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Ishir pressed his hands together and offered me a half bow.
Mother had asked that of me the day before I left. She sat draped in an emerald sari, the bracelets on her wrist jangling as she reached for my arm. “No deaths, Sai.”
I bowed. “We’ve never killed before, Maharani.”
“You’ve never taken a task such as this one. If you manage to infiltrate the Seelie palace—”
“We’ll manage it.”
She gave a nod but then raised her hand to cup my cheek. “Be careful. Don’t kill anyone and don’t get yourself killed.”
I pressed my fingers over hers. “I promise, Mother.”
Regardless if it made the task more difficult, we would do our best not to cause more harm than necessary. Mother had worked relentlessly during her reign to restore our connection with other fae courts. A hundred years before, the Seelie had nearly destroyed them all, but we slowly rose again, and Mother envisioned a united realm of fae. King Carrington, on the other hand, desired to be in charge of everything. That was more of a concern for Mother and Amyra who was the heiress to Mother’s throne. My role was more hands-on.
I unwrapped the necklaces from my pocket. I’d hidden them with a simple glamour—the Seelie’s strength of all things—and had multiple plans in place to deal with them discovering the magic. They hadn’t even tried, the fools. They thought their magic-infused metal to be unassailable. “Once the guards are down, we’ll use these stones the Naga gave me to change our appearance.” I handed a matching pair to everyone. “Put one on a guard and the other on yourself. You’ll capture their looks, and the Seelie won’t be able to see through it.”
“How long will it last?” Neia tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
“Six hours. It will keep the other fairy asleep during that time.”
“That should be plenty of time.”
I nodded. “Elisa, you’ll come with me. We’ll meet Luz and search for the zevar. Orman, I want you to cover us. Ishir, follow Neia. She’s going to work on getting the Memoria Globe.”
“Did you discover if King Carrington warded it in such a way that only humans can lift it?” Ishir asked.
Neia waved him off. “I have a plan for either situation.”
“Where are we meeting after?” Elisa asked.
“If everything works out, we’ll meet across the riverbank where you four scoped out the palace. That’s on the southwest side and heavily covered in trees which should make it easier to retreat into human lands.”
Neia gave me a look that expressed her doubt that everything would go as planned, and I offered her a dark chuckle. It was rare for everything to come together perfectly. A huge part of our job was the ability to think quickly and be flexible. “Should we end up in a different scenario, flee until you reach the Naga’s waters. Cross the river and meet beneath the oak. The Seelie can’t pass over there without entering our territory. Questions?”
No one offered any.
“Very well. We’ll open the cell when the guards’ clock chimes the sixth bell. May the Goddess’ strength go with each of you.”
Everyone broke off, and I sighed in relief to draw the magic back. I wanted to get as far from this blasted metal as I could. Soon. Elisa and Neia huddled together, leaning in towards each other. Ishir and Orman fell into a low conversation. I leaned against the wall and thought of Lira again. Lira rain-soaked and unsure. Lira’s eyes filled with fire and confidence. Lira betrayed and angry.
You’re soon to err. Your warring desires and the actions you take from them will harm you more than you might understand,the Naga had said.
Damn him for always being right.
I’d never considered a romantic relationship before meeting Lira. The idea had never held appeal. I’d always admired the tenderness and friendship between my parents but didn’t think something like that was for me. Besides, who would wish to partner with the prince of darkness? The only types that found me appealing were those who wanted the connection to my family or those who found the darker rumors about me alluring.
Both turned me off and had pushed me away from seeking a partner. I was happy with the friendships and family I had and sexually satisfied by one-off interactions with enjoyable partners.
And then I’d met Lira.
Goddess we’d both ruined everything for each other. I’d dragged her into a world she wanted no part of. She’d made me aware of something I didn’t realize I had been missing. A hole that seemed to come into existence the moment I met her.
CHAPTERTWENTY-SEVEN
LIRA
A serf arrivedand helped me dress for the ball in a gown of shimmering blue with another petticoat of heavy wool and a gray velvet jacket. She offered pearls for my ears, and I hesitated to accept them. I’d steal these if I wore them while I escaped. Wearing a ballgown to escape was ridiculous, anyhow, but Lennox had insisted it was the easiest way to move around the palace tonight without being noticed.
