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The prince eyed me, his expression going carefully blank. “Would you rather stay home?”
“I would rather stay with you, but at what cost to our fae?” I indicated those running around. “This destruction happened because of me.”
“This happened because of theking.” He lifted my chin, then traced his lips softly over mine. “War’s coming, my love. It’s either my father who starts a physical war with the Nolus, or we start a political war with him. Either way, it’s happening. But if you would rather stay in Mervalee, I won’t judge you for it.”
I shook my head, then ran my tongue along his lower lip. He growled appreciatively.
“No, I’m staying with you. I would only stay in Mervalee if it benefited others and kept you safe.” I inclined my head and ran a finger over two protruding stones near the stairs that were teetering and nearly falling out.
Norivun brushed a lock of hair from my face. “Is your magic strong?”
I nodded. “Tylen hasn’t been visiting me. My magic has fully returned. And yours?”
His lips thinned. “Fully suppressed still, so you can mistphase all of us?”
“I can.”
“Then I’ll need you to take me and my guards with you. Until enough time has passed that I’ve recovered, you’ll have to be the one protecting us.”
My lips curved upward. “It would be my pleasure, my prince.”
CHAPTER 8 - ILARA
Imistphased us to the guards’ chambers, and my shoulders sagged in relief when the prince’s four guards all stood before us unharmed. “Thank the Mother you’re all here.”
“Mother Below, you got her out!” Sandus exclaimed to the prince before he pulled me into a hug.
I embraced him in return, not even minding when his bushy beard scratched my cheek. Once he let go, I gripped Nish, then Ryder, and Haxil into hugs just as fierce.
“Ock, Ilara,” Nish mumbled. “I’ve never been so happy to see you.”
Haxil chuckled and ruffled Nish’s shorn hair. “I knew she’d win you over sooner or later.”
“How did you get her out?” Ryder asked my mate.
“My father called for her release. I told him that until Ilara was freed and allowed to return home toMervalee to live in peace, as our bargain deemed so, the gods’ destruction would continue.”
“So that’s what was happening.” Ryder scratched his pointy chin. “We were placing bets on who fucked who to make the castle begin crumbling to pieces.”
Nish smirked. “We were all wrong, obviously.”
The prince placed his hands on his hips, a small smile on his lips, but it quickly disappeared when he eyed the door. “We need to find Michas and show him the looking glass. It’s too risky right now to go to Lord Crimsonale since my father may learn of what we’re attempting to do. We need to hurry. If Ilara doesn’t return home soon, the gods’ revenge will follow us.”
“Ready?” I asked.
They all dipped their heads, and I whipped my magic around them in a blaze of mistphasing power.
We mistphased to the wing where archons and nobles stayed while they were at court, exactly to where Norivun told me to go.
The hall we landed in was dim. Nighttime had fully set in, and light from the moons penetrated the cracked and shattered stained glass windows high above us.
“This way.” Norivun nodded toward a door. We stopped outside the young lord’s chamber and knocked.
Silence.
The crown prince raised his hand to knock again, but then the sound of faint footsteps came from the other side.
All four guards gripped their swords just as Michas swung the door open.
