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In King’s Keep, when Elyria was being pursued by that bolt of deadly blood magic, when his mind had been filled with nothing but the all-consuming need to get to her, to be with her, to save her . . . Cedric had hooked himself on to their bond and gone right to her, hadn’t he?

They’d thought he had shadowstepped, but maybe that wasn’t exactly right.

The bond surged in Cedric’s chest—bright, agonizing, alive. Light was streaking through his veins, illuminating them.

“On with ye, lad.” Thraigg’s voice already sounded far away. “Go get our girl.”

“We will meet you in Elderglade,” said Nox, their voice little more than a whisper through the rush of cold suddenly sweeping around Cedric. It curled under his skin, threaded through his ribs, circled the furnace of sunfyre kindling at his core.

Cedric clapped a hand to the side of his neck, just over his collarbone.

The world folded in on itself.

And he was gone.

11

THICKER THAN WATER

KIT

“It’s about stars-damned time.”

Even with her slightly diminutive stature, Sephone was still every bit as imposing as she had been the first time Kit had lain eyes on her. She wore a high-collared leather vest dyed a deep shade of red, and along her wrists was another set of those spiked cuffs she seemed to favor—silver, this time, rather than the gold ones she had sported in Kingshelm. Kit wondered if her other ones had been dented by all the cultist faces she’d smashed in on the night of the attack.

Kit stared at the fae for half a heartbeat, then resumed her irritated walk down the long palace corridor. She made it four, maybe five strides before Sephone’s voice followed.

“That bad, huh?”

“Worse,” Kit grumbled, releasing a long exhale before pivoting on her heel and stalking back to the fae.

“Yeah, sounded like it.” Sephone’s almond-shaped eyes were crinkled with amusement. She had one boot braced against the wall like she was hanging out at the Gilded Gryphon instead of Aerithia’s royal palace. “Your uncle’s still having a hard time getting over Dentarius’s death, I see.”

“They were close,” Kit said flatly. “And didn’t anyone ever tell you it’s rude to eavesdrop?”

“Please. The king was loud enough that he might as well have broadcast your meeting to the entire palace. And besides . . .” Sephone picked at a small spot on the front of her vest. “It’d be far ruder for me not to put my talents to good use.”

Kit arched a silver eyebrow. “Your talents?”

“As an eavesdropper, of course.” Sephone grinned.

“Oh, but of course. Thank you for being so gracious with your gift.”

Sephone rolled her black eyes. “You should be grateful. It’s how we’ve learned many things over the years.”

“We?”

Pushing herself off the wall, Sephone said, “Oh, come on then, Princess. Let’s go somewhere a little less”—she gestured loosely to the space surrounding them—“to chat. We have a few things to catch up on, I think.” Without waiting for an answer, she sauntered down the hall.

Kit blinked at the fae’s retreating form, lifting her eyes to the ceiling. “Solaris give me strength.” And then she followed.

The small salon was dark when they entered, though not for long. With a snap of her fingers and a flick of her wrist, Sephone sent a tiny bolt of lightning into the chandelier above, lighting all six candles in one fell swoop.

“My mother would be jealous,” Kit said with a hum of approval.

“Why’s that?”

“Oh, there are just some things about her magic she’s always wanted to master. But ruling and politics leave few opportunities to put it into practice.”