“We are growing tired of this,” Reagan said, his grimace suggesting mild irritation.
Eldar didn’t look at him. “Maith misses you,” he went on. Maith’s neck strained, but she didn’t speak or even look up. “Do you not, dear?”
There was a restrained quality to her calm, hinting that she had expected this topic. Her eyes darted between Eldar and Finn. “My Lord?”
“Are you still set on abandoning her too?” Eldar went on, his voice too soft.
This wasn’t the direction we needed this dinner to take.
Finn remained cool. “I’m glad we’ve finally reached this part of the evening. Please, carry on. Quickly, so we can all move on.”
Iqbal’s mouth peeled back in a smile, his voice rising so the table couldn’t miss it. “Your mother—”
“My mother,” Finn snapped, cutting him off, “couldn’t be bothered to come, so why should I care?”
“Because she would allow you to do as you’ve always wanted,” Eldar said. Finn’s jaw ticked as the silence stretched. “If you return, if you come back to your court, then you may do as you wish. Wield the mana you inherited from your scum of a father here. And you will be with Maith.”
Finn stared at his uncle. Reluctantly, he met her gaze, his chest lifting slightly in a quiet breath. Maith’s composure was marred by the faintest shadow of sadness or maybe resignation.
Gods. I’d hate to be spoken to like that in front of everyone at the table.
Without another word, Finn drained his glass, rose, and left.
“Atkus, do not leave this table,” Iqbal ordered.Orderedhis nephew.
My hands balled beneath the table.
“He will leave,” Reagan said evenly. “Or we’ll all leave.”
Though he seemed poised to shout at Finn, Iqbal conceded, his eyes lingering on Finn with something tangled and unresolved. The same as Eldar’s.
Tension clung to the table. I glanced at Maith, expecting her to follow Finn as she had all night, but she remained seated, watching the lords with a stiff posture.
I felt a sudden need for air. “Excuse me,” I murmured, and followed the path Finn had taken.
He’d already reached the shore, standing rigid at the water’s edge. I stopped beside him.
“They are delightful,” I said flatly.
A tired huff escaped him, half laugh and half sigh. “Aren’t they?” He shook his head, but there was sadness settling into his face. “I tried to ask about the spies. It doesn’t matter. I’m only a prop here. If I stay there, we won’t get what we came for.” He paused. “You should go back. It will be better if it is you. Especially since Reagan is cross with me.”
“I don’t think we can move on from that so quickly. We have time. And I think this is more important.” His mouth curved faintly at that. “Why would Reagan be cross?”
His mouth tightened. “Because I left you in the water,” Finn said, peering down at me. “And he’s right to be. I’m sorry, Jane. I truly thought the chances of a siren appearing were too low, and we would draw all the spiders to us.”
I waved it away, though I doubted it was convincing. “You couldn’t have known, and I don’t blame you.” I glanced behind us. “Did you hope to see your mother?”
Finn turned back to the water, as though weighing how to answer. “Not really. If you ever meet my mother, you’ll see she is not the sort of woman who cares about her child. She looks at me and remembers the man who abandoned her, so I didn’t expect her to be here.”
“And every time you come here, they speak to you like that?”
“They don’t understand why I left. Elven folk are meant to stay together.” His throat bobbed as he swallowed. “But I grew up in Mountheim. I wanted to remain there even after my father left. Mostly because here, they look down on the mageborn, even a half mage like me.” He tapped the rounded tip of his ear. “Theyresented this. And everything I inherited from him. I love my mother, but it was not enough to stay.”
I rested a hand on his arm, hearing the strain in his voice.
“And now they’re trying to lure you back with… Maith?” I asked.
The corner of his mouth twitched. “Yes. She was the only good part of living here. But I couldn’t stay only for her. And today we are basically strangers. She’s only a friend, despite what my uncle believes. And I hate that he does that to her.”
