“He refuses to bequeath power to an heir even though heknowsit is weakening the fey! Rian has been trying to get him and the other monarchs to abdicate for decades! But they would rather rot in their holes and let their courts diminish than cooperate,” spat Sammy.
“Balor says that Rian actually wants to take the power of the monarchs for himself,” I told him, trying to sound like we were both sharing secrets.
The faun laughed, tipping his curly-haired head back and belting out his amusement. He seemed to realize that I was notin on the joke and looked impatient.
“You don’t understand fey power at all! No wonder he was able to trick you,” the faun accused rather scornfully. “Rian could not sustain the mantle of even one monarch! Never mind all four! Balor lied. And not very well.”
“What do you mean?” asked Orion, shifting forward, but Sammy cast a distrustful glower over his shoulder that made him back up again.
“But I thought Rian could take any power,” I mused, drawing the faun’s attention back to me.
“Oh, he can! But there is a difference between feeding on magic to fuel his own strength and actually consuming something so it becomes part of him! He has taken on a few abilities like portalling or warding before, but that is very different! Only the blood of the First may take up a mantle as a King or Queen of the fey.”
“Okay… so only someone in Balor’s bloodline could sustain his crown? Like his daughter?” I verified.
“She is the one Rian will channel it to once he is able to find her and Balor,” Sammy confirmed with a nod.
“What will happen to Balor if Rian takes his power?” Riordan wanted to know, kneeling with me so he seemed less intimidating. Sammy frowned at him for a moment before he seemed to decide to cooperate with him.
“If Balor elects to abdicate to his daughter then he will keep his life. But if Rian needs to step in, then taking the power by force will kill the old fool. And rather than do what is best for his people, Balor fled here. He was told by Rian a long time ago that such a mass exodus would collapse the courts!” hissed Sammy in pure resentment. Then his expression softened in sympathy as he glanced out toward the Spring fey across the hall.
He is convincing,I noted to Riordan thoughtfully.
Certainly far more convincing than Balor,he agreed.Especially considering how certain Balor seemed to feel that the Spring Court would be lost. He was desperate to establish a place herefor himself before he even arrived. But it remains that the Wild Hunt may no longer be open to speaking with us.
“Sammy, this is important information that we needed to better understand the situation. Why do you think none of the other fey have been willing to share?” I asked.
“Why would they?” he scoffed. “Balor would kill all of them if he could get his hands on them, and you are an ally of the Spring King.”
“Ally is a strong name for it,” Orion muttered.
“They are loyal to the Autumn Prince. If not for Rian, the Four Courts likely would have collapsed long ago,” Sammy insisted.
“Rian cares about all the fey,” I said, making sure that my voice was filled with admiration, and Sammy nodded. “Enough to still consider meeting with us, you think?”
The faun hesitated with a cautious glance at Riordan and then shrugged with what seemed like genuine regret.
“Alright. Well, thank you, Sammy. You will take that letter back to Ornella?”
“I will,” he assured me with a quick nod.
“And would you tell her directly that I am so sorry for everything that’s happened and I… I miss her.”
Sammy nodded again, looking eager to leave, so I held out my hand. He seemed surprised at first, but he took the offer and allowed me to pull him up onto his hooven feet and out into the hallway.
“This is Helena. She will take you to a portal so you can get home,” I advised him. I motioned for her to come forward to escort him out of the prison, and his big eyes widened even more up at her. She placed a firm hand on his tiny shoulder to guide him away, and he cast one final glance at me before they turned the corner to the stairs.
Riordan stepped up behind me, an arm snaking around me to pull me against him as he put his lips to my ear.
“A brilliant negotiatorandinterrogator,” he murmuredapprovingly and kissed one of the many marks he had left on my neck the night before.
I rolled my eyes at his flattery and stepped away from him only to catch Orion eying my neck. He was staring at the mark Riordan had kissed, his expression unreadable, until his eyes rose to mine.
At first, I worried he might be angry to be confronted with proof of my intimacy with hisskiáwhom he’d loved in secret for so long. But there was no anger in his eyes, just a quiet intensity that seemed to ensnare me and made my heart start to throb. That sensation of being captured somehow escalated into a sort of euphoric submission when I realized that Riordan had stilled right behind me. His knuckles brushed down my neck over the mark that seemed to have utterly transfixed Orion.
“She is pretty when she blushes. Is she not?” my mate asked hisskiáwith a teasing note that seemed significant. Was that what Orion had been thinking the day before? That I am pretty when I blush?
No, my love, he was wondering if you would blush for him as prettily as you do for me.
