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Livia shook her head.

As though sensing his mate’s distress, the Ever King tore away from his conversation with Sander and Celine, red eyes locked on his queen. “Songbird? What is it?”

Livia clung to Erik’s arm when he reached her side, her eyes wide, her lips parted like she might be in pain.

“Livia!” Erik’s voice was harsh, almost frantic.

In the next breath, Livia blinked and slumped against her king. “I’m sorry, I—I—I felt my fury. The soil showed…gods, I felt pain on our soil.”

A darker piece of Livia’s fury magic was that the earth could share its pain with the queen. Often only if she searched it herself. This was unusual but, no doubt, proof her connection with the Ever had only grown.

Her haunted gaze locked on Bloodsinger. “Erik, I think something’s happened at the cove.”

My blood froze. Where the hells was Tait?

Shouts echoed across the hall. The kind that chilled my blood. My father’s voice.

“Mira! Where are you?” From the far side of the corridor, my daj, flanked by Gavyn and a few guards of the palace, stormed into the hall. He whipped his gaze around, eyes wild, until he caught sight of me.

My father had a long stride and was across the space in moments, wrapping me in his arms.

“Daj.” I pressed a hand to his chest. His heart felt like it might burst through. “Daj, what’s wrong? What is it?”

“I didn’t see until it was too damn late, then he was too bleeding far. Gods, we called for the guards, but these walls are ridiculously thick.”

My father paced. I’d never seen him this frenzied, not since the war when our kingdom fell under attack and he’d forced our folk to hide me away in a troll burrow, anticipating the dark fae’s arrival.

“Ari.” Livia took hold of my hand. “What is it?”

My father pinned his fury on the Ever King. “I thought you said you’d ward the seas. Now they’re gone. She is gone!”

Erik’s eyes turned a violent red. “King, what happened? Who is gone?”

“My wife!” Daj ran his fingers through his hair, a new sort of violence in his tone.

My heart stuttered. Maj? “Where is she?”

“She’s too bleeding bold. Always has been. Insisted she’d follow and track them. Well, get moving, Bloodsinger, or we’ll lose them!”

By now the hall had gone silent. Jonas kept Skadi close but had a hand on the sword he carried at his waist. Sander’s eyes had gone black as pitch, and Celine muttered in hushed words to her brother.

“Daj.” My voice was sharp, but it was enough to draw his attention. It seemed to pull him, even for a moment, free of the wild thoughts. “Where is my mother?”

“Starlight”—his voice broke—“they took him. We were out on the balcony—gods—we’re always celebrating and finally had one night when your mother and I did not have to sit on the throne. But we saw a commotion near the shore. Your mother, I told her not to, but she flew to get a closer look. Mira, those mortals, they were here. They took Heartwalker.”

I stumbled back. Livia caught me around the waist.

“At the cove?” Livia spoke in no more than a whisper.

My father nodded.

“How?” Erik bared his teeth. “How do you know this?”

“Because my wife shifted back long enough to tell me what she saw,” my father said, “only to have the reckless woman shift back to follow them. Godsdammit, I couldn’t stop her before she was gone. If they find her…”

Daj cursed again and took up pacing.

Tears would not come. The stun throttled me, like a cruel fist around the throat. Tait. Maj. Eilifur had found us.