“So”—Fee leaned in—“where are you from?” She tilted her head like a curious bird.
“Keles.” Helaina saw no point in offering lies.
They gave each other a side glance, like some sort of dots were connecting.
“What did you say your family name was?” Breyer casually pulled an apple from her satchel and began rolling it under her fingertips.
“I didn’t give it.” Helaina was suspicious, but what could she do? It wouldn’t be long until word spread of who she was and why she was brought here. “Ironblood.” She kept her eyes fixed on her leg, continuing her small exercises, keeping the blood flowing and muscles tensing as she sat.
The mates shared another knowing look. They knew her family, that much was obvious.
“How old are you?” Fee arched a white brow.
Helaina tried counting the days since she had left Oakmire. Her birthday had undoubtedly passed. “Twenty-three,” she finally responded.
The scent of food in the air made her stomach rumble.
Their fae hearing must have heard. The apple slowly rolled across the table, from Breyer directly into Helaina’s palm. She didn’t pick it up at first, just held the cold fruit, pursing her lips. She arched her brow in the redhead’s direction, then finally succumbed. She brought the apple to her mouth and bit down, damn near salivating over the sweetness.
Breyer looked her up and down, elbows resting on the table in front of her. “You look... better. Still a bit scrawny, but... better.”
“I think many of us appear scrawny to you.” Helaina expected another quick insult to come her way in response, but Breyer’s eyes had already traveled to the hand Helaina had used to take the offered fruit. Her sparkling eyes went dark.
“What isthat... on your wrist?”
Helaina looked down at the string of blue. “Tempest tears from Vrasta,” she said, instinctively repeating the lie she had been told when she received them.
But they were fae, of course they would recognize jewels from their homeland.
Breyer leaned in for a closer look. Fee tried scooting in to do the same.
Helaina pulled her arm under the table, but it was too late.
“Those arenotfrom Vrasta. Their mines haven’t extracted tempest tears in nearly a century.”
Damn.
“That bracelet is from Azaros.” Breyer’s cocky tone grew angry. “Did youstealthem?”
Helaina’s own anger flared. “No, it wasn’tstolen. It was a gift from my brother.”
Too many secrets. Helaina was letting go of too many secrets. She had to hold on to something.
Fee gave Breyer a look that saiddrop it.
The fiery one refused. “Then your brother is a thiefanda liar.”
Helaina snapped, lunging across the table so fast she didn’t have time to even understand her own reaction. She snatched behind Breyer’s head and yanked that long ponytail until her face slammed to the side. Helaina’s palm forced her down, pressing a pointed cheek to the wooden table.
Breyer was stunned for only a heartbeat. Then in one fluid motion, she pulled a dagger from its sheath. Without even looking, she brought the tip of the blade straight to the princess’s neck, leaving only a breath of room between the steel and her skin.
Helaina’s grip tightened. She was sick of looking weak. If Breyer wanted to get out of her hold, she was going to have to stab her, or lose a whole lot of hair.
Both their bodies stretched across the table, their heavy breaths audible.
Helaina pulled the silk strands tighter in her balled fist.
Breyer sucked in air between her teeth.
