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“The bond?”
My jaw tightened. “Lost. It feels empty.”
A flash of rage filled Tait’s crimson eyes. “He’ll pay.”
“Aye. He will.”
“Hurry,” Aleksi said. “Mira, cover again.”
The princess drew in a long breath before we abandoned theshelter. Thick mist hovered around us, nothing more than an approaching storm filling the crevices and corridors of the earth fae fort. I was curious about the fae magic but buried all my questions for Livia.
Soon, she would explain it all while wrapped in my arms. Preferably naked. In our bed.
Outside, Jonas had the guard panting, crying his name, his hands down her leather trousers. We crouched behind the walls, waiting until his low voice rumbled in some brief farewell, and the woman’s pitchy laugh followed.
He joined us, hair mussed, and the kohl on his face smeared.
“Well?” He took the cloak from his brother, glancing at Tait. “Ah, looks like it was a success.”
Mira studied Tait’s face until he shifted away. “What is it, woman?”
“Stop moving,” she snapped. “I’m creating your features. Edda will check on you within a few moments, and you’d better be there, at least for long enough that we have a head start.”
“Mira is highly skilled in re-creating folk,” Aleksi explained. “But it’s simpler and more believable if she commits your face to memory.”
More delays. I closed my eyes, biting back my own anxiety to move, to be free of these gates.
Soon enough, the princess gave Aleksi a nod. “Should hold until we’re gone.”
“Wonderful,” Jonas said. “Is no one going to praise me for my skill?”
“No,” said Sander. “There was nothing spectacular about your everyday antics.”
“My own brother.” Jonas clicked his tongue. “Next time you will be the seducer, Sander. You can put them to sleep by explaining your latestrivetingread.”
We hurried toward the outer gates. I ignored my aching bones and crouched when the royals said crouch, ran when they said run,until we reached the same cliffside I’d tumbled off with Livia. Gods, it felt so long ago.
“I warned Queen Elise the Chasm would likely kill her.” I pointed between the twin princes. “As mortals, you both should stay back.”
Jonas’s eyes darkened, like night swallowed the green and left nothing behind. “Forgive me, but did Bloodsinger just call me mortal? Has he not noticed our eyes?” He faced Sander. “Is it not working?”
“You are not fae.” Their ears were the blunt, rounded shape, the same as the Night Folk queen.
“Because our ears are a suitable size, you think we are mortal?” Jonas waved his hands over his pitch eyes. “Does it look like I don’t have magic in my blood, Ever King?”
“They’re called Alvers,” Aleksi said. “A cousin of fae folk, and they’re quite sensitive about their odd-looking ears, if you couldn’t tell.”
I waved them away. “Fine. You follow me, and your lives are in your hands. I’ve no time to keep your royal necks safe in the Ever.”
“We know what we face, you damn sod.” Mira crossed her arms over her chest, frowning. “Alek told us a great deal, but we all remember the power of the sea fae when they attacked, whenyouattacked.”
I flashed my teeth and peered over the ledge. Horns blared from the fort.
“Time is spent,” Aleksi said. “We’ve been found out. Go now, or we all end up in the dungeons.”
“Follow after me.” I did not waste another breath before falling backward off the ledge. Eyes closed, arms wide, I called to the sea. Cool tides broke the fall, and in the shadows of the dark currents, crimson sails rose from the seafloor to take us home.
CHAPTER TEN
