian reassured me. The truth again.
“How do I know you will not keep the power?”
“I could not even if I had any desire for more power than Iam already cursed with. The most I could do would be to sip a small amount of his power, which he would easily replenish. But to take on the mantle of a fey king? That kind of power is in the blood.”
