Instead of snarling at her, her father smiled. It frightened her more than if he’d screamed.
“You are my child, through and through.”
Camilla’s eyes burned as she dropped her weapon, shaking her head, holding up her charred palms.
Of all the things she’d imagined him saying…
Envy dragged his demon blade across Lennox’s throat, silencing her father forever.
She stared as the Unseelie King slumped to the ground, unmoving.
A terrible war took place inside her. She hadn’t dealt the killing blow, but she’d ensured that he didn’t win the fight. Her own father.
Fingers wrapped around her wrist, squeezing gently.
“Envy, I’m so—” She turned, then closed her mouth.
The prince hadn’t taken her hand.
Wolf gave her a sad smile. “I’m sorry, Princess. He left.”
A fist clutched her heart, squeezing until she felt dizzy. It couldn’t be true. Not after what they’d just done. Her gaze darted around, searching. There were no emerald wings towering above the chaos. No gleaming demon dagger shining like its own bloody star.
Wolf was correct. Envy was gone.
He’d left her.
Tears pricked her eyes, but she blinked them away.
Sometimes actions spoke far louder than any words.
The demon prince had not forgiven her, after all. Now that he’d won the game and killed his greatest enemy, he’d gone home. It shouldn’t hurt so much that he’d done exactly what he’d always said he would. But hearts weren’t always logical, and Camilla’s ached at the loss.
“Your Highness?” Wolf asked, voice quiet. “What will you have me do?”
Camilla pulled the broken pieces of herself together, then glanced around the chamber.
No living creatures remained, all fled or crumpled to the ground. The beauty of the Crescent Court was buried in blood and smoke. But against the wall, the portal still gleamed, and she knew what to do.
“We find all the mortals and escort them safely to Waverly Green.”
“Then?”
“I’ll close the portal and destroy the Silverthorne Key,” she said.
Wolf winced.
“What?”
“Princess… the key is gone.”
SIXTY-SIX
IS IT WORKING?” Alexei asked, pacing around the stark room they’d set up to restore Envy’s court in the farthest wing of House Envy.
They’d emptied the chamber of everything except for the oversized wool rug, a high-backed chair, two stools, and a small table to set the chalice on. And chains.
“Too soon to tell.” Envy lifted a shoulder, forcing casualness he didn’t feel. His gaze slid between the demon strapped in the chair—his unfocused eyes feral with fear—to the clock. For the hundredth time in a second. Thus far, there was no discernible change. The demon seemed as terrified and as lost to that terrible fog as ever.
“Now?” Alexei pressed.
“Does he look restored?” Envy snapped as the demon struggled against his restraints. Envy blew out a breath, bringing his emotions back under control. “We’ll know when it works. He’ll recognize us.”
It had begun when Envy had picked up the Chalice of Memoria, the activation runes glimmering hunter green. It looked like it used to. Envy had cast the same spell he’d always used before, then offered the chalice to Lord Alden.
The demon had knocked the first attempt out of Envy’s hands.
Then Alexei had come in, held him down.
When that didn’t work, they’d strapped the demon to the chair and forced the chalice to his lips, tipping his head back to pour the spelled drink down his throat.
Forty-seven excruciating seconds passed. The fog didn’t dissipate from behind the demon’s eyes. Frustration built in Envy’s chest.
Winning the game was supposed to save his court.
To think it had been one more false hope…
“Fuck!” Envy paced around the room, mind whirling.
He could seek the Crone again—the creator of the Underworld itself. The Crone was to goddesses what Titans were to mortal gods. If anyone could help, it would be her. But he’d been desperate once before, had asked her years back.
She’d laughed in his face and vowed to do worse next time.
He supposed he could kidnap her daughters, force her hand.
But that wouldn’t end well for any of them.
Envy walked to the arched window on the far side of the room, gazing out at the grounds. It was twilight, a soft blanket of snow falling, the flakes tumbling and swirling as they danced down to the winter grass.
“Your Highness?”
There was an odd edge in Alexei’s tone.
Envy twisted, gaze snapping to Lord Alden. The demon blinked slowly, then squeezed his eyes shut. His head moved from side to side, as if shaking some internal nightmare away.
Envy moved closer, hope igniting once again.
He paused a few feet away, his breath lodged deep in his chest.
Another thirty seconds ticked by.
A minute.
Come on, he silently urged. Open your eyes, recognize where you are, remember who you are.
Lord Alden’s hands fisted, his wrists twisting, testing the restraints on the arms of the chair. Envy and Alexei both leaned forward, neither daring to speak. Lord Alden opened his eyes, squinting at first, then glanced down at his bound arms.
He looked back up, brows knitted as his focus moved from Alexei to Envy.
“Is this some new kink, Your Highness?” he asked, sounding annoyed. “I despise chains.”
Air whooshed out of Envy. He wanted to grab the demon by the lapels and plant a kiss on him but refrained. Lord Alden was properly aggravated. A personality trait he’d had for the last six centuries.
“How do you feel?” Envy asked instead.
Lord Alden’s gaze flattened. “Like House Wrath is looking appealing, Your Highness. Unless I’m being held for treason, untie me.”
Alexei snorted. “Same old prick.”
It had worked. Envy expelled another breath, relief barreling through him. The Chalice of Memoria would stop the memory blight. After years of turmoil, that dark, unending descent… the nightmare was finally ending. Part of him couldn’t believe it.
Alexei began untying Alden, then directed him to the Gallery of Dreamscapes, where Envy had set up refreshments in hopes the newly saved demons would need a safe space to wait until they’d restored everyone’s memories.
Once Alexei returned with the next demon, they started all over again. After the second successful restoration, they brought in more chairs and restraints.
Days passed, Envy staying right there with his court, even though plenty of volunteers had come together from the healed, helping their fellow demons.
Once it was clear the tide had turned, days later, Alexei cleared his throat.
“You haven’t said a word about her.”
Envy stiffened, then carried on as if he had no idea what the vampire meant. Alexei gave him a look that said he knew better.
“There is nothing to say. She’s Unseelie royalty.”
“You don’t honestly give a shit about that,” Alexei said. Envy’s attention snapped to his second. The vampire’s smile was all fang. “Your Highness.”
Envy assisted the next demon in line, then strode to the other end of the room, swiping an icy glass of water from a tray. His cursed second trailed after him.