“It’s another of the Fae’s countless inane prophecies,” Bryce muttered. “When knife and sword are reunited, so shall our people be.”
“It’s literally carved above the Fae Archives entrance—whatever the fuck it means,” Ruhn said. Bryce gave a small smile at that.
Hunt grinned. Her little smile was like seeing the sun after days of rain.
Bryce pretended not to notice his grin, but Ruhn gave him a sharp look.
Like he knew every filthy thing Hunt had thought about Bryce, everything he’d done to pleasure himself while imagining it was her mouth around him, her hands, her soft body.
Shit—he was in such deep, unrelenting shit.
Ruhn only snorted, as if he knew that, too, and sheathed the sword again.
“I’d like to see the Fae Archives,” Lehabah sighed. “Think of all that ancient history, all those glorious objects.”
“Kept locked away, only for their pure-blooded heirs to see,” Bryce finished with a pointed glance at Ruhn.
Ruhn held up his hands. “I’ve tried to get them to change the rules,” he said. “No luck.”
“They let in visitors on the major holidays,” Lehabah said.
“Only from an approved list,” Bryce said. “And fire sprites are not on it.”
Lehabah rolled over onto her side, propping her head up with a fiery hand. “They would let me in. I am a descendent of Queen Ranthia Drahl.”
“Yeah, and I’m the seventh Asteri,” Bryce said dryly.
Hunt was careful not to react at the tone. The first bit of spark he’d seen in days.
“I am,” Lehabah insisted, turning to Ruhn. “She was my six-times-great-grandmother, dethroned in the Elemental Wars. Our family was cast from favor—”
“The story changes every time,” Bryce told Hunt, whose lips twitched.
“It does not,” Lehabah whined. Ruhn was smiling now, too. “We stood a chance at earning back our title, but my great-great-grandmother was booted from the Eternal City for—”
“Booted.”
“Yes, booted. For a completely false accusation of trying to steal the royal consort from the impostor queen. She’d be thrashing in her ashes if she knew what had become of her last scion. Little more than a bird in a cage.”
Bryce sipped from her water. “This is the point, boys, where she solicits you for cash to purchase her freedom.”
Lehabah turned crimson. “That is not true.” She pointed her finger at Bryce. “My great-grandmother fought with Hunt against the angels—and that was the end of my entire people’s freedom.”
The words cracked through Hunt. All of them looked at him now. “I’m sorry.” He had no other words in his head.
“Oh, Athie,” Lehabah said, zooming over to him and turning rose pink. “I didn’t mean to …” She cupped her cheeks in her hands. “I do not blame you.”
“I led everyone into battle. I don’t see how there’s anyone else to blame for what happened to your people because of it.” His words sounded as hollow as they felt.
“But Shahar led you,” Danaan said, his blue eyes missing nothing.
Hunt bristled at the sound of her name on the prince’s lips. But he found himself looking to Quinlan, to torture himself with the damning agreement he’d find on her face.
Only sorrow lay there. And something like understanding. Like she saw him, as he’d seen her in that shooting gallery, marked every broken shard and didn’t mind the jagged bits. Under the table, the toe of her high heel brushed against his boot. A little confirmation that yes—she saw his guilt, the pain, and she wouldn’t shy from it. His chest tightened.
Lehabah cleared her throat and asked Ruhn, “Have you ever visited the Fae Archives on Avallen? I heard they’re grander than what was brought over here.” She twirled her curl of flame around a finger.
“No,” Ruhn said. “But the Fae on that misty island are even less welcoming than the ones here.”
“They do like to hoard all their wealth, don’t they,” Lehabah said, eyeing Bryce. “Just like you, BB. Only spending on yourself, and never anything nice for me.”
Bryce removed her foot. “Do I not buy you strawberry shisha every other week?”
Lehabah crossed her arms. “That’s barely a gift.”
“Says the sprite who hotboxes herself in that little glass dome and burns it all night and tells me not to bother her until she’s done.” She leaned back in her chair, smug as a cat, and Hunt nearly grinned again at the spark in her eyes.