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CHAPTERTHIRTY-FOUR
LIRA
Sai’scareful posture had broken, and he gaped at me. “Lira.”
“It makes sense.” I moved closer to him, ignoring Shaan’s glares.
Lennox stood frozen like a statue, not so much as a muscle giving away his thoughts. Now that I’d seen past his glamour, I understood how much of his careful appearance was fake. He was my brother. That revelation was like a warm cup of tea after a long, cold walk. Somehow I knew he wasn’t the villain Shaan saw. It was like Luz said at the Seelie palace. Lennox had betrayed Shaan. And Shaan had every right to despise him for that, but that didn’t mean Lennox wasn’t on the side of helping the Prasanna and the fairy courts. He was one of us. Lennox, Sai, Shaan, and I were a prophesied team.
Beyond that, I’d always longed for a sibling. Part of that was a wish for someone else to take Mother’s magic, but I also longed to have someone to commiserate and share life with. I’d had Margo, and she was a wonderful friend, but it wasn’t the same. Her mother wasn’t nearly as vindictive as mine. Now I had Lennox, and I would fight to keep him.
I reached Sai and grasped his hand. His eyebrows pressed together, wrinkling his forehead. He was the most attractive man I’d ever met, and I longed to lead him out of that room, disappear into our quarters together, and promise I’d never leave his side. We weren’t just lovers, though. We were heirs to fairy courts and holders of a prophecy to right the wrongs in the world. The Seelie had metal that could kill the Prasanna fairies, and only Lennox and I had the ability to stop it. I hadn’t even fully processed that yet, but I knew I was ready to face our task.
“Your mother told me troops are heading in this direction.”
“I don’t care.” Sai cupped my cheek and bowed his head against mine. “We’ll fight.”
“No. People in your court will die.”
The Maharani cleared her throat and stepped towards Lennox, engaging him in a conversation.
“Please, Lira,” Sai whispered. “I cannot lose you.”
“You won’t. It’s temporary. Lennox and I are the only ones who can stop the Seelie. We’re supposed to do this and you know it.”
He glided his hand down my spine, his fingers lingering, until he paused on the small of my back. “We’re supposed to do this together.”
“It will only be for a short while until we figure out what’s going on. I’ll be a spy for your court. You can’t argue with the logic of that.”
He tilted my chin up and kissed me, then let his lips rest against mine. When he spoke, it was against my mouth, his sweet, burnt smell filling my sinuses. “My heart doesn’t give a fuck about logic. Do you know what I would do to protect you?”
“Yes.” I did because I felt the same. Without hesitation, I’d freeze this world until not a blade of grass remained alive if it spared him. “I need you to trust me, though.”
He released a breath, kissed me again, and took a step back, defeat weighing down his posture. “I promised I would trust you from now on. I’ll keep my word, but know that I hate this.”
“I hate it too.”
“What’s your plan?”
I grabbed his hand and walked us towards the other three before looking at my brother.My brother.I wanted to say the word a hundred times to rejoice in the sound of it. “Lennox can rescue me.”
Lennox frowned. “You aren’t a prisoner and don’t need a rescue.”
I nodded. I was glad Lennox thought that, and it confirmed my beliefs. The Maharani also seemed pleased with his answer. Lennox wasn’t out to harm the Prasanna court. The two of us could change the path the Seelie took.
“It will be a show like the one Sai and I gave at the Seelie palace.”
Sai crossed his arms and frowned. “You intend to play the damsel in distress again?”
“I think I did well enough with it the first time.”
He smirked. “I believe the Seelie believed it.”
“They did,” Lennox said dryly. “Perhaps a bit too well as it seems my father will take military actions based on it.”
“Let’s not pretend,” Shaan growled, “that your father wasn’t looking for the first excuse.”
Lennox bowed his head. The way Shaan kept attacking everyone in the room made me feel less irritated with how he’d spoken to me. He was hurting and angry. I understood to some extent. I’d felt the same about Sai, and his actions had been far less painful than Lennox’s towards Shaan.
