Page 31

A man—no, a fae male—stood frozen in the middle of folding a pair of trousers, mine by the look of them. Dressed in the same garb as the rest of Lord Greyson’s staff, his features were young and human-like. The only visible non-human trait about him was his height—he stood head and shoulders taller than me, and I was taller than the average human—and his magic, which skittered apologetically along my senses.

He glanced at my head, his silvery eyes flicking from my hair to my face and back. “Sire? Highness?” Then as though recalling himself, he straightened and dropped the trousers to execute a dignified bow.

Only then did I remember what I had discovered the day before, and I dismissed all the magic I had accessed with a groan. I could only hope the glowing crown Rue had mentioned seeing last time I had touched my so-called birthright had disappeared with the blue flame I had summoned.

“None of the above,” I told him with a frustrated wave. “Who are you?”

“Your attendant.” He dipped his head and eyed me expectantly. “We were introduced yesterday.”

I closed my eyes and rubbed my face. My eyes were full of grit and sleep, my mouth felt dry as a desert, and my mind stumbled through fog. “I am sorry—” I hesitated and grasped for his name. “Raven?”

“Yes, Highness.”

I threw my head back and let out a mighty, frustrated exhale.

“Sorry, sire, I simply must refer to you as something,” the fae’s voice wobbled.

“No, Raven, please forgive me.” I massaged my temple as hazy memories of the past two days finally began to connect. The Dullahan sitting at my mother’s table, his claim that I was the heir of the Unseelie—utter insanity—and our mad dash into the Wild Wood to his estate. “I assure you the problem lies with me—not you. Please call me Kent.”

“I can’t do that, sire.” His tone of implacability brought my attention back to him.

“Why can’t you?” The discomfort on the tall fae’s youthful features finally processed. “How old are you?”

Startled by my sudden change in topic, he frowned. “Five and twenty summers, sire.”

I narrowed my gaze and tried to get a feel for his magic. He definitely had quite a bit, enough to be a full fae. “High fae?”

“Fourth generation Ettin-Dullahan-high fae mix, sire.”

“If you were a tad shorter, you could pass for a human.”

That brought a bright smile to Raven’s face. “That was the idea, sire. Uncle Greyson said you might want to return to the human communities occasionally, considering you lived most of your life there. As your attendant, I would be required to accompany you. Wings and sparkles would be very distressing on that side of the border.”

“You are related to the Dullahan?”

Raven was shaking his head even before I had finished my question. “No, sire, I am the nephew of his best friend, Lord Piro Rothden. They thought I would be a good fit for the position considering my training helping Uncle Piro on his missions.”

“What exactly are your duties as my attendant?” I wasn’t sure I liked this idea.

“Care for your clothes, taste your food before you eat, fetch things for you, see you have what you need, defend you to the death…” He shrugged with a semi-apologetic air. “Whatever you happen to need at any given moment, sire.”

After years of fending for myself, it would be strange to have someone continually with me. Mother was the only constant I wanted in my life—well, Mother, and I was beginning to suspect Rue, which meant Mela as well.

I groaned and rubbed my face again. How had my life suddenly grown so complicated?

“Sire?”

I held up a hand, palm to Raven, without lifting my head. “No! No calling me sire or highness. I simply can’t handle it. Please, call me Kent.”

“Some honorific is necessary, or I will be accused of overfamiliarity.”

I rolled my eyes. “It sounds like we are going to be more personal with each other than anyone aside from my mother has ever been with me. Familiarity sounds like the appropriate approach.”

“Not in a typical fae noble household, s—” Raven hesitated. “Would Master Kent be a tolerable alternative?”

I grimaced. “In public, I will accept it, but only if you will call me by my name when we are alone or not among fae.”

“As you require, si—Kent.” Raven bowed to me. “I will endeavor to comply.” Then he returned to folding my discarded clothing.